Page 64 of My Lucky Star
I’d devoured the script, my heart immediately drawn to my character Eloise, whose family had lost everything in the late 1800s gold rush. The film had a dual timeline with Eloise’s part happening in the 1930s, as she arrives in Napier after the earthquake and discovers the truth about her late grandfather’s tumultuous life during the gold rush.
It was a story of the sad legacy of gold prospecting and how greed and wishful thinking cost the old man his great love, and eventually, his life. At the end, Eloise is at a similar crossroads, making a choice between love and a promise of great fortune.
I’d expected a two-line part, but Eloise was the central character. A chunk of the story took place in 1880, played by other actors, but my character was there at the beginning, middle and the end. Her narration, part of which I had to learn for the audition, carried the story. I was auditioning for a lead role, I thought with a fresh wave of panic.
Thank goodness I loved accents and had spent so much time learning the American one. I really needed it now.
Still, the connection I felt to the character soothed my nerves. I had tears in my eyes from the cold read. This story felt made for me.
Yet, I wouldn’t have been here, attempting to read for it, if it weren’t for Cem. The enormity of what he’d done for me sat on my shoulders like the blanket he’d held around me at the peak. I could still feel the weight of his arms. I only had to close my eyes and the feeling returned like a tidal wave.
I took a deep breath, refocusing my misty eyes on the script, looked up at the camera and spoke my first line. The others followed effortlessly, secured in my memory, but I wasn’t satisfied. I did it three more times, until the lines were lodged in my heart and I was happy with the playback. Seeing myself on tape always felt unsettling, but it also gave me confidence. I’d been taping myself for practice for years.
Once dressed and with my hair done, I texted Cem.
Me:I’m leaving for the audition. Wish me luck!
Cem:You don’t need luck. You’re amazing.
Me:Then I need luck to get chosen from the sea of amazing.
Cem:Okay... I wish you the brightest life jacket in the sea of amazing.
Me:It does sound like a wonderful place for a swim.
Cem:Nail this audition and I’ll take you there.
Me:Deal.
Cem:Sweet. I’ll get tickets.
Me:Wait. The Sea of Amazing is in Istanbul, isn’t it?
Cem:I’m getting the Black Sea renamed.
Me:Sounds like an upgrade.
Cem:You’ll love it. Can’t wait to show you everything.
Me:How long am I staying for? Two years?
Cem:We need at least three years to explore the 1800s buildings alone.
Me:Why do I feel like that’s not a joke?
Cem:Because I’m serious. I’m going back and you’re coming with me.
I dropped the phone on the bed like a hot potato. He was talking crazy, and I had to push all this nonsense from my mind if I wanted to make it to the audition. In the end, he’d change his mind. Sanity would prevail. All I had to do was wait.
