"She is delightfully chaotic, a beautiful mess. Loving her is a splendid adventure." -Steve Maraboll
"Daphne, I need you to sign this and confirm that this schedule works for you," Kelly said, holding a piece of paper out in front of her.
The young woman sitting across from her took it and examined it. After a quick overview, she signed the sheet of paper and gave it back, her priceless signature glistening on the page in dark ink. The private plane they had chartered shifted slightly and the young woman sank back into her plush chair and clenched her fists in her lap. No matter how many times she had flown around the world doing press and going to exotic locations for a film shoot, she was still very nervous when it came to flying. She twiddled her neatly manicured fingers and sighed, glancing out of the window next to her seat. The table in front of her was littered with numerous scripts she had been offered parts in and she was in the process of going over them with her agent to determine which ones she wanted to take on. Kelly, her personal assistant, was sitting opposite her, taking notes and running though the day's itinerary.
"When we land, we will head straight to the house and you can unpack and freshen up. Then we've got to rush to Burbank for a meeting around three," Kelly read off her phone's calendar.
Daphne simply nodded, keeping her green eyes trained on the window and the clouds passing by. She was returning from doing press for her latest film in New York City. Her life was always packed full and managed. It had been that way since her breakout role at eleven years old. Her agent had made sure she was kept busy, booking her for film after film, jet setting from film set to film set. It was, in part, her grandfather's way of keeping her so busy that she didn't notice his failing health. But it was also the safest way to avoid getting wrapped up in unnecessary Hollywood temptations and drama.
Her grandfather was the late Marlon Brando, screen legend extraordinaire. Daphne had grown up in his care after her parents couldn't quite get their shit together long enough to really be parents. They fought so often that Daphne's father, Christian, had decided to send her to spend the weekends with his father to alleviate the stress on the child. When her father was sent to prison when she was three, Daphne was sent to live with her grandfather because her mother wanted nothing to do with her. Upon her father's release from prison when she was eight years old, Daphne ended up staying with her grandfather permanently from then on, having a very tumultuous relationship with her father until his death when she was nineteen.
But everybody has skeletons in their closet, even celebrities. She was used to the media coverage now. At twenty-six years old, she had more than lived up to her grandfather's legacy, garnering award after award for her performances in film and television works. Daphne Brando was the IT GIRL in Hollywood. Everyone wanted to work with her. Everyone wanted to be with her. But even the fame she had came with a price. She had worked with all the Hollywood greats: Brad Pitt had been like a father figure to her when she had worked on 'Troy' with him, Orlando Bloom was one of her closest friends because of her work with him in 'Lord of the Rings', 'Troy', and 'Pirates of the Caribbean', Daniel Radcliffe was like a brother to her because of the years she spent on set with him doing 'Harry Potter'. If you named a film in modern Hollywood, chances were that Daphne was either in it or friends with someone who was.
Friends were an interesting concept to her. She didn't really have a clear memory of a time when she had been able to simply go out without being hounded by photographers. Even in childhood, before she was an actress, her grandfather would visit Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch and she'd spend hours playing in its vast gardens, roaming through the zoo freely, while her grandfather would rest inside the house, watching the trees in the garden. The only real friends she had were famous as well. It became normal for her to expect to be watched by others. Every move she made and everything she said, she expected to be captured by others.
"Have you given any thought to any of these yet?" Kelly asked, indicating the scripts on the table.
Daphne glanced at them and shook her head. She hadn't been asked to audition for any roles since she won her first Oscar in 2005. She was generally just given scripts and begged to take parts in films by wishful casting directors now. She was sent dozens of scripts a month from different studios and production companies. She tried to have a balance between her projects, trying to avoid being type-cast in certain roles. She always aimed to surprise her fans and critics with each new role she took on.
"Steven wants an answer by next Friday," Kelly said. "And Darren wants to meet with you for lunch at some point this week to discuss a new project he's working on. There's this new project by David Ayer that popped up this morning," she said, digging through the scripts. She produced one that was relatively thick. "He really wants you to look at it."
Daphne knew which one Kelly meant. She'd already read through it. It was for the 'Suicide Squad' film that DC comics had been trying to get made for years. She'd heard about it back when she'd done 'Dark Knight' and several directors had approached her about it, but she'd never been comfortable with it. She'd felt too raw about it for a while, given Heath's death. They were very good friends and it had been a huge shock when she had walked into his apartment that morning in New York and found him. It hit her much harder than her father's death had. She just didn't feel like anyone would ever do the role of the Joker justice, and no studio would back the film without Daphne in her character, so it was on hold until she agreed to take the project or a studio took the project without her in it.
"I've looked at it already," she replied to her assistant. "It's probably a no again."
"I don't know why you keep turning the project down. It's a perfect fit for you," Kelly answered.
Indeed, Daphne was widely considered to be the darling of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy worlds. She'd done 'Lord of the Rings', the entire 'Pirates' series, 'Lost', and done multiple other projects that were heralded as massive within the Comic Con universe. But she was wary of being typecast, so she chose her roles carefully.
"Because I don't think it would work," she replied simply.
Kelly nodded and left the subject alone. "Anne Hathaway called to see if you'd want to do dinner this week. Brad and Angie send their love and a thank you for the gift you sent Pax. And Ellen wants to have you on her show as soon as possible. She says she misses you a lot."
Daphne nodded in acknowledgement and picked up the script for 'Suicide Squad'. David's version was darker and had a great deal more interaction between her character of Ophelia and the Joker. It also focused more on her backstory, which was something that had been overlooked and ignored in 'Dark Knight'. Daphne flipped through the pages and thought in silence for a few minutes.
"When we get back from this meeting, I want you to get David on the phone. I want to discuss a few things with him," she instructed her assistant.
She nodded and jotted down a few notes in her ever-present notebook. The plane landed at LAX within the hour and Daphne was met by numerous photographers when she walked out of the airport. She paused to talk to them, always aware that if she gave them a little bit of her time then, they'd be much more willing to give her the privacy she wanted later on.
"Daphne! Over here, Daphne!" they shouted in a chorus. She paused for photographs and gave her signature smirk before heading toward the curb of the sidewalk.
"Daphne, did you have fun in New York?" one asked, following her with a camera.
"It was loads of fun. I love meeting with my fans and letting them get a closer view of my work," she answered, signing a photograph of herself that someone had thrust in front of her. She glanced around, finding Kelly right behind her.
"And what about the rumors that you and Leo were spotted out at dinner a few times while you were there?" someone else asked.
She knew very well what they were referencing. She had spent a great deal of time with Leonardo DiCaprio while she was in New York and they had gone out to dinner several times. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to date him but she had turned him down.
"I'm friends with Leo, guys. You ought to know by now that I have loads of friends," she said with a teasing grin. Leo was too much of a gentleman to kiss and tell and she wasn't about to break his trust. Besides, they had left the door open for the future. She just didn't have any time for it right now. "I've got to go. Thanks, guys!" With that, she tucked herself into the backseat of the SUV waiting for her and they drove off.
The drive was slow-traffic on the 405 was always a bitch and a half- but Daphne was glad to be headed home again. She always considered her grandfather's house 'home', and had never really considered it to be anything less. Since his death, however, she had moved out of the home she shared with him, his live-in maid and girlfriend, Maria, and their three kids. She never felt as though she belonged there after he died. Daphne always got the feeling that Maria was jealous of her success and the attention Marlon doted on Daphne, instead of the children she had with him. Maria was even more furious when Marlon's will left nearly half of his estate to Daphne and split the remaining half between her and his then-fifteen living children. No, there was no love lost between Daphne and her adoptive grandmother so Daphne chose to stay away from that part of her family.
When she moved out, Daphne purchased the home her grandfather used to live in, up in the Hills of Hollywood. Many questioned her judgment of buying a house on her own at sixteen, however it didn't really matter. She was never really home long enough to do much. Most of the time, she was rushing between filming locations and press tours. She hardly had time to stop for more than a week at most, and usually that time was spent in negotiations with studios or directors. This time would be no different. She had a week off before she started filming on location for a new television series for HBO that was written and created by Vince Gilligan. She was really excited about it and couldn't wait to get started.
The SUV pulled up to the gated property and Daphne saw more photographers waiting outside. Except the driveway was full of other vehicles and a large security guard stopped their SUV, asking for identification. Daphne stuck her head out of the back window, eliciting screams from photographers seeking a picture, and the guard allowed them to pass through.
"Oh, shit, I forgot to tell you," Kelly said, hissing in embarrassment. "We rented out the house for a few days while you were gone to a film crew. They were supposed to be done by now, but I guess they ran over. Neil was supposed to let me know." Neil was the person who managed the property for rentals.
Daphne smiled gently at her nervous assistant. "It's not a big deal. I don't mind, really. You know that."
They regularly rented out the house to film and television crews to shoot scenes in. All the money earned from that went right into an account with the Los Angeles parks that Daphne had set up a few years back. She realized that the house was just empty most of the time, so she decided to let others enjoy its beauty and give it a purpose while she was away filming. The car parked at the front door, letting Daphne and her assistant out, followed by her security guard, Isaac. Isaac hefted their suitcases out of the back of the vehicle as Daphne surveyed the property in front of her.
The mission-styled house was usually very serene and quiet, with a large garden in the front and the back. It was built into the hillside, with multiple floors cascading down the cliff it sat on. The driveway was gravel and the house was an adobe finish, with lots of southwestern influences. Her grandfather had always been a big supporter of the Native American causes and had passed his wealth of knowledge and beliefs onto Daphne. It looked as though the landscaping had been well-tended and maintained in her absence. Even now, with several crew members sitting in the back garden, the landscaping seemed to be untouched.
The bright Los Angeles sunshine warmed her skin as she took in the incredible vistas in front of her. At night, she had a beautiful view of the Sunset Strip and of the rest of Hollywood. It was odd that a place where she spent so little time was the only place she really felt as though she belonged. The life of a jet-setting movie star was often a lonely one. She climbed the front steps and walked into the open front door. The front of the house was as unassuming as the interior was extravagant. They were complete opposites. And Daphne designed it that way; she didn't enjoy people openly displaying their outrageous wealth (like the Kardashians or Hiltons had a habit of doing) and instead preferred to keep a low profile. She wanted her house to blend in as best as it could alongside the other mansions in the Hills.
She entered the house and was nearly run over by a young woman scurrying about, looking for something. The young woman didn't even glance at Daphne as she rushed past her, causing her to have to step up onto the spiral stone staircase that led to the second floor to avoid being run down. She watched another young man with several drum sticks come rushing back inside. She walked on, followed by Kelly and Isaac, and walked to the railing that stood at the top of a landing that looked out into the great room below them. The furniture had all been cleared away and several instruments were set up in front of the large stone fireplace that dominated the wall beneath her. She poked her head around the stone chimney and saw a drum set, two guitars, and a microphone. She saw three men sitting on chairs that had been set up for them, chatting quietly and looking at their phones.
She cleared her throat quietly, the noise being lost among the other echoing happening from the chattering of the crowd in the house. Kelly had gone off to speak with Neil on the phone, leaving Daphne alone with Isaac. She quickly sent him to drop off her bags in her bedroom. She descended the stairs into the room, removing her sunglasses and taking her hair out of the ponytail it had been up in. One of the seated men glanced over at her offhandedly and did a double take before shooting out of his chair as if a firecracker had gone off under his ass.
"Holy shit, you're Daphne Brando," he said quickly and full of surprise.
She gave him the same sweet smile she gave all of her fans. "I guess I am," she said with a hint of a laugh in her voice. The other two men stood up just as quickly when she spoke.
Upon seeing his face and hearing him speak, she immediately recognized him as Jared Leto, the actor who won for Best Supporting Actor the year beforehand at the Academy Awards. She hadn't met him before, though she had been at the awards show that night. Generally speaking, once you win, you're too busy doing press and photo-ops to really have time to meet people. Awards shows were something Daphne knew very well, especially the Academy Awards, having won four since she had turned sixteen. She was widely considered to be the darling of the Academy since she had won her first in 2005, the same year her grandfather had been honored for his work after his passing. Many considered it a "passing of the torch" so to speak.
"Jared Leto," he said, holding his hand out to her after the initial shock of the moment wore off.
She shook his hand. "I know who you are," she said with a smile. "We haven't met before, but I saw you win. Well-deserved," she said in response to his confused look.
He nodded in understanding. "This is my brother Shannon," he said, stepping aside to allow another man, with short brown hair and sunglasses to shake her hand.
"Big fan of your work," he said, taking off his sunglasses and shaking her hand. She nodded in appreciation of his compliment.
"This is Tomo," Jared continued, introducing the third man who had wonky teeth but a sweet smile. After the introductions were finished, Jared spoke again. "What exactly are you doing here? Not to be rude or anything, but nobody told us anything about other people coming."
She nodded. "Yeah, I live here."
He blinked in response. "Oh, right. I-nobody-we didn't know."
She nodded again, walking around the room, looking out the large windows. "We don't usually publicize that fact," she said with a small laugh. "For obvious reasons," she added after a moment.
Jared nodded in understanding. "Forgive me, but I thought we had the house for a day or two more?" he asked, walking toward her. "We can leave if you want," he added with a smile. "I can't believe we'd screw up like this. We've never really filmed in a residence before, so I'm so sorry if we're disturbing you or anything."
She held up a hand to stop him. "It's really not a big deal. I grew up on sets, so this is really no different," she said with a laugh. "I was actually just stopping in to drop some things off and then I have a meeting in Burbank to get to. So I won't be long."
Jared nodded. "Still, we can try to be out of here before you get back," he said, reaching for his phone and hurriedly firing off several text messages to people.
"Take your time," she insisted. "It's not that big of a deal, really. You guys do whatever you need to do. I'll get out of your hair," she said, walking back up the stairs. "It was really nice to meet you. Perhaps we'll meet again," she said with a flirty wink and smile before disappearing.
Jared stared at the spot where she stood for several seconds after she left. "That was unexpected," he said simply after a few moments of silence.
"Dude, we just met Marlon Brando's granddaughter," Tomo said with a hint of a fan-girl episode coming on.
Shannon smiled at his brother. "She is so much hotter in person," he added, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "How have we not met her before?"
Jared shrugged, not really listening to his band mates. Instead, his mind was muddled and he was left feeling foggy after his brief conversation with her. She had her grandfather's trademark dusky stare that had a way of captivating audiences. It had certainly done its job on him.