Arthur Smith's Hollywood Odyssey

After spending two wonderful nights with Winona Ryder at the Wilshire Hotel, Arthur immediately joined the crew of Sleepless in Seattle and began working.

The lead roles in Sleepless in Seattle were of course crucial. Meg Ryan as the female lead was unanimously accepted without objection. However, there were differing opinions on the choice of Tom Hanks because he wasn't considered handsome enough.

Nevertheless, director Nora Ephron was very satisfied with Tom Hanks' audition and felt that the role of Sam in Sleepless in Seattle should go to him.

At the same time, Arthur met the blonde, sweet-smiling, and graceful Meg Ryan. What attracted him most was her smile, brimming with happiness that indeed made people feel joyful.

"No wonder she's America's Sweetheart," Arthur thought, although he had no intentions towards Meg Ryan. He simply recognized that her smile played a significant role in her success.

"Is everything settled?" Arthur asked Nora Ephron in the Castle Rock Entertainment office.

Nora Ephron nodded, "Tom Hanks will sign the contract soon. I need to head to New York to finalize the casting for the young actor who will play the son. You should head to Seattle and start setting up the scenes at the old hangar."

"Got it," Arthur had already visited Seattle once before. "I'll head over right away!"

The main filming location for Sleepless in Seattle was indeed in Seattle, with the old hangar at the retired naval base in the northern part of the city being the primary set.

"Arthur, you have less than a month to build the sets I need. Filming officially starts early next month," Nora Ephron reminded.

Arthur nodded, "No problem. I'm confident we can finish by the end of the month."

With that, Arthur took the crew-issued cell phone and hurried out.

Seeing Arthur leave, executive producer Gary Foster smiled, "This kid is really dedicated to this movie. When we went to Seattle together, it happened to be raining. Do you know what he said?"

Nora Ephron, already aware of Arthur's dedication, was curious, "What did he say?"

"He said it's perfect timing because earlier this year, Seattle had a dry summer with little rain. A lot of our scenes need rain, so with the current weather, we'll save a lot on water truck expenses," Gary Foster said, his mouth curling up. "This kid may not be suited to acting, but he's definitely a qualified producer."

As the executive producer, Gary Foster controlled the finances, and Arthur's ideas and actions needed to be reported to him.

Nora Ephron added, "But his most successful job so far is as a screenwriter. His two scripts sold for nearly $1 million. I heard that the producer who bought his scripts invited him to play a major role, but he turned it down. It seems that acting is not his ultimate goal."

Gary Foster then asked, "What about the role of the female lead's boyfriend in the movie? Can he handle it?"

Nora Ephron nodded, "That's not a problem. His agent hasn't forgotten his primary job. Besides, Arthur played a supporting role in Edward Scissorhands as the female lead's boyfriend. With his looks and physique, he's more than capable of playing a handsome face. And he's got good physical skills too. Even if his acting isn't great, he could still make it big in action films."

Gary Foster nodded knowingly, "It seems he doesn't want to be just a pretty face. If he gets a good opportunity, he might really make a name for himself."

Opportunities were abundant in Hollywood.

After leaving Castle Rock, Arthur first went home to pack a few clothes and then went to West Hollywood to find Winona Ryder.

"Hey, heading out again?" Winona Ryder asked as soon as she saw Arthur dragging a suitcase.

"Yes, going to Seattle to set up the scenes," Arthur said, sitting on the sofa. "When are you heading to San Francisco?"

"Oh, I join the crew next week," Winona Ryder said, handing Arthur a cup of coffee. "Setting up the scenes means Sleepless in Seattle is about to start shooting. Will you be ready in time?"

"We'll make it. The setup is simple, and there are a lot of exterior scenes in Seattle, New York, and Baltimore," Arthur replied, not worried about this matter.

"Shooting starts next month, but this movie is a bit different from Edward Scissorhands."

Edward Scissorhands was primarily shot in Lutz, where the houses were modified to look like a fairy tale town, and most of the story took place in that town. Sleepless in Seattle was an urban romance film, with many scenes taking place in ordinary settings, so there wasn't much that needed to be built from scratch.

"I heard from my agent that Universal bought your American Pie script and has started preparing it. Don't you want to play a major role in it?" Winona Ryder asked again.

Arthur smiled, "That's just a lowbrow comedy about sex jokes. You want me to bare my chest?"

Winona Ryder chuckled, "The script was written by you, so it's all your fault. But I actually don't want you to act in it either. It might negatively affect you. You're doing great as a screenwriter right now. If you find a good role in the future, you'll definitely break out."

Arthur put down his cup and pulled Winona Ryder into his arms, "Next year, when the movies adapted from my scripts are released, I'll already have a reputation as a screenwriter. That'll be breaking out too. Who knows, maybe I can become a producer myself!"

Selling the American Pie script earned Arthur $370,000, and he now had over $400,000 in cash. Once Sleepless in Seattle was released next year, Arthur's income would surely exceed $1 million. However, he still had to pay a hefty tax this year.

Taxes were always a headache. By next April, he would have to file this year's taxes.

Fortunately, Reagan's tax reform had significantly lowered corporate and personal income taxes. The current personal tax rate in the US was only 28%, and the entertainment boom in Hollywood in the 90s was largely due to Reagan's tax cuts.

Luckily, President Bush, who succeeded Reagan, hadn't introduced any new tax policies, so Hollywood's tax benefits would continue.

"Arthur, you're leaving for Seattle tomorrow?" Winona Ryder asked in his arms.

"Yes, the flight's in the morning. I'll spend tonight with you..."

*****

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