Martin hung up the phone.
He smiled at Drew and said, "Guess what? What a coincidence—Leonardo recommended an actress too."
Drew: "Margot Robbie?"
Martin nodded with a laugh. "Yep, that's her. Looks like her skills really are top-notch."
Drew pursed her lips. "Haha, I recommended her because of her talent, but I bet Leo's recommendation has nothing to do with that."
"They slept together?!"
Drew, Scarlett, and Megan all chimed in unison.
Martin burst out laughing. "Spot on—you guys know Leo way too well."
...
In an apartment in North Hollywood.
Margot Robbie was anxiously waiting for an important call.
She was the classic Hollywood dream-chaser girl.
From a poor family, dropped out early, with nothing special going for her except her beauty.
So, she chose to hustle in Hollywood.
Thanks to her sexy figure and stunning looks, the girl landed a few gigs, but mostly supporting roles. The occasional lead was in some flop that barely made a ripple.
That is, until she accidentally met an Indian producer—Nadeem Aziz.
She played his temporary girlfriend for three months, and in the end, scored the most important audition of her life—for The Wolf of Wall Street.
With thorough preparation, Margot Robbie impressed director Martin Scorsese during the audition and got the chance to share the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio.
She cherished the opportunity, so during filming, she successfully seduced little Leo.
Unfortunately, when it came to relationships, little Leo wasn't one for longevity.
Their fling ended quickly.
But luckily, Margot Robbie's clean break without any drama left little Leo quite satisfied, so he kept her number.
And this time, she planned to use little Leo as a stepping stone to leap to another Hollywood big shot—Martin Meyers.
For that, she was even willing to use up all the goodwill between her and little Leo. But as long as she could hook up with Martin, it would all be worth it.
"Theres a girl but I let her get away..."
The phone rang.
It was Martin's That Girl.
Margot Robbie had deliberately set her ringtone to this song.
Maybe such a small gesture could deepen Martin's impression of her.
You had to admit, the girl was well-prepared.
She picked up the phone—it was Leonardo calling.
Margot Robbie felt a bit nervous.
"Hello, Leo."
"Hello, Margot."
"So, you're calling because..."
"Good news—Martin agreed. Auditions start officially in ten days. As long as you don't totally bomb, the role's yours."
"Ah, oh my God, this is such a surprise—amazing! Thank you, Leo."
"No need for thanks; I'm doing it for myself too. Oh, and after this, we're done."
"Uh, okay, I get it."
"Alright, that's it then. Bye."
"Bye."
Leo must have figured out her intentions. After hanging up, Margot Robbie thought quietly.
But she didn't regret it one bit.
...
Ten days later.
Auditions for Suicide Squad officially opened.
Plenty of Hollywood's 90s-born actresses showed up to compete for the role of Harley Quinn.
Saoirse Ronan, Chloe Moretz, Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma Roberts, Miley Cyrus...
Hollywood's major up-and-coming female stars from the 90s were almost all there, though Blake was notably absent—who knows how Leonardo convinced her.
Margot Robbie felt the pressure.
She silently prayed in her heart: I hope Martin keeps his word, I hope Leo didn't lie to me...
"Saoirse Ronan, you're up. Head to makeup first to get changed and styled."
The blonde, blue-eyed Saoirse Ronan stood up nervously.
Her natural hair was brown; she'd dyed it blonde just to fit the "Harley Quinn" character.
Once she slipped into the red-and-blue shorts and the tight red-and-white crop top, Saoirse Ronan walked uncomfortably into the audition room.
Martin and Drew were both there.
After having Saoirse Ronan try a few lines, Martin silently crossed out her name. The girl was clearly out of her element—she couldn't pull off this sexy, seductive character.
"Miss Ronan, thanks for your performance. If there's good news, we'll let you know," Drew said.
Saoirse Ronan looked dejected; she knew she'd blown it.
The audition room door opened, and Saoirse Ronan walked out. The other girls waiting outside saw her expression and collectively let out a subtle sigh of relief—then went right back to being tense.
"Chloe Moretz, your turn. Makeup room first."
Ten minutes later, Martin and the others in the audition room saw Chloe Moretz decked out in Harley Quinn's outfit, with heavy, glamorous makeup on.
Martin felt a bit off—mainly because her role as "Hit-Girl" in Kick-Ass had left such a strong impression on him. Seeing her brought back that ruthless little lolita vibe; he couldn't connect her to anything seductive or glamorous.
Clearly, Chloe Moretz knew her own issue. In fact, because of her baby face, the girl worried her roles would be limited, so she'd gone and gotten "lip enhancements."
That's why, when Kick-Ass 2 came out, her mouth looked unnaturally exaggerated, drawing flak from fans who'd come for the "lolita" appeal, accusing her of faking sexiness.
And for this Harley Quinn audition, she'd injected fillers into her lips again, slapped on heavy makeup, and donned a blonde wig.
But awkward was awkward.
When he saw Chloe Moretz in those butt-revealing shorts, striking flashy poses and delivering lines, that weird feeling in Martin's gut just wouldn't go away.
So, Chloe Moretz flopped too.
Next up was Emma Roberts.
This one had a big-star aunt (there were even rumors that Emma Roberts was actually Julia Roberts' daughter), but in Martin's production, her aunt's name didn't carry that much weight. If you fit the role perfectly, fine—Martin might give her some face out of courtesy. But—
Emma Roberts was just not right for it. Her figure was too skinny—flat in the front, no curves in the back. The sexy, spicy Harley Quinn outfit looked baggy on her, like it couldn't hold up.
Plus, the girl was tiny—official height 5'2", actual maybe 5'0"—a real pint-sized bean.
For her mom—no, her aunt's sake—Martin let her finish the performance without outright passing her on the spot.
Next was Margot Robbie's turn.
The woman nervously changed into the outfit, then refused the water offered by the staff. After several deep breaths, she finally stepped into the audition room with a somewhat calmer mindset.