Chapitre 2: Julie
Lucas eagerly went to the audition location for "Modern Family" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. He was so excited that he had trouble sleeping the night before. He even asked his friend Paul Sterling a few times if it was okay to pursue this opportunity, but Paul assured him that he had landed a role in a "Law & Order" TV series.
This reassurance made Lucas feel better, thinking that if Paul believed in the potential success of "Modern Family," he might later regret missing out. As Lucas arrived at the theatre, he noticed a significant crowd already gathered.
Lucas was about to take a seat when he spotted a woman who seemed familiar. In shock, he wondered, "Isn't she Claire?" Indeed, in a nearby seat was the blonde woman who portrayed Claire Dunphy, but that wasn't what shocked Lucas. He was taken aback because the actress who played Claire Dunphy had a visibly pregnant belly.
Yes, she was pregnant. Lucas scanned the room to see if any other actors or actresses from "Modern Family" were present, but all he found were unfamiliar faces.
As a result, Lucas felt a bit disappointed, but he decided to approach the blonde woman. As he neared her, she seemed slightly surprised but nodded and asked, "Can I help you with something?"
Lucas shook his head and inquired, "May I sit here?" gesturing to the unoccupied seat next to her, to which she simply nodded.
She replied, "You don't need my permission; I don't own this place."
Lucas smiled and responded, "True, but I thought it might be considerate to ask, in case it makes you uncomfortable."
She smiled back and said, "Not at all."
Lucas nodded and shifted his attention to the stage where the auditions were currently underway. He noticed a man with glasses, an older man, and another man who appeared to be in his thirties, among a few others, sitting with their elbows on a table, strategically positioned to assess the auditioning individuals.
Turning to the blonde woman, Lucas asked, "Are you here for an audition?"
She chuckled and replied, "Isn't it obvious?"
Lucas, feeling a bit embarrassed, ventured, "Let me take a guess at the role you're auditioning for..."
The woman chuckled and said, "Go ahead, give it a try." She watched as Lucas stroked his chin, seemingly deep in thought.
Lucas, with an expression of sudden realization, remarked, "You're auditioning for the lead female role, aren't you?"
The woman appeared somewhat surprised and asked, "How did you know?"
Lucas interrupted her, responding, "How did I know? Well, considering the circumstances, most of the actresses here are probably trying out for the main role, right?"
She chuckled and replied, "You might have a point there." Then, pausing thoughtfully, she added, "Let me guess your role. Are you auditioning for the main role as well?"
Lucas promptly shook his head and said, "No, I'm auditioning for a supporting role."
The woman was a bit disappointed that she had guessed incorrectly. Both she and Lucas were in the dark about the other characters in the script since the "Modern Family" producers had only provided a script for the character they were auditioning for.
Realizing they hadn't introduced themselves yet, Lucas spoke up, "I forgot to introduce myself; I'm Lucas Knight."
She nodded and introduced herself, "I forgot to introduce myself as well." Pausing for a moment, she reflected that despite appearing in several series, she was still relatively unknown. She suspected that Lucas recognized her, which might explain his approach, but she shook off these distracting thoughts and said, "My name is Julie Bowen."
Lucas glanced at her pregnant belly and inquired, "You're pregnant?"
Julie blushed slightly and confirmed, "Yes, I'm eight months pregnant." Observing the concern on Lucas's face, she continued with a slightly downcast tone, "Honestly, I'm not sure if the producers will choose me because of this..."
In a confident tone, Lucas assured her, "Don't be discouraged. I'm sure you'll get the role." In truth, he knew that she would indeed secure the role.
Julie assumed that Lucas was merely offering her words of comfort, so she gave a grateful nod and continued, "I've actually auditioned for this role a few times already..."
This revelation surprised Lucas, and he responded, "You have?" He had been unaware of this.
Julie nodded and added, "I'm really fond of this character."
Lucas acknowledged her passion and engaged in a conversation with Julie for a while. Eventually, it was Julie's turn to audition, and Lucas wished her, "Good luck."
With a nod, Julie made her way to the stage, gently cradling her pregnant belly.
In the theatre, a few people couldn't help but notice Julie's prominent pregnancy, and whispers spread through the audience.
Lucas, wearing a puzzled expression, scanned the room and then observed Julie taking the stage as she portrayed the role of 'Claire Dunphy.'
"I doubt she'll be accepted with that noticeable baby bump," a distant voice scoffed.
Lucas chose to disregard the people gossiping, fully confident that Julie Bowen would secure the role regardless of their opinions.
On the stage, Julie stood before the director, writers, and producers of "Modern Family." She greeted them with a smile, saying, "Hi, I'm Julie Bowen. I'm here again to audition for the role of Claire Dunphy."
One of the writers, a 30-year-old man named Steven Levitan, responded, "I know," with a chuckle. "You've already auditioned quite a few times."
Julie blushed and nodded, admitting, "I really like the role, after all."
Her words caught the attention of an older man, Christopher Lloyd, who spoke up, "Well, even though you've auditioned several times, I still want to see you perform the script you haven't used in your previous auditions." He placed the script on the table and said, "You can start now."
The director, Jason Winer, handed Julie the script, and she began to read. After a while, she returned the script.
Steven Levitan then suggested, "You can take a seat; there's no need to remain standing as per the script we provided," casting a glance at Julie's pregnant stomach.
Julie nodded and settled into a seat on the stage nearby.
She fell into a brief silence as she fully immersed herself in the character of Claire Dunphy. With confidence, she delivered her lines, "I am a mother. I am a wife. I am a career woman. And I am juggling it all. But I wouldn't have it any other way," all while the camera captured her performance.
Then, Julie turned to the camera and declared, "I'm Claire Dunphy, and this is my crazy life."
Lucas observed Julie's audition and expressed his approval with a nod, convinced that Julie was undeniably destined for the role of 'Claire Dunphy'.
Chapitre 3: Audition
After Julie Bowen finished her performance, "Modern Family" writers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd exchanged glances. Despite Julie's pregnancy, they believed she perfectly embodied the character of 'Claire Dunphy.' Her tone and expressions truly captured 'Claire Dunphy' for them. Jason Winer observed the writers as Julie anxiously examined the producers' expressions, hoping they appreciated her performance.
Julie thought, "I hope they liked it..." as Steven Levitan nodded and complimented her, saying, "It's a good performance." Julie responded with gratitude, "Thank you."
However, Steven Levitan added, "Hmm... But we'll contact you if you get the role." This words disappointed Julie, but she still nodded and replied, "Thank you." She left the stage, feeling judgment from others who had come to audition due to her pregnancy.
Lucas observed Julie's exit and smiled, muttering, "She probably didn't expect to be chosen in the end..." Later, more people took the stage one by one, performing until it was finally Lucas's turn. He was identified by the number assigned to auditionees.
The audition coordinator called, "Number 69, Lucas Knight." Lucas raised his hand and noticed a few people chuckling. Feeling awkward, he scratched the back of his head and made his way to the stage. The "Modern Family" director, writers, and producers looked up at Lucas, and Jason Winer asked, holding a paper, "Are you auditioning for the supporting role of 'Dylan Marshall'?"
Lucas nodded and replied, "That's correct."
Jeff Greenberg, the casting director of "Modern Family," wore a perplexed expression as he stated, "As far as I can recall, we never cast someone named Lucas Knight for the supporting role of 'Dylan Marshall.'" Responsible for the casting process, he meticulously handpicked actors and actresses for specific roles within the show.
From his recollection, while 'Dylan Marshall' wasn't as prominent as the main characters, it still held significance, potentially appearing in several episodes. Jeff Greenberg remembered that aside from Paul Sterling and Reid Ewing, whom he and his team personally selected, a few actors had submitted their headshots and resumes for consideration, but Lucas Knight wasn't among them.
The directors, writers, and producers of "Modern Family" regarded Lucas with furrowed brows. Lucas Knight, trying to address the situation, offered an awkward smile and admitted, "Umm... That's correct..." How should he explain this?
Upon hearing Lucas's response, Jeff Greenberg directed his attention to Lucas Knight and elaborated, "Auditions for 'Modern Family' are conducted discreetly, and only those specially chosen by me and my team are given the opportunity. Could it be that one of the actors we selected for the supporting role allowed you to audition on their behalf? I am certain that no one named Lucas Knight submitted a headshot and resume to me, so I can't think of any other explanation..." His conclusion was hard to dispute, and the "Modern Family" directors and writers couldn't help but arrive at the same conclusion.
In truth, actors or actresses could still audition for roles, even if they hadn't been directly selected by the casting director, as long as they were endorsed by a guild that submitted their headshots and resumes to Jeff Greenberg.
The other people auditioning were intrigued by the situation as they observed Lucas Knight on the stage.
Lucas, caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, explained, "My friend offered me his audition opportunity for the role of 'Dylan Marshall'..."
Jeff Greenberg stroked his chin, recalling that the only people he had selected for the role of 'Dylan Marshall' were Paul Sterling and Reid Ewing. Since Reid Ewing had already auditioned, and the only one who hadn't was Paul Sterling, he surmised that Paul Sterling had provided Lucas Knight with the script and audition chance for the role. With this realization, Jeff Greenberg exclaimed, "So your friend was Paul Sterling?"
Lucas, upon hearing this, nodded with a hint of surprise.
Steven Levitan casually used his pinky finger to clean his ear as he commented, "I'm not particularly concerned about whether you're supposed to be here or not." He paused, locking eyes with Lucas Knight, and added, "However, since you are here, I assume you possess the ability to portray the role of 'Dylan Marshall' effectively, right?"
Jeff Greenberg glanced at Steven Levitan and then at Lucas Knight, nodding in agreement with Steven Levitan's words. He added, "Did you hear that, young man? Do you have the acting ability, or are you just wasting our time?"
The fellow auditionees cast various glances and expressed a range of emotions while observing Lucas Knight.
With all eyes focused on him, Lucas sensed the weight of the moment and felt doubts creeping in. However, he reminded himself, 'I've already faced death once, so why should I be concerned about failing here?' Determination welled up within him as he reflected, 'I failed as an actor in my past life due to this useless trait of doubt!'
After a few seconds of contemplation, and with everyone awaiting his response, Lucas confidently affirmed, "Of course! I can portray the role of 'Dylan Marshall' effectively!"
The directors, writers, and producers of "Modern Family" were taken aback by Lucas's transformation, witnessing his shift from awkwardness to sudden confidence.
Christopher Lloyd, an middle aged individual, smiled and nodded to Lucas, remarking, "I appreciate your confidence, young man." He paused and elaborated, "But let me clarify the role of 'Dylan Marshall' for you. He will be the boyfriend of the main character, 'Haley Dunphy.' He's into music and likes to act cool. Can you embody that?"
All eyes turned to Lucas Knight as Christopher Lloyd posed the question, and Lucas promptly nodded, affirming, "Certainly."
Steven Levitan, wearing a smile, instructed, "Then you may begin."
Lucas nodded, recalling the script that Paul Sterling had given him earlier.
Lucas had memorized the lines, but he understood that it wasn't just about the words; his expression and overall acting would make all the difference.
He immersed himself in the character of 'Dylan Marshall.' Although he had only watched the first season of "Modern Family," he aimed to portray Dylan from his perspective. In Lucas's view, 'Dylan Marshall' wasn't a character who tried to act cool; he thought Christopher Lloyd's earlier statement was a test of his acting abilities.
"Ready? Action!" the audition coordinator called out, signaling the start of the performance. The reader assigned to assist Lucas with his lines was prepared.
Lucas composed his mind and became 'Dylan Marshall.' His expression transformed into that of a laid-back individual, and his hands fiddled with his clothes.
Director Jason Winer, Jeff Greenberg, Steven Levitan, and Christopher Lloyd were slightly taken aback by Lucas's transformation.
Lucas exuded the aura of a slacker, appearing both uncomfortable and unsure of himself.
Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd exchanged glances. Judging from Lucas's current expression and posture, it appeared that he was portraying 'Dylan Marshall' quite effectively, even though Christopher Lloyd had attempted to mislead Lucas earlier by characterizing 'Dylan Marshall' as a simple character. This characterization could be both right and wrong simultaneously. If Lucas had followed Christopher Lloyd's advice exclusively, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
However, whether Lucas could deliver his lines effectively remained to be seen, and this would ultimately determine his overall performance in their eyes.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
25 Power
stone 
Commentaire de paragraphe