Chasing Stars in Hollywood

As a project personally initiated by Simon, "Desperate Housewives" did not need to go through the complex pilot and marketing processes. It was directly scheduled for the prime time slot on USA Network this fall.

Although the production timeline was very relaxed, the preparation for the project progressed quickly.

After Simon set the wheels in motion, the plan to build the Wisteria Lane set in Universal Studios was quickly put into action. Upon returning to Los Angeles from San Francisco, the television department presented Simon with a list of potential actors for the main roles.

In this era, television's status in Hollywood was still quite low, and TV actors were similarly regarded as the lowest in the Hollywood hierarchy.

If it were a regular network project, it usually wouldn't cause much of a stir within the industry, and projects from cable networks with smaller audiences even less so.

However, once "Desperate Housewives" was linked to Simon Westeros, many Hollywood actresses who fit the criteria eagerly sought roles in the series. Even actresses primarily in film began vying for roles.

After all, this was Simon Westeros.

Simon had launched several hit reality shows during the 1988 Hollywood writers' strike, creating an entire era of reality TV. Now, even though it was a cable TV show, who knew if it would start a new trend?

As a key project for Daenerys Entertainment's TV department, the series' casting would not involve large-scale auditions but rather selecting suitable, experienced actors from the submissions of various agencies for a small-scale audition.

In a dedicated audition room in the administration building No. 1 at Daenerys Studios.

There was no audition happening at the moment. Simon's casting director, Linda Vargas, was showing Simon the profiles of the main role candidates through a projector.

On the whiteboard on one side of the room, the staff had detailed character profiles based on the script Simon provided.

"There are five candidates for Lynette Scavo: Patricia Wendy, 41, known for her role in MGM's 'Thirtysomething,' which earned her three consecutive Emmy Awards; Sanda Bergman, 41, who competed for the role of Hippolyta in 'Wonder Woman,' debuted in the '70s, and has appeared in numerous films and TV shows; Catherine Harold..."

What Simon appreciated most about Linda Vargas was that she never tried to influence his decisions and consistently met his standards for casting.

Since being introduced to Simon through "Run Lola Run," this capable and sharp woman in her thirties had become Simon's go-to casting director.

For projects that Simon personally oversaw, Linda Vargas would personally handle the casting.

Even though Simon would often only get involved in the final one or two rounds of casting, Linda's influence in Daenerys Entertainment was significant.

Clearly, any actor seeking a role in a Simon Westeros project had to go through Linda Vargas. If she wanted to suppress a star, unless they had the strength to contact Simon directly, they wouldn't stand a chance.

After introducing the five candidates, Linda turned to look at Simon, who was sitting casually at the conference table, watching the profile projections.

From the start of "Run Lola Run," Linda had watched this now 24-year-old rise to stardom and still found it somewhat surreal.

Linda Vargas had been an unknown in Hollywood initially.

She had wanted to be an actress but, despite decent looks, had made no progress after a few years and so decided to get married.

Her husband, Joey Vargas, was also in the industry and, thanks to his family's connections, fared slightly better.

Of course, just slightly better.

Though titled a producer, he was really doing all sorts of odd jobs in the low-budget indie film sector.

Maintaining a respectable lifestyle in Los Angeles wasn't easy.

Since they were not financially well-off, Linda couldn't afford to be a full-time housewife and used her contacts to work with her husband on various behind-the-scenes jobs in low-budget indie films.

Six years ago, she inadvertently got a job as a casting director for a low-budget indie film.

That film happened to be "Run Lola Run."

As "Run Lola Run" became a hit, Linda gradually became Simon Westeros's go-to casting director.

Six years passed in a flash.

She had opportunities to switch careers. WMA offered her a VP position, and Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. had approached her with high-level executive or producer roles.

She declined them all.

Knowing her own capabilities, unlike Ron McMillan, who had become arrogant after working on "Run Lola Run," she understood that following Simon's lead was the wisest decision.

Without a clear title but with the salary and benefits of a VP at Daenerys Entertainment, she effectively acted as Simon's personal assistant for casting.

Her base annual salary of $250,000 plus substantial annual bonuses was something she never imagined when she first took on the job for "Run Lola Run."

While Hollywood often gives the impression of million-dollar salaries, such lucky few are extremely rare.

Hollywood, broadly defined as the entire American entertainment industry, has over a million people working in it.

Given the vast number of workers, most consider themselves fortunate to have a well-paying job.

Moreover, Linda was well aware of the implicit power she held.

Most of the stars Simon had helped rise to fame had gone through her.

This power meant that she received treatment on par with any studio head. She was welcome at high-end parties, clubs, and events. Her husband, thanks to her influence, had become a truly powerful film producer, participating in numerous film projects, including those under Daenerys Entertainment.

Last year, when her youngest son reached school age, CAA's Michael Ovitz personally called to ask if they were interested in sending their child to one of Beverly Hills' top private schools.

They knew that this school usually admitted only a small number of truly elite students from the West Coast, not just the wealthy.

Though they politely declined Ovitz's favor, Linda's determination to hold onto her job was reaffirmed.

To keep her job, Linda had to adhere strictly to the professional standards of a casting director.

After working with Simon for so many years, Linda understood his character well. Most of the time, Simon was very agreeable, but once his boundaries were crossed, there was no room for negotiation.

Thus, despite numerous requests, Linda rarely allowed personal biases to affect her casting decisions.

However, by subtly sharing Simon's minor preferences with some actors or informing them of casting results in advance, she unintentionally built a network of favors, making the industry believe she could influence casting outcomes.

The higher Simon rose, the more he understood the necessity of not being overly rigid. As long as it didn't affect the work, he didn't mind his subordinates' personal interests.

When Ron McMillan was ousted from Daenerys Entertainment, it was partly because his actions were interfering with his job and partly to serve as a warning to other senior executives becoming complacent due to the company's rapid growth.

Not concerned about what Linda might be thinking as she looked at him, Simon signaled the staff to play the audition tapes of the five candidates. Then he asked Linda, sitting across the table, "What is Sanda Bergman's height?"

Having met her during the "Wonder Woman" casting, Simon also received a call from Sanda Bergman for the "Desperate Housewives" role.

However, Linda Vargas did not show any favoritism. The candidate list was selected by the entire casting team based on the actors' overall suitability.

To Linda, Sanda Bergman's height was a 'dealbreaker,' not because she was too short but because she was too tall.

The actress, originally a dancer, stood at a solid six feet. While this height was ideal for the role of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, it was unsuitable for a worn-out housewife like Lynette, struggling with family and children.

Linda had no hesitation in her response, "Six feet exactly."

Six feet equates to 182 cm.

A woman standing at 182 cm was just too tall.

Even if the audition tape was good and her appearance and temperament suited Lynette, the height difference when acting alongside other characters would make the framing awkward.

Having made up his mind, Simon shook his head, "Sanda Bergman is out. For the other four, Patricia Wendy will be the first choice. Once the other roles are decided, arrange a group audition. If all goes well, she gets the part."

A three-time Emmy winner with sufficient acting skills and fame, this actress, though not conventionally beautiful, would perfectly embody Lynette's character, worn out by family life with a bit of makeup.

Linda jotted down Simon's decision in her notebook. Confirming he had no other issues, she continued, "Next up is the 'perfect housewife' Bree Van de Kamp."

As she spoke, new actor profiles appeared on the projection screen.

Simon immediately spoke upon seeing Lynda Carter's photo on the first page, "Lynda Carter won't do. She lacks a strong, resilient aura."

Moreover, her ample bust was likely to distract the audience.

Linda was taken aback and instinctively asked, "Boss, shouldn't we at least watch the audition tape?"

If she was shortlisted, the audition must have been satisfactory.

However, Linda Carter's image differed too much from Marcia Cross's in Simon's memory. Despite a previous fling, Simon showed no mercy in passing on her.

For women he had been involved with, unless they truly fit the role, Simon would rather give them a $1 million check than cast them in an unsuitable project.

Shaking his head again, Linda proceeded to introduce the next candidate.

The following two did not meet Simon's satisfaction either.

When he saw Sela Ward's profile, Simon immediately made a decision.

Although he had also been intimate with Sela Ward, her appearance and temperament suited Bree Van de Kamp even more than Marcia Cross.

After all, Marcia Cross's face, heavily treated

 with Botox, was somewhat unsettling.

Sela Ward's natural looks were a better fit.

With Lynette and Bree decided, candidates for the other two housewives, Susan and Gabrielle, were also preliminarily determined.

Since it was a female-centric show, Simon only cared about the four core housewives. He would only glance at the final casting for the husbands and other characters.

Busy with various tasks, another week flew by unnoticed.

On Friday, March 6th, Simon flew to New York.

With Janet staying on the East Coast for the past week due to numerous issues at Cerise Capital accumulated during her pregnancy, Simon made a special trip to accompany her for the weekend.

At the Greenwich estate outside New York.

It was Saturday morning.

The East Coast had already shed its winter chill in March.

When Joseph Schlapp of Schlapp Consulting visited, Simon had just finished breakfast with Janet.

Entering March 1992, the U.S. presidential election, held every four years, was officially underway.

For the two major parties, incumbent President George Bush was virtually guaranteed to receive the Republican nomination.

On the Democratic side, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and New York Governor Mario Cuomo were among the main candidates emerging to vie for the Democratic nomination.

However, North American media was currently most focused on billionaire Ross Perot, who announced his candidacy as an independent in the presidential election.

In late February, during a live interview with Larry King on CNN, Ross Perot publicly stated that if he could gather enough voter signatures from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., he would formally run as an independent candidate in this year's presidential election.

Since last year, Perot had repeatedly expressed his intention to run for president.

According to U.S. election laws, independent candidates must gather a certain number of voter signatures in each state to qualify for candidacy.

Thus, compared to previous statements, this public call for signatures signified the official start of Perot's campaign.

The U.S. stock market had been recovering since last year's Gulf War, but the economy remained at its lowest point since the 1987 crash and the last bond crisis.

Aside from winning a war abroad, George Bush's presidency had disappointed voters over the past three years. With Democratic candidates lacking strength, Perot's candidacy drew interest from many voters dissatisfied with both parties.

Thus, after appearing on CNN in late February, Perot had gathered sufficient signatures in 29 states within two weeks.

It was evident that Perot collecting enough signatures in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., was just a matter of time.

Given Perot's conservative political leanings similar to the Republican Party, his candidacy would undoubtedly split George Bush's vote. As Perot began gathering signatures, many media outlets, driven by underlying currents, started scrutinizing his every move, leading to a barrage of attacks.

Some people believe the U.S. president wields limited power, constrained by Congress, often criticized by the media, and merely a puppet of capital interests. However, post-Soviet Union, as the leader of the world's sole superpower, the U.S. president wields immense power with relatively minimal effort.

The lower barrier to entry and immense power naturally led to fierce competition.

To win, candidates and their backers would resort to any means necessary.

Although Perot was a billionaire and had faced intense business competition, he was politically inexperienced. Under relentless scrutiny, the billionaire soon showed signs of faltering.

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