[Chapter 57: Don't Get Mad]
James Cameron even went so far as to tell Orlando about what his role would be if he agreed to star.
He described the general plot of Terminator 2, where he would be cast as the main villain -- the T-1000 cyborg.
Basically, Orlando would play himself at the start of the film -- a wildly popular up-and-coming singer named "Orlando Keller."
During one of Orlando's concerts, the T-1000 travels back from the future, assassinates Orlando backstage while he's changing, scans his DNA and memories, and assumes his identity.
To avoid alerting the heroic T-800 and others, the T-1000 impersonates Orlando.
It also learns that young John Connor -- the future leader of the resistance -- is a huge fan of Orlando.
The T-1000 uses Orlando's concert, offering free tickets to lure young John Connor and the T-800 to the venue.
At the height of the show, the T-1000 attempts to kill young John Connor, sparking the chase scenes.
---
At a restaurant near Orlando's record label in the Chelsea district, Orlando listened to Cameron's summary of the plot.
"Uh, that actually sounds pretty cool," Orlando said.
Cameron smiled. "More or less. There'll be plenty of tweaks and refinements, but I promise it won't harm your image or commercial value at all."
Orlando paused for a moment.
He knew Cameron's film had done very well. The box office and critical acclaim for Terminator 2 had been excellent.
With that in mind, although Orlando wasn't thrilled about playing the villain, he didn't flat-out reject Cameron's offer.
He said he'd need to discuss it with his manager first, then get back to Cameron.
Why Cameron invited Orlando in the first place?
He claimed it was because of Orlando's creative talent.
He hoped Orlando could write a theme song for Terminator 2, maybe even do voice work and additional tracks.
Orlando's telepathy told him Cameron wasn't lying about that.
Of course, Cameron didn't tell the full truth.
Aside from witnessing Orlando's "creativity" firsthand at MJ's Neverland event, Cameron had another, more significant motive for casting Orlando as the T-1000 and inviting him to write the soundtrack.
Orlando was incredibly hot right now, and good-looking on top of that.
He was wildly popular among North American youth, especially young women.
He was basically the '90s version of a major heartthrob in North America.
His high-profile rumors with Madonna further boosted his buzz.
Cameron's invitation to Orlando to appear in Terminator 2 was mostly because The Abyss had flopped.
Otherwise, Cameron's pride would never have allowed him to stoop to this.
Cameron just wanted to hedge the box office success of Terminator 2.
After finishing their meal, Orlando casually asked Jennifer to snag him a minor role with a few lines.
---
Back at the company in the afternoon, Orlando ran into Frank, who'd also been out to lunch earlier.
They discussed Cameron's offer.
"Playing the villain?" Frank frowned. "Won't that hurt your image?"
"He said it wouldn't."
Orlando relayed Cameron's exact words: "As long as I agree, he'll modify the script, and we can review the script in advance."
"Wow, didn't expect James Cameron to ever be this accommodating."
Frank leaned back. "You don't know how bad his temper was before filming The Abyss. The whole crew was depressed. The Hollywood Daily even coined a term -- 'Abyss Syndrome.' Now look, he's all friendly just to make Terminator 2 happen."
"Frank, I don't care if Cameron's easygoing or not. What I want is your advice -- should I accept?"
"Depends on what you want."
Frank thought a moment, then said, "Even though The Abyss failed, Cameron is still a top-tier director. If he promises not to damage your image, being in his film is actually a plus. Honestly, if he wanted, MJ would probably have accepted his offer.
It's about a month of shoots -- not too crazy. Plus you get to write the theme song and inserts.
If the movie sells well, Cameron could revive his career, and your music status would get a huge boost because of the soundtrack."
"So you suggest I accept?"
"You could say that. But remember, Orlando, music is your core."
"Of course, I get it. I'm not an actor."
"My advice? Give it a shot. At the very least, see how the script changes for you."
"Alright then. You get in touch with him."
"Okay! By the way, one more thing." Frank's face darkened as he spoke.
"What's up?"
"It's about my meeting this morning. The Ralph Lauren endorsement might fall through."
"I thought you were negotiating that this morning?"
"Yeah," Frank said. "You know how the media's been constantly questioning whether Ralph Lauren signing you as a spokesperson is real?"
"Yeah, it's been nearly daily."
"Exactly. I suspect someone on your competition's side is messing with us."
"Competition?"
"Tom Hanks signed with Ralph Lauren's RRL line last year. Rumors floated that Ralph Lauren wanted him as their global spokesperson because his image and age fit perfectly."
"What?" Orlando was instantly annoyed. "Then why reach out to me? Are they playing us or just trying to ride my current popularity?"
"Not exactly. There really are people inside who want you as their full brand ambassador."
"You're confusing me."
"Well... I only figured it out after meeting with them today. Listen, don't get mad."
"Why would I be mad?"
*****
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