At the age of eleven, whether winning two Oscar nominations was unprecedented or not, Ryan didn't know, and he didn't care. But what he did know for sure was that his market value had skyrocketed.
During his break, Pat Kingsley quickly secured an advertising deal — a pizza commercial for Pizza Hut. Just two commercials would earn him $500,000. Ryan thought it was a great deal, especially since it wouldn't take much time.
Originally, Esprit wanted him to endorse children's clothing, but Ryan's free time was either devoted to music or spent on scriptwriting and other creative work. He didn't have that much time to stand on stage for some brand. Shooting a commercial was okay, but endorsement deals? Forget it.
To accommodate his schedule, the commercial shoot was specially arranged for the weekend. Sitting in Kingsley's car, Ryan was flipping through a stack of documents — resumes of assistant candidates pre-screened by his agent.
"Ryan, you want one person to be your driver, bodyguard, and assistant? That's just not realistic!" Kingsley was clearly getting a headache.
"Not even for double pay?" Ryan scratched his head. "Alright then, let's just find a driver who can also act as a bodyguard. We'll worry about the assistant later. I've had it with those guys."
Ever since the film academy announced the nomination list, Ryan had started enjoying the treatment of a major star. Reporters and paparazzi stalked him relentlessly at home and at school. It was as if they wouldn't let him go unless he provided proof that he wasn't from Mars. Many media outlets even dug up his past, analyzing everything from his life to his personality, publishing articles like "How a Genius or a Freak Is Made" in serialized newspaper features.
What's more, he had a sister who was drop-dead gorgeous and also a movie star. Staking out one place and catching two big stories — it couldn't be more cost-effective for the media.
The commercial was being shot at a soundstage at Universal Studios. He had a little girl as his co-star, and when the director introduced her, Ryan grinned. What a coincidence.
The little girl had a face dotted with freckles and fluffy reddish-brown curly hair — it was none other than Lindsay Lohan, whom he had met once before.
"You're that guy who only knows how to NG!"
Ryan waved at her, but that was the greeting he got in return.
"Hello, Mr. Jenkins, I'm Lindsay's father, Michael Lohan." A middle-aged man walked over. Despite the heavy cologne, Ryan could still detect a faint smell of alcohol.
"Hello, Mr. Lohan." Ryan had no interest in getting involved with this super sketchy dad. He just greeted him briefly and then sat down to look over the script.
The commercial was very simple, nowhere near as elaborate as future Pizza Hut ads. All Ryan had to do was show the same radiant smile from Home Alone, which was easy enough for him. Oh… and he had to eat pizza.
Unfortunately, whether in his previous life or this one, he had no interest in this kind of fast food. Even though his stomach had adapted to Western cuisine long ago, he still couldn't appreciate the taste of pizza. As a result, the first take ended in failure.
The specially-prepared seafood pizza made him frown the moment he took a bite, and the director had to call cut.
"Pat, water." Ryan quickly spat out the weird-tasting food. After taking the cup of water from Kingsley, he rinsed his mouth twice before finally feeling better.
"What happened, Ryan?" Pat Kingsley asked.
"I've never eaten something so disgusting. Even the food at the orphanage was better than this." Glancing around, Ryan lowered his voice.
"Hmph! Just a guy who only knows how to NG," the little girl across the table huffed with disdain.
Ryan glared at her fiercely but didn't say anything. After all, picking a fight with a five-year-old girl wouldn't be very mature.
Kingsley was both amused and exasperated, and could only offer some comforting words. Fortunately, Ryan wasn't an unreasonable person. He pointed to a freshly replaced slice of pizza and said, "I've never had this kind of thing before. I didn't expect it to taste so bad. Now that I'm mentally prepared, it should be fine."
And just like Ryan said, things went smoothly after that. He rarely had any more issues. Several shots were done in one take, and Lindsay, clearly an experienced child actor in commercials, though she NG'd a few times, didn't cause any of the usual chaos common with kids.
However, trouble struck again at lunch. Since this was a Pizza Hut commercial, the lunch was exactly what you'd expect. Looking at the boxes of pizza, Ryan felt sick to his stomach and had no appetite at all. It was arguably worse than KFC and McDonald's — absolutely awful food.
Fortunately, Universal Studios not only had soundstages but also a large theme park area. Ryan notified the crew and, along with Kingsley, headed to the restaurant area of the park. But just as they reached the door of the soundstage, the little girl blocked his path again.
"Guy who only knows how to NG." The girl stood with her hands behind her back and her head held high. "Remember? You owe me a banana split!"
"Banana split?" Ryan had already forgotten the earlier incident.
"Last time, when I was filming a commercial, you kept NG-ing…" Lindsay was sharp-tongued and quickly recounted what happened that day. Ryan had no choice but to say, "Alright, as long as your dad agrees, I'll take you for a banana split."
The girl spoke to her father, and Michael Lohan quickly nodded. He even wanted to tag along, but Ryan subtly found a way to ditch him.
Come on! A guy who would curse his own daughter for money — Ryan had no doubt that if Lohan came along, he'd sell everything Ryan said and did to the tabloids afterward.
Truth be told, Lindsay was just a little overly energetic and clever at this stage. No major personality flaws yet. But Ryan knew what she would become as she grew older — surpassing even Paris Hilton and Britney Spears as Hollywood's ultimate gossip queen. Drugs, alcohol, self-destruction.
Even the currently infamous "fallen girl" Drew Barrymore wouldn't be able to compare with her in the future.
Of course, her eventual downfall was partly due to Hollywood's corrupting environment. But more than that, it stemmed from her family. Her father was the definition of a train wreck — alcoholism, drugs, domestic violence — all minor offenses compared to what he eventually landed in prison for. Her mother was only marginally better — and that's being generous.
Lindsay Lohan sacrificed her childhood. From the age of three, she was doing commercials, and her income practically supported the entire family. Through her childhood and teen years, what she got from her family wasn't warmth or love, but violence and drugs...
They say saving a troubled young woman is fun, but Ryan knew: unless she got new, responsible guardians, her fall was inevitable.
After all, not every child is a Natalie Portman or a Kirsten Dunst — who can understand what they want amid praise and fame and keep striving for it. Nor is every child a Drew Barrymore, who had Steven Spielberg as a godfather, Sophia Loren as a godmother, and could bounce back after hitting rock bottom due to drugs.
Really, whether Lindsay or other child stars in Hollywood, what they needed most was a professional agent — someone who could plan and guide their future.
But how many agents are willing to give up immediate profits for uncertain long-term returns?
The importance of a professional agent and a solid behind-the-scenes team can't be overstated in today's entertainment industry. Think about Tom Cruise in the past life. If not for Pat Kingsley, with his blindly arrogant personality, he would've offended everyone in the industry. After he parted ways with Kingsley in 2004, his career quickly plummeted, and he ended up relying solely on the Mission: Impossible franchise. Then consider the success of Yao Ming's "Team Yao" — it shows how vital a professional management team really is.
"Well then, Ryan Jenkins, since you treated me to a banana split, I'll stop mocking you from now on." Sitting across from Ryan, Lindsay was shoveling ice cream into her mouth while generously declaring a truce.
"Should I say thank you then?" Ryan was wrestling with a well-done steak. It was a bit tough, but at least it wasn't bloody.
"No need for thanks." The little girl thought for a moment. "If you buy me another banana split, I might even praise your acting."
"Not a chance, Lindsay." Even though it wasn't cold in Los Angeles, it was February. "If you get a stomachache…"
Ryan cut himself off. He almost blurted out "your dad will blame it on me." What's the point of saying that to such an innocent little girl?
"Stingy! It's just two banana splits!" she huffed again.
Still, the girl, despite being young and a bit mischievous, wasn't completely unreasonable. She lowered her head and concentrated on her ice cream.
The two commercials were finished in just two days. Ryan even watched some raw footage before post-production. He still retained some innocence and charm. But as he got older, movies like Home Alone, which relied on cuteness and silly humor, would soon be out of reach.
In a few years, he would enter that awkward stage for child stars — too young for adult roles, too old for kid roles. It's during this time that a child star's fate in Hollywood often takes a major turn.
If the transition goes well, you soar like Jodie Foster. If not… well, for Ryan, that was unlikely.
Before returning to the Terminator 2 crew, he had one more premiere to attend. After all, he had written the script, Nicole was the leading actress, and Harvey Weinstein had sent an invitation. Since he wasn't currently filming, skipping the event wouldn't be right.
After all, relationships matter. You give and take — that's how connections are built.