Chapter 24
Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. A lot of things kept popping up between the last chapter and now. For those who read my notes, you get a pretty good idea of what happened. That said, I also got sick the week before last and was out of it for over 7 days. Recovered this week, but well, holidays and shit. Anyway, here is the newest chapter. At the bottom of the page, I have a few questions I would like to ask you all.
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"So, Mel, you've been blacklisted in Hollywood several times, right?" Joe Rogan asks.
"I was, for a long time, but at the same time, not really," Mel replies.
"What do you mean?" Joe inquires.
"Well, you really see people's true colors when you're at your lowest. Now, don't get me wrong, what I said and what I did was bad, but when all my so-called friends abandoned me, there were a few who stood by me through it all," Mel explains.
"Ah, you're talking about Caesar," Joe says.
"That's right, exactly. That little prick," Mel responds, but there's no real anger in his voice.
Joe leans back and laughs, saying, "Yeah, you two have a kind of strange friendship, right? I mean, both of you basically spend half your time on air insulting each other whenever one is asked about the other. Most people would think you two aren't friends or couldn't be friends."
Nodding his head with a smile, Mel says, "That we do."
"So, how did you two become friends? Did it start at the 1999 Academy Awards?" Joe asks.
Shaking his head, Mel replies, "No, no, it started long before that. You see, this whole mystique of Caesar being so charming and wonderful is total bullshit."
"How so?" Joe inquires.
"Well, people often forget that I actually met Caesar way back in '96 when he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for *Se7en*. He came to my after-party, where we drank and took some very amusing pictures that are still available online. I think he might have hooked up with Salma that night, but I'm not entirely sure about that. We also did a photo shoot for *GQ*," Mel explains.
"You mean this one?" Joe asks as he pulls up the cover Mel is referring to.
Laughing, Mel replies, "That's the one!"
"Wow, look at you guys! You're really ripped, man," Joe comments.
"Yeah, we were," Mel says, clapping his hands and looking at his younger self with Brad, Sylvester, and Schwarzenegger. It feels like it happened a lifetime ago.
"Anyways, this cover is what I mean when I say the myth of Caesar is total nonsense," Mel adds.
"Can you explain that?" Joe asks.
"Sure. From the moment I met Caesar and talked with him, I knew he understood this was his chance. 'Seven' wasn't the peak of his career or just a one-hit wonder. It was an opportunity, and he needed to seize it. Right from the start, he began networking, talking to anyone and everyone he could. That included me, of course, and he often called me for advice back then," Mel explains.
"Ah, so you were kind of like his mentor," Joe says.
After thinking for a moment, Mel replies, "I wouldn't go that far. David Fincher played a bigger role in that regard than anyone else. But I did help him out. The thing is, once you do something for Caesar, he will repay you—one way or another. The 1999 Academy Awards only solidified our friendship."
"Can you tell us a bit about that night? We all know what happened, but what led up to it?" Joe asks.
Clicking his tongue, he is still a bit sore about that night. Mel says, "Ahhhh, how do I say this…." After taking a moment, Mel continues, "You know, Joe, I've been called many things in the media and online. I've been labeled as anisometric, racist, misogynistic, and even crazy. But as soon as you point your finger at the bigwigs and call them out on their own hypocrisy—claiming they are racist—suddenly you're the one who sounds crazy."
"So you still believe that Caesar not winning that night was due to race?" Joe asks.
"Absolutely. I mean, couldn't anyone see it? He was nominated twice and didn't win a single time," Mel replies.
"If I remember right, Caesar never agreed with your claims, right?" Joe asks.
"Of course not. He isn't stupid. If he had come out and claimed that the people controlling the awards were racist, he would never have worked in Hollywood again," Mel answers.
-1999-
Let me clarify something quickly. Despite what my current actions may look like, I was not cheating on Tiff. I would not do that, no matter what anyone might say or think. Yes, I was currently balls deep in Gwyneth's cunt as I fucked her over a desk at the newly named Hollywood Cartel Studios. So, from the outside looking in, it looked like I was cheating on her, but to quote Tiff, "We were taking a break from each other." A nice way of saying she dumped me again.
I can't deny that the breakup was partly my fault. After the premiere of *Shakespeare in Love*, which grossed a total of $356.1 million at the box office, I realized I hadn't reduced the time I spent with Gwyneth as I should have. With her schedule now largely free and filming for *The Sixth Sense* not starting until February, we threw ourselves into preparing the first movie in the MCU project. This meant more hours at the office and many late nights spent together trying to finalize everything. Meanwhile, Tiff grew increasingly suspicious, going from doubting my fidelity to being convinced that I was cheating.
It didn't matter what I said or how much I denied it. The truth was that between November and December, when I wasn't focused on preparing for the filming of "The Sixth Sense," I was with Gwyneth. If I were honest with myself, I would have believed the same as Tiff. After all, while neither Gwyneth nor I was interested in dating each other, the attraction was definitely present.
I mean, you only had to look at her to understand why Tiff would think I was cheating. Well, maybe not now, while she was screaming my name as I rammed my cock into her. Though she did look good covered in sweat, her ass all red from me slapping it with my hand, and her hair and makeup a mess, but I mean outside of sex as well. She had a class of a particular kind that appeared to me, and an overall fit body.
With one final thrust, I grunt as I finish inside her, never pausing to consider whether she was on birth control. Frankly, I didn't care whether she got knocked up and had a kid or not. I would love the child no matter what, just like I did with my other kids.
After taking several deep breaths, I pull out and sit down in a nearby chair while she catches her breath. As she does, Gwyneth glances back at Caesar and smiles—not out of love or affection, but because of the friendship they share. When she first met Caesar, she couldn't deny her initial attraction to him, just like many others. His drive and desire to succeed were undeniably appealing, and his ability to follow through on his goals made him even more attractive. However, her interest in him was more about admiration than desire; he simply wasn't her type.
So why was she involved with him now, some may wonder? It came down to two simple reasons. First was curiosity. Based on her conversations with Tiff, Salma, and Jennifer about their experiences with him, Gwyneth learned that Caesar never failed to satisfy them. Since she herself enjoyed sex, Gwyneth began to wonder if he was truly as good as they claimed. The answer was yes—he was indeed as good as they said.
The second reason, however, was quite simple. To put it bluntly, Gwyneth was a very petty woman. She didn't handle insults or accusations well. So when Tiff confronted her about her relationship with Caesar, and refused to believe they were just friends. She took that personally, feeling that Tiff was essentially calling her a slut to her face without actually saying it. Consequently, when Tiff and Caesar broke up, Gwyneth wasted little time fucking him out of a form of petty revenge. Granted, she didn't see this little act of revenge turning into them becoming fuck buddies, but what can she say other than he was very good at fucking. However, that was as far as it went; Gwyneth had no interest in a relationship with him, and as far as she could tell, Caesar felt the same way.
After a few moments, Gwyneth stood up on shaky legs and adjusted her dress before sitting down next to Caesar. She picked up a glass of water and took a big gulp before handing it to him. He took an equally large drink, and they locked eyes, both bursting into laughter.
"Well, that's one way to end a meeting," I remarked to Gwyneth.
Giggling, she replied, "It does help relieve the stress."
"And we definitely need that. Have you seen the papers? We're on the cover of People." I handed her the magazines.
Letting out a groan, Gwyneth took the magazines and saw that, yes, she and Caesar were featured on the front cover, with the headline "Is There a New Power Couple in Hollywood?"
"Great," she said, tossing the magazine back onto the table.
"You can imagine what the article says," I told her, amused by what I had read.
According to People magazine, while we were on the set of *Shakespeare in Love*, somehow or another Gwyneth and I fell in love. Where I either cheated on Tiff or left her for Gwyneth. It was actually quite amusing, and I had a good laugh with Brad when he showed me the magazine at the gym this morning.
Rolling her eyes, Gwyneth said, "I don't need to. I can already imagine it." She let out a huff before adding, "Have you talked to Tiff yet?"
"I did," I replied.
When I didn't elaborate, Gwyneth asked, "And?"
Letting out a deep breath, I said, "Let's just say she isn't happy, and we'll leave it at that."
Gwyneth sighed and asked, "Does she have any plans to pull out of the project?"
Taking another sip of water, I replied, "It's hard to say. The contract we all signed makes it nearly impossible for any of us to back out, and besides, there's little point in doing so when the money has already been spent."
Chuckling a bit, Gwyneth said, "You really put your foot in it this time, didn't you?"
"Yes…Perhaps I shouldn't have told her that we were fucking," I admitted, causing Gwyneth to choke on her water.
"You… you did what?" Gwyneth asked, clearly shocked.
I shrugged my shoulders and replied, "I thought it would be like a Band-Aid; better to rip it off quickly than to let it come off slowly."
Gwyneth put her hand over her face and said, "You are so fucking stupid."
"Yeah, I can't disagree with that," I responded.
Call it a momentary lapse in judgment. That made Tiff even more upset. It was understandable, considering I had just barely convinced her I wasn't cheating on her, and now I was admitting that shortly after we broke up, I ended up fucking Gwyneth. It goes without saying that the conversation ended poorly.
"Well, what's done is done. Do you know who your date for the Academy Awards will be?" she asked.
"Not yet, but I've been talking to Jennifer. We're considering going together. The PR teams think it's a good idea to show the world we have put the past behind us," I replied.
"Oh, right. You two mentioned that you were working on her next album together, right? It makes sense for you two to make up in public so that no questions are asked later on. When does her next album come out again?" Gwyneth asked.
"Next year or the year after. We're not sure yet, as we both have hectic schedules," I said. And isn't that the truth? I have a lot going on right now, including something I had been secretly working on with Dre that is about to drop.
"On that note, are you sure you aren't overworking yourself? You're about to start filming *The Sixth Sense*, and you have another movie that you're trying to get approved. What was that one called again? *Unbreakable*?" Gwyneth asked.
"Yes, but I won't be directing that one," I replied.
I wanted to direct it, but with Warner Bros. closely watching me, I couldn't—at least not until after "The Sixth Sense" when I demonstrated that I knew what I was doing. To get around this, I decided to toss Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan a bone. Right now, he was a relatively unknown director, having only directed two movies to his name. Neither of which was well received. However, after coming across a very rough draft of the "Unbreakable" script, which was currently titled "The Overseer," I took it to Robert. Unsurprisingly, he hated it right away, and for good reason.
Like nearly all scripts in Hollywood that eventually become big movies, the initial version of "Overseer" barely resembled what would later become "Unbreakable." In fact, you really had to strain to see any similarities at all. Mr. Glass wasn't even a character in it, which illustrates just how far it was from what it would ultimately become. Nonetheless, after hours of discussions and several endless meetings, I managed to get Robert on board. He agreed to purchase the script on the condition that I do a near-complete rewrite with M. Night Shyamalan. If he didn't like the revised version, I would have to repay the $50,000 he had spent on it.
Some may wonder why I was even considering this in the first place, and that's a fair question. After all, I could have simply kept the script for myself and copyrighted it to prevent Shyamalan from making it. I had done that with "Scream," and I admit I had thought about it briefly but ultimately dismissed the idea. The truth was that after the success of "The Sixth Sense," I wouldn't have time to work on another movie. Project MCU was entering its first phase, and casting for "X-Mex" had already begun. Additionally, I had agreed to work on Jennifer's and Destiny's Child's albums, and I was in discussions to work on TLC as well. Not to mention, both Britney Spears and Madonna's management teams had called, looking to hire me to write something for them.
Everyone wanted to talk about the possibility of collaborating with me because, quite frankly, I was in demand. Working with me seemed to guarantee success. However, I had no interest in partnering with certain individuals. I've never been a fan of Madonna, and as for Britney Spears, I enjoy her music even less than the material I wrote for Jennifer. Still, if the price was right, I was open to working with anyone except for a handful of people.
"Speaking of directing, Joss Whedon has officially taken on the role for X-Men. Mark Irwin has also agreed to handle cinematography, and Alan Silvestri will be composing the music," Gwyneth said.
"Good, good," I replied, pausing to think for a moment before continuing, "Any updates on the cast?"
"Patrick Stewart has agreed to come on board, as has Ian McKellen. However, we're having some trouble securing Hugh Jackman," Gwyneth answered.
"Oh? Is he not interested?" I asked, surprised to hear that.
Shaking her head, Gwyneth replied, "No, he is very interested, but he is just starting to dip his toes into Hollywood. He is a theater actor and is worried about transitioning to film acting."
I chuckled at that and said, "An honest actor—that's rare."
Gwyneth couldn't help but agree. "Should we start looking at other options?"
I shake my head and say, "No, let's go ahead and give him the role. I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about him."
Smirking, Gwyenth replies, "You know, Caesar, if anyone else had told me that, I would yell at them. But since it's you, I will accept your pick."
Laughing, I respond, "I would expect nothing less from you. Now, who else do we have?"
"Well, let's see. We have several candidates for the role of Rogue. I personally like Brittany Murphy, but there's also a girl named Scarlett Johansson. She's a bit young, but she fits the 17-year-old look for Rogue."
Hearing the name, my ears perk up, but I dismiss Scarlett right away because I already knew what role she would play in the MCU down the line.
"Anyone else?" I ask.
"Hmmm, there's Alicia Silverstone, but I think she might be too old now. However, there's a girl named Anna Helene Paquin who is actually 17 and looks like she could fit the role," Gwyenth says.
"Why do I know that name?" I ask, then add, "Wait, didn't she have a small role in *Amistad*?"
"I'm surprised you know that," Gwyneth replies.
"I only remember because Steven mentioned her off-handedly as being easy to work with for a child actor and someone to watch for," I respond.
"That is high praise from my godfather," Gwyneth says.
Thinking for a moment, I say, "Send an invite to all of them, but leave out Alicia." Then I reconsider and add, "No, wait, send an invite to Alicia, but for the role of Jean."
That's what I say, but honestly, I didn't see Alicia fitting the role of Jean. She was both too short and not the right body type. I was only inviting her because I had no idea who could play Jean Grey. There was Famke Janssen, but she was too old for my long-term plans. I needed someone at least in their early 20's so I could use them all the way up till *Endgame*. At which point, we could do a full reboot if necessary.
"You got it. I think that covers everything for now. The auditions don't start till later on next month. Which reminds me, will you be able to make it to them?" Gwyenth asks.
"I don't know, but I am sure Joss can handle it," I answer her.
Nodding her head, Gwyenth then looks down at my cock, which is hard again. "Agreed, now ready for another round."
Smiling back, I answer, "Always."
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I had to admit, things were starting to feel a little dull—all these pointless events meant very little to me. Perhaps that was just bitterness creeping in. After all, I was nominated for two Academy Awards tonight, but deep down, I knew I wasn't going to win. It was a simple fact of life: it was hard for Hispanics to win an award for best anything. In fact, only 4 had won before me, and I wasn't going to be number 5. At least not yet, that is. It was a feeling I didn't share with Jennifer, who was hoping she would win tonight. I didn't want to tell her that wasn't going to happen.
Speaking of Jennifer, who was my date for tonight, we made it clear to the media that we didn't arrive as a couple. Instead, we framed our relationship as a simple makeup, claiming we were just friends collaborating on her next album. We suggested that we had put the past behind us and, after going out for drinks, had buried the hatchet, so to speak. At least that's what we told the press. In reality, we had never been at odds, but since we were not here as an actual couple, that also meant no sex tonight. Maybe the night was still young, and who knows if I was wrong or she got drunk enough that it could change. Small hopes.
Once we were inside and seated, I smiled at the cameras pointed right at us, sitting between Jennifer and Gwyneth. We didn't say much to each other, and it felt a bit awkward since both had been nominated for Best Actress, adding a layer of tension to the atmosphere.
I knew, of course, that Gwyneth would win. I had little doubt about that. No matter how much history changed, some things remained constant. So, I applauded when "Shakespeare in Love" won Best Picture. I got up, shook Stevens's hand, and smiled as he took the stage. As a writer and assistant director, I wasn't invited to join them, but that didn't matter. This was the second film I had worked on that won an Oscar, and that held its own kind of significance.
Next came the award for Best Director, which once again went to Steven. He thanked me in his acceptance speech, and I smiled while clapping, genuinely happy. After all, he transformed *Shakespeare in Love* into a far better movie than it had any right to be. In my mind, I recognized that the 71st Academy Awards were often considered a weak year for films. Honestly, without *Saving Private Ryan*, there weren't many noteworthy films to choose from.
Following that, the award for Best Actor went to Roberto Benigni for his role in *Life Is Beautiful*. While I wasn't a fan of that choice, I certainly wouldn't have awarded it to Joseph Fiennes, who, in a strange twist of history, had been nominated for Best Actor. Then came the category that mattered most to me: Best Actress.
This was a tough decision personally, as I had two friends nominated for the award. However, if it had been up to me, I would have given it to Jennifer for her performance as Selena. That film meant more to me than a romantic comedy like *Shakespeare in Love*. Don't get me wrong; Gwyneth was fantastic in her role, but for me, Jennifer's performance in "Selena" was just better. However, I was right in saying history wouldn't change this night as Gwyneth won the award, and I could sense Jennifer's anger rising. She had every right to feel that way, as she was the favorite going in, but ultimately, she lost.
After that, I kind of just blacked out, going through the motions as I usually did at these events. As I had anticipated, I lost the award for Best Original Screenplay, with the honor going to the writer of "Life Is Beautiful," despite the history suggesting otherwise for "Shakespeare in Love." Naturally, this also meant I lost in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. I suppose that made sense, considering that "Selena" wasn't really an adaptation. The awards committee had really stretched the rules for me in that case. I had expected this loss as well.
What I didn't expect was a loud voice yelling out in a somewhat drunken tone, "This is total bullshit! You bunch of fucking racist fucks. You know that the award should be Caesar's, you bunch of Jew bastards."
As I look over, I see Mel yelling and cursing up a storm before storming off. "Oh, that son of a bitch. I'm going to have to find a way of paying him back for this later," I think to myself, considering how to turn this situation to my advantage. It was going to be a long after-party.
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Okay, to start, I want to say I don't like Mel Gibson. Like, at all as a person. That said, I am not one of those crybabies who stop watching something because the actor or whoever is a jackass. If that were the case, I would never watch, read, or play any video games. Because let's face it, everyone is a jackass in some way. Some are just worse than others. That said, no one can deny the talent that man has. So I plan to use it for my story.
Okay, first question. I have made up my mind, and Gwyneth Paltrow is not going to be one of the women the MC dates at some point. They are fuck buddies, and that is all. That said, I am thinking about making her one of his baby mommas because frankly, I think it would be funny. What are the guys' thoughts?
2nd question. I have the MC working with Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child, and TLC. I have no plans for him actually to work with either Madonna or Britney Spears. I plan to pull him out of the pop music business at some point and move to things that better fit his image. The question, however, is whether I should have him do it just for money? I will leave that for you all to decide.
Last question: Who should play Jean Grey? As I said, I need someone in their early 20's, even as young as 18 or 19, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Any suggestions?