America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 231, Section 230: The Newly Crowned Best Actress

On the big screen, the portraits of the six Best Actress nominees were displayed.

At that moment, more than 4000 million American viewers were watching the live stream simultaneously, because the award was not only prestigious, but also highly competitive and suspenseful.

The other three are already destined to be runners-up; the key is the competition between the Olsen twins and Charlize Theron, both of whom are highly favored.

They are all LGBTQ+ themed films, they all had a lot of publicity and campaigning, they all made great sacrifices for their roles, they all delivered breakthrough performances, and they were all produced by the same company.

This time, the test wasn't for the three women, but rather for the Oscar judges, and the Academy itself.

The Olsen family gathered together again after the last Golden Globe Award.

Little Elizabeth sat in the middle, with her parents on either side, the three of them holding hands, their eyes fixed on the television screen.

This is a do-or-die moment. If Ashley and Mary can win the Oscar for Best Actress, they will become top-tier global actresses, completely shedding their past labels and achieving legendary status.

This will also greatly boost the performance of Twin Star Entertainment, and the sales of the two sisters' merchandise will definitely increase dramatically.

At Theron's house, her mother, Gerda Theron, stared intently at the television screen, just as nervously as the rest of the family.

Since the year she shot and killed her husband to protect her daughter, and was acquitted, she has been pursuing her dreams with Theron, eventually ending up in Los Angeles.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and he is still all alone, while his daughter has become stronger and stronger.

She started from small roles and gradually rose to the position of leading lady, her box office appeal grew stronger and stronger, and her reputation as a beautiful goddess became more and more widespread.

If she wins another Oscar, it will symbolize that her career has reached its peak.

"We must get it, we must get it!" Gerda's palms were already soaked with sweat.

Dolby Theatre.

Adrien Brody opened the envelope, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow: "The Best Actress award goes to—Charlize Theron for *Monster*!"

coax!

Instantly, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, and everyone offered their blessings at that moment.

Eric glanced to the side, worried that the Olsen sisters might lose their composure and embarrass themselves like Joey from Friends.

As he expected, the two sisters angrily pounded on the chair, but fortunately their actions were discreet and not captured on camera.

He was about to offer a word of advice when the two of them laughed, clapped, and gave him their blessings, as if they truly meant it.

Yes, her acting skills have indeed improved a lot.

The cast of "Monster" lined up behind Eric, and Theron had already stood up excitedly, her face smiling but her eyes filled with tears.

After such a great sacrifice and so much effort, I have finally achieved my goal and have not let myself down.

She has been under a lot of mental stress lately, and she is constantly worried about losing what she has gained, and she is very conflicted.

One moment I think I must go all out to get it, the next I think it's okay if I can't get it, I'm lucky if I get it and I'm just accepting my fate if I lose it.

So when I heard the result, tears welled up in my eyes without my noticing.

After hugging the crew, Theron felt a little empty, because she was missing the blessing of an important person.

At that moment, Eric stood up, turned around, opened his arms, and the two immediately embraced.

As an investor, his actions were not inappropriate. If "Monster" wins Best Picture, he will be responsible for accepting the award on stage.

After the two embraced, Charlize Theron finally walked onto the stage, satisfied, and accepted the trophy from Adrien Brody.

This kid is behaving himself this time, because he actually got a warning from the school for his crazy kissing of Halle Berry last time.

Looking at the crowd in front of her, Theron's voice trembled with emotion: "I can't believe it, I really won Best Actress, this is just so exciting."

"I feel really uneasy. I feel like crying, but I know I can't because there's not enough time. I still have so many people I want to thank."

Hahahaha

A soft laugh rippled through the crowd.

"I want to thank director Patty, who wrote such an excellent script and specifically persuaded me to participate."

"Just like you might think, I was hesitant to take on this role at first, but thanks to Patty, thank you."

"Thank you to Sam, Bob and other media people, thank you to Carole, Jennifer and other crew members. I can't read out all your names, but thanks to you, the movie wouldn't be possible."

"I also want to thank Christina Ricci. We worked together very well. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to perform so well. We complemented each other perfectly."

The camera pans to Friday, where Richie smiles and nods; she looks beautiful today too.

"I also want to thank the film's producers. Eric is not only a talented young man, but also has amazing courage and vision."

"You all know that he did a cameo as director for a day, but that's not all. He also suggested adding many profound scenes to the film. I know that this makes the film seem cruel, but it also makes it more profound."

"However, I heard that the movie's box office performance wasn't very good, so I can only apologize for that. Perhaps I can make it up to you privately."

HO!

HO!!

HO!!!

Upon hearing this, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd.

Just kidding, that's Charlize Theron, even in Hollywood where beauties abound, she's considered one of the brightest stars.

Everyone knows that she has been single for a long time and has been rumored to be dating several times, but no media outlet has ever captured any concrete evidence, so she is most likely still single.

Now the goddess has extended an invitation. Although it might be a joke, what if it's real?

However, upon seeing that the invitee was Eric, a super-rich man and a Hollywood super player, many people's feelings of envy disappeared.

We can't compete, we really can't compete!

For Eric Cooper, it's understandable that even a goddess would pursue him.

On stage, Theron continued, "We're going to be overtime, and one last thing I have to thank is my mom."

"You sacrificed so much for me so that I could live here, so that my dream could come true, more than I sacrificed for the film."

"My love for you is beyond words!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!"

Bang bang bang bang

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Theron walked off the stage holding the Oscar statuette, feeling its weight in her hand, a weight that contained so much.

After she left, Martin Scorsese went on stage to present the Best Director award.

The films nominated for Best Director are: Peter Jackson's *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*, Sofia Coppola's *Lost in Translation*, Clint Eastwood's *Mystic River*, Fernando Meirelles' *Lawless*, and Eric Cooper's *Blue Is the Warmest Color*.

Ashley and Mary lost the Best Actress award, and although they were disappointed, they could only focus their attention on other awards.

If they can win it, although it's not an honor that directly belongs to them, it still reflects their efforts. Moreover, it's an award for their own man, so it can be considered a form of compensation.

Seeing the two of them looking a little nervous, Eric didn't take it seriously.

"Don't get excited, it's normal not to get it. I'm more at peace with myself than you guys."

But such words of comfort obviously had no effect on the teenage girl who was making her Oscar debut. Instead, the two glared at him, probably thinking to themselves how he could be so unambitious!

Martin Scorsese opened the envelope and smiled slightly: "The winner is Peter Jackson's *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*. Congratulations."

As expected, the bearded man happily went on stage to accept the award.

Ashley and Mary puffed out their cheeks in frustration. There was only one left. With the movie being so popular, they couldn't possibly only get a screenwriting award.

Finally, Spielberg went on stage to present the grand prize for Best Picture.

"We always save the Best Picture award for last because it's the sum of all the elements."

"The end of a journey always begins with a dream."

"This year, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, the excellent novel adapted from Aubrey and Maturin, and Seastard Years, which pays homage to horse racing in the last century, have inspired these dreams."

"Mystic River is a thriller that shows the growing estrangement between three friends; Lost in Translation is a love story between an older man and a young woman; and Blue Is the Warmest Color describes the genuine feelings and lives between two young women."

"These five films are the finest cinematic creations, embodying the sweat and effort of hundreds and thousands of people. All of them deserve the highest applause and praise."

Spielberg opened the envelope, read the contents, and smiled slightly.

He pushed up his glasses: "The winner of the 76th Academy Award for Best Picture is 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'!"

As expected, "The Lord of the Rings" has now ascended to legendary status, winning all 11 of its 11 nominations, making history and tying the record for most film awards ever.

Peter Jackson led a large group of people onto the stage to accept the award, and after delivering an acceptance speech, he...

The host, Christo, invited all the winners to come on stage for a group photo, creating this precious picture together.

After the awards ceremony came the Vanity Fair dinner, which Eric, as always, was too lazy to attend. He went through the motions, had some photos taken by the media, and then got ready to leave.

The same scenario played out as at the Golden Globes; just as I was about to reach the door, someone called out to me.

Looking back, it was still Paris Hilton.

The two had no contact after the Golden Globe Award. She didn't appear in front of him, and Eric almost forgot about her.

Paris Hilton quickly caught up: "Eric, why do you always leave in such a hurry? You seem to dislike parties."

"No, it's not that I don't like parties, it's just that I'm not interested in pointless socializing, and there are already too many celebrities here, so they don't need me."

Paris Hilton clearly couldn't understand his point of view. This girl was a socialite, the kind who would die if she didn't participate in social events, and it would be many years before she truly awakened to social norms.

"Eric, you've made history. That was such a cool line. I was totally mesmerized watching you from below."

"Hehe. I just said it on a whim, so you came here specifically to congratulate me?"

"Not entirely. I've thought about your suggestion, that reality show, for a long time, and I feel it wouldn't be bad to give it a try."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Nikki and I discussed it, and we'll both appear on camera together."

"Now that we understand Paris, MGM will not let you down. Someone will contact you in the next few days to finalize the details. We hope for a pleasant collaboration."

"We'll definitely work with you. There's a lot of talk about it outside, saying that MGM is the company that knows how to promote new talent. Come on, let's go in and have a drink to celebrate."

Eric glanced at the time: "I'll let it go this time. I have things to take care of. I'll treat you next time."

Watching Eric get into the car and drive away, Paris Hilton stomped her foot angrily.

She dressed up specially for today, and even wore a special perfume with a unique formula that is said to have an aphrodisiac power, especially attractive to men.

One reason for doing this was Oscar, and another was to try and seduce Eric Cooper.

It would be such a shame if I couldn't sleep with such an outstanding man even once.

But she failed again; she had failed twice already.

She took a small mirror out of her bag and couldn't help but touch her face: "Am I not pretty enough? Why don't I attract him? Damn it!"

"No, everyone complimented me on how pretty I am. It must be the perfume that's the problem. Those guys lied to me; it must be fake."

"No, I need to find another opportunity to try. We'll definitely be signing a contract in a few days. Maybe I can dress a little more daringly, and I don't believe you won't take the bait."

Click!

Theron pushed open the door and entered the villa, turning on the switch and the lights came on.

Then she covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes filled with red roses, which were incredibly beautiful.

Eric stood there, holding a beautiful flower in his hand, staring intently at her.

"Honey, did you make this?"

Eric nodded. After Theron left the ceremony, he arranged for everything to be decorated, just to give her a surprise.

If you don't win an award, it's perfectly reasonable to change the reason for the surprise into a consolation.

"OMG! Oh my god! Honey, my heart is pounding, I'm about to give birth!"

Eric smiled and said, "Then please ask her to wait a moment, because I'm going to give you my blessings next."

Snapped!

With a snap of the fingers, the music began.

Flamenco!

Claimed to be the most provocative and sexy male dance, Eric's movements are full of power and desire, reflected in his eyes.

Looking directly into his eyes, Theron felt his heart race, his whole body feel like it was on fire, and his desire was aroused.

Click! Click!

The leather shoes made a rhythmic, crisp sound as Eric picked up Theron and spun her around. Before he knew it, the little golden statue had fallen to the ground.

Nobody cared; the intense atmosphere and desire nearly consumed them.

Spinning and leaping, Theron moved with him to the window.

Suddenly, Beverly Hills was ablaze with light, and countless fireworks burst forth, covering the entire sky, just like on the night of her birthday.

Beneath the beautiful fireworks, a passionate kiss conveyed their love, their figures intertwined tightly.

"Eric, I love you!"

"Me too, baby!"

(End of this chapter)