Capítulo 77: Chapter 77: Signing the Contract
At this point, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" hadn't yet become a box office hit in North America, and Zhang Ziyi was still just a rising second-tier actress in the Chinese entertainment industry, with some fame due to her association with Zhang Yimou's films. Any small opportunity for upward mobility was something she valued greatly.
Especially in Hollywood, where she had no foundation at all. The fact that Master Yuen was willing to help her gave her a deep sense of gratitude and excitement.
At this time, the highest-paid Asian actress was Yang Ziqiong (Michelle Yeoh), who earned about $1.5–2 million per film. Stars like Andy Lau and Stephen Chow from Hong Kong entertainment could only earn $1.2–1.5 million.
As for major stars in Mainland China, male actors earned about five to six million yuan, and female actors even less.
Zhang Ziyi, still a second-tier actress at the time, earned only 130,000 yuan for her role in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which was less than $20,000 at the exchange rate then.
In comparison, Jackie Chan was making $10 million, and Jet Li was earning $6 million, explaining why everyone was scrambling to break into Hollywood.
"By the way, I heard that the boss of Hemera Pictures, that recently popular star Wayne Anderson, is signed with WMA. Also, Jessica Alba, the lead actress in 'Happy Death Day,' recently switched from CAA to WMA. If you're really interested in this project, you might want to look into WMA," said Li An, who had been silent until now.
Like Master Yuen, Li An saw potential in Zhang Ziyi, which was why he had cast her in his film.
After hearing this, Zhang Ziyi quickly expressed her gratitude and mentally made a note of it. Whether for fame or fortune, her ambition drove her to make a name for herself in Hollywood. But compared to wandering blindly without any connections, the opportunity to work on a project with Master Yuen was far more promising.
While the position of an action director might not seem that high in a film crew, it still held significant influence. And given Master Yuen's track record and the high salary Hemera Pictures was offering him, if Master Yuen was willing to help, at the very least, he could secure her a small role in the film.
This alone put her ahead of most aspiring actors without any connections.
That evening, Zhang Ziyi had her assistant find out how to get to WMA. The next morning, she dressed fashionably, put on flawless makeup, and took a cab to WMA.
"Hello, I'm Zhang Ziyi. May I ask if Mr. Wayne Anderson's agent is available?" she inquired at the reception.
The receptionist looked Zhang Ziyi up and down, noting her stylish outfit and the assistant by her side, and smiled politely.
"Hello, Ms. Zhang. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Jones?"
Anticipating this question, Zhang Ziyi calmly produced the business cards of Li An and Master Yuen, saying, "I'm an actress from China, looking to break into Hollywood. Director Li An and Mr. Woo Ping Yuen recommended that I visit WMA. Director Li An won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 67th Academy Awards for 'Eat Drink Man Woman,' and Mr. Yuen was the action director for 'The Matrix.' If you ask Mr. Jones, he should know that Wayne Anderson's Hemera Pictures is currently working with Mr. Yuen on a major commercial film series."
The receptionist glanced at the business cards and hesitated slightly.
If Zhang Ziyi were just an ordinary Chinese actress, she wouldn't have paid much attention. Like many Americans, she held a subtle prejudice against people of color. However, being recommended by an Oscar-winning director meant Zhang Ziyi deserved some respect.
As for the collaboration between Master Yuen and Hemera Pictures, the receptionist hadn't heard of it.
What Zhang Ziyi didn't know was that Hemera Pictures, or rather Wayne Anderson, often bypassed WMA altogether when casting. Even Mr. Jones, the agent, might not know Wayne's preferences.
Nevertheless, recalling that Liu Xiaoli and Liu Tianxian had been personally escorted by Mike a few days ago, the receptionist hesitated, then picked up the phone and dialed Mike's office.
"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Jones, but there's a Ms. Zhang Ziyi here at reception. She says she's been recommended by Director Li An and Woo Ping Yuen. She's a Chinese actress looking to break into Hollywood."
On the other end, Mike had his phone on speaker but continued his work, listening patiently.
"Director Li An? I think I've heard that name..."
"Apparently, he won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film."
"Alright, bring her to my office."
"Yes, sir."
Mike was currently riding a wave of success at WMA, but he hadn't let it go to his head. He knew Wayne valued him for a reason, and with an Oscar-winning director involved, it was worth taking some time to meet Zhang Ziyi.
A few minutes later, there was a gentle knock on the office's frosted glass door.
"Come in!" Mike said, pausing his work and standing up.
He wasn't sure if it was Zhang Ziyi's fit with Western beauty standards, but when she walked in with her assistant, he was momentarily stunned, a flash of admiration in his eyes.
In his mind, Zhang Ziyi was far more beautiful than Liu Tianxian.
Was she also Wayne's woman?
With that thought, Mike's smile became even warmer, and he quickly dispelled all distracting thoughts.
"Hello, Ms. Zhang, I'm Mike Jones. Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"
Once seated, Zhang Ziyi confidently explained her purpose. This approach was something she had learned from Michelle Yeoh.
According to Michelle, finding an agent in Hollywood was entirely different from in China. Here, you laid all your cards on the table—connections, background, resources—nothing should be hidden. Concealing information could lower their evaluation of you.
And never lie or exaggerate, as Hollywood's agencies were more skilled in intelligence gathering than private detectives. If you lied, it would only harm your credibility.
Zhang Ziyi presented her acting experience, her connections, her skills, and talents, and straightforwardly stated her intention: she wanted Mike to be her agent and help her get into the "Resident Evil" film project.
(End of Chapter)
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