Chapter 353 - 351: You’re Different From Her

It wasn’t that she was jealous of or targeting Lily Sterling; she was simply stating the facts as she saw them.

Lily’s first show was a historical romance drama. Right after it wrapped, she joined the cast of a realistic drama. For a rookie to jump between genres like that as a lead actress was rare, not just for someone under Connie, but across the entire industry.

To leave a lasting impression on the audience and investors, a newcomer needed to break through and dominate in their most suitable lane. The key was to make people instantly think of your face whenever they saw a certain genre.

If you frequently switched character types before the audience even remembered you, it might seem like you had a wide range, but it would actually make you forgettable. They wouldn’t remember who you were because your on-screen persona wasn’t consistent.

That was the logic behind being an extra.

That was why she had been exclusively acting in urban youth dramas since her debut. Connie had also been helping her become number one in that lane. Heather Keaton also felt that with her current level of public recognition, it was time to try other, more challenging roles.

But to her surprise, Connie still disagreed. In contrast, Connie placed no restrictions on Lily Sterling whatsoever. If Lily wanted to act in something, Connie would accept the role for her. Naturally, Heather felt a bit resentful, thinking Connie was playing favorites!

Connie completely understood what Heather was thinking at that moment. She looked at Heather, sighed softly, and asked a question Heather had never considered: "Lily can accept not being famous. Can you?"

Heather froze, not understanding what Connie meant for a moment.

’Accept not being famous?’

Seeing her reaction, Connie gave a helpless smile. "Heather, Lily is different from you, and I’m not playing favorites with her. If we’re talking about favoritism, out of all the people I manage, I’m definitely most partial to you."

"The film and television market is changing in the blink of an eye. No matter how famous someone is, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay popular forever. The competition within the same lane is already fierce, with so many people eyeing your position. I understand why you want to try new genres now."

"But as your agent, I have to consider more factors. If I’m not confident enough that a script will be a huge hit, I definitely won’t let you take it."

"Take Josie Walsh as a prime example. A couple of years ago, she was incredibly popular in the historical leading lady niche, no less than you are now, right? But look at her now. How far has her career fallen? Why did that happen?"

Heather fell silent for a moment. Not long ago, she’d been talking about Josie Walsh with friends over dinner.

Josie had been desperate to pivot from her historical leading lady niche and had taken on two consecutive urban romance dramas. Both shows flopped, and her resources subsequently fell off a cliff.

That was just how the industry worked. The moment you lost your ability to carry a show, you were dropped by investors. The circle was never short on people. If you abandoned the position that should have been yours, it would be too late by the time you hit a dead end elsewhere and wanted to turn back, because your spot would have already been taken by someone else.

"Getting famous isn’t the real skill; staying famous is," Connie said, patting Heather’s shoulder earnestly. "It’s not that I want to keep you pigeonholed in one genre forever. It’s just that every step you take needs to be exceptionally cautious so you can maintain your current status."

"This industry isn’t what it used to be. No one is irreplaceable. Newcomers are popping up left and right like bamboo shoots after the rain. The audience and fans have too many choices. Some people get lucky and might shoot to the A-list with a single show. Heather, don’t think you’re safe and sound just because you’re on top of the world. If you misstep and fall, it’s going to hurt. A lot!"

It was a true heart-to-heart. No matter what, Heather knew Connie would never do anything to harm her.

Although she was still disappointed, Connie’s words had an effect, making her re-evaluate the path she should take.

After a long moment, she nodded lightly.

Seeing this, Connie finally smiled. "Actually, this is a very good script; you just haven’t read it. While the genre might seem unchanged to you, the character has a completely new core, unlike anyone you’ve played before."

"I just gave the script to Lily, too. You’re the female lead. If she’s willing to take it, she’ll play your younger sister."

"Connie." Heather still didn’t understand what Connie had said about Lily earlier, so she couldn’t help but press, "What did you mean when you said Lily can accept not being famous? Does she not want to be famous?"

"It’s not that she doesn’t want to be, I suppose. It’s just not a requirement for her. Her pursuit of being an actor is purer. She just wants to play characters she likes. That’s the fundamental difference between her and everyone else, including you."

Heather Keaton was both an actor and a celebrity. She pursued the goal of shining in every aspect of the entertainment world. She wanted fan traffic, she wanted hit projects, she wanted the glamour of fashion, and she wanted luxury brand endorsements—she wanted it all!

If you want that much, if you’re pursuing so many things, you have to achieve the long-term popularity Connie mentioned.

Lily wanted less. She only wanted her roles, which meant she had much more leeway to be picky. Connie would give her an abundance of choices.

But Heather was still puzzled. "Why, though? Why can she be like that? Or rather, why do you, Connie, allow her to be like that?"

From Heather’s perspective, given Lily’s natural talent and conditions, she could definitely become a huge star in the future with Connie’s management and support.

Connie’s lips curved into a meaningful smile. "As for that reason... you’ll find out one day."

’She seemed to have said the same thing to Lily just now.’

Heather was completely baffled, feeling that Connie was hinting at something.

Connie picked up her phone, glanced at the date, and then said, "In a few days, isn’t there a pre-launch event for the New Year’s blockbuster? I’ll introduce you to someone then."

"Who?"

"I won’t tell you just yet, because I’m not sure if she’ll attend. This person is very low-key. If she comes, you’ll understand why the company and I are so... ’accommodating’ toward Lily."

Hearing this, Heather frowned subconsciously.

She’d been in the business for some time now and was well aware of some of its unwritten rules. From what Connie was saying, the person she was going to be introduced to was related to Lily Sterling, and this person must be incredibly powerful. The reason Lily could pick and choose scripts at will within the company was because of this connection.

’A powerful backer behind Lily?’

Her train of thought naturally went a bit astray, but Heather couldn’t be blamed. Such things were not uncommon in the industry; many actors, both male and female, had powerful investors pulling strings for them.

But in those situations, didn’t the backers usually want the person they were promoting to become a huge star?

’Why does little Lily not care at all? Does her backer not care either?’

This only made Heather even more curious.