America: Child stars start with The Shining

A few days later.

Charles first saw Judy being interviewed on television.

She stood in front of a Yale University teaching building, wearing sunglasses, looking calm, with students and tourists coming and going behind her.

The reporter handed her the microphone, and Judy smiled and began to speak:

"I know there's been a lot of talk about Charles lately, but frankly, those claims are very different from the person I know."

The reporter seemed intent on making things difficult, clearly not intending to let the opportunity slip by, and asked:

"So you mean you believe Ciel was innocent?"

Judy turned her face slightly to the side, her sunglasses obscuring her eyes, leaving only a faint smile on her lips.

She said:

"What I mean is that before the truth is fully revealed, no media should try to confuse the public by manipulating public opinion, especially when it comes to an artist who has been maliciously manipulated."

The reporter persisted, pressing for further questions:

"But the general consensus is that Charles's delayed response precisely indicates his tacit acceptance of these facts. How do you explain that, Judy?"

"Besides, you and he were involved in some rumors recently, weren't you?"

In front of the camera, Judy raised her chin and responded:

"Isn't this exactly what you media outlets do best? Take rumors out of context, piece them together to form so-called facts, repackage them into a version that the public is willing to believe, and then spread them openly."

"As for the relationship between me and Charles, rather than those pointless speculations, it's more accurate to say that we appreciate each other. After all, child stars like us are the easiest tools for your media to use for hype..."

Her tone carried an undisguised sarcasm.

Charles sat in front of the television and sighed.

Judy's actions effectively diverted some of the attention from him in full view of everyone.

At this critical juncture, every word she uttered carried immense pressure, especially since she had no reason to go to such lengths for him.

Ovitz sat next to him and joked:

"It seems you have a very good relationship with her, that she's willing to stand up for you even in a situation like this."

Charles choked slightly, then casually changed the subject, saying:

"Ahem, let's not talk about that. How's Reagan's campaign team handling things?"

Ovitz paused, tidied up the documents on the table, and said:

"The effect is good. Many major media outlets in Hollywood have stopped reporting on your story. Only some small, miscellaneous newspapers are still tirelessly hyping it up, but the impact isn't too significant."

"However, Charles, although Reagan can directly influence media channels, the problem is that Sinclair Oil Company also has a lot of power in Hollywood."

"We haven't heard back from the movie auditions you asked me to contact recently. I'm guessing that Sinclair Oil Company has probably gotten involved."

"They don't want you to continue working in Hollywood."

After hearing Ovitz's words, Charles frowned slightly and fell into a brief moment of thought.

During this period, he did keep an eye on several movies that he thought had good reviews and box office performance. Although they were not blockbusters like "The Shining" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", they were still very helpful for his future development plans.

But if Sinclair Oil Company is determined to deliberately prevent him from getting new movie roles, then he will probably have a hard time getting new audition opportunities and will have to find another way out.

Thinking of this, Charles raised his head and continued to ask:

"By the way, how's Leonardo DiCaprio doing?"

Some time ago, he specifically asked Ovitz to help the other party get in touch with a play on Broadway. I heard that he was successful in the audition and has performed in a few shows recently. I don't know how well it went.

"The response has been good. His biggest problem right now is that his acting skills are not up to par. The way Broadway trains child stars is just right for him."

Upon hearing this, Charles nodded thoughtfully, and then said:

"In that case, could you also help me make some connections and see if there are any suitable dramas? Let's put the Hollywood stuff on hold for now."

Since Sinclair Oil Company wants to make it impossible for him to stay in Hollywood, Shire will temporarily avoid their wrath.

In fact, he wasn't worried about the movie audition at all.

Ultimately, it's because he lacks fame. Although he has "The Shining" in his hands, it's far from enough for him to truly establish himself in Hollywood.

Only when "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" is released will he have the opportunity to become an overnight sensation and the most famous child star in Hollywood.

By then, neither Sinclair Oil Company nor WMA would be able to easily influence the decisions of those film companies.

What Charles needs to do now is to wait patiently and cooperate with Reagan's side to clean up the current media storm.

Before that, he certainly couldn't stop working as an actor, and for his current situation, Broadway was undoubtedly a pretty good option.

Ovitz smiled and said:

"A wise choice, Shire. Broadway is where white old money loves to go. Sinclair Oil Company doesn't have the ability to reach there."

"Besides, do you know how many young actors try their best to get in there every year? If you can really gain the favor of those old money guys, it will be a great help to your current situation."

Broadway is a circle where many high-society people are keen to appear.

They may not actually like theater, but that doesn't stop them from using theater socializing as part of their identity.

This is a different kind of arena of fame and fortune.

Otherwise, why would so many Hollywood stars want to go there?

Because they want to squeeze into this circle, for them, the support of power is much more reliable than movie box office revenue.

It's not unusual for a child star to have a brief appearance in a movie.

But if Shire could gain recognition on Broadway, that would mean something entirely different.

......

Reagan's campaign team's actions certainly couldn't stop at simply helping Charles suppress those media reports.

If this is all that is done, it won't be of any real help to Reagan.

What they really want to do is use this incident to push forward with their plans for further progress.

Charles turned on the TV and watched the live broadcast on the screen.

CNN has secured the contract to cover Reagan’s campaign tour and will be responsible for broadcasting his speeches across the country live.

The speech currently being broadcast is a public address by Reagan regarding legislation concerning minors.

Charles's case will serve as his most compelling evidence.