In the West, talk show hosts are usually quick-witted individuals. They need to think on their feet and connect with any kind of guest. Whether it's drawing out personal stories or smoothly guiding the conversation toward a desired message, it takes real skill. Someone without that kind of talent simply couldn't make it as a talk show host.
The program Laila was currently on also fell into the talk show category. While a number of the questions had been prepared for her in advance, there was still plenty of room for the host to improvise.
The popularity of the show had a lot to do with the host herself—witty, good at self-deprecating humor, and quick to get playful. She didn't carry herself with too much baggage, unlike some hosts who took themselves too seriously to let loose.
Now that the atmosphere had warmed up, it was time for the host to ask some questions that the audience wanted answered.
"We heard that you decided to make The Avengers in a fit of anger. Is that true?"
"There's probably some truth to that," Laila answered after a brief pause. "But making a film isn't something you can do just on impulse—there were other factors involved."
"What exactly happened at the time?"
The host asked the question for the benefit of viewers at home.
The scandal surrounding Laila had been well-documented in the West, but in the East, the flow of information wasn't quite as smooth. Even if some people had heard about it, most ordinary folks didn't have access to the full picture.
So Laila went through the entire story—from the Oscars controversy to the backlash against the Golden Globes and the accusations of gender discrimination. She wanted to make it clear to the audience that she wasn't just being emotional—there were valid reasons behind her actions. And if the movie really did fail in the end, maybe people would see her as someone who had simply been pushed too far, and cut her some slack.
When she brought up how hostile some of the Western commentary had been, many of her female fans in the audience became visibly upset. In the East—at least in the cities—gender equality was sometimes better than in the West.
This was evident in the fact that the East had the highest number of female billionaires in the world. It also ranked among the top globally in terms of female researchers and employment rates for women. As for why it still ranked low in global gender equality indexes—sometimes even below countries like India—well, one only needed to look at who was compiling those rankings to understand why.
Back then, the public discourse was all about how female directors were inherently inferior to male directors. People said Laila couldn't compare to James Cameron. But who wouldn't be furious at that kind of talk? Why was it that when women failed, it was "normal," and when they succeeded, it was just the awards committee trying to avoid accusations of sexism? Why did people assume women directors were always second-rate?
Of course, most of these opinions were whispered behind closed doors. Rarely would any female director openly speak up. And who could blame them? It wasn't just Hollywood—it wasn't just the film industry. The entire entertainment world was run by men.
That was a fact that couldn't be denied. Even Laila could only do what she could behind the scenes. To think that one woman alone could change the industry's perception of female filmmakers? That was a fantasy at best.
Change took time. If ten years wasn't enough, then maybe twenty. If twenty wasn't enough, then thirty. Even the smallest step forward was better than standing still—wasn't it?
"So is that when you angrily declared you'd break Avatar's box office record?" the host asked, clearly impressed. If it had been her, she probably would've swallowed the insult. After all, it was James Cameron. She wouldn't even dare compare herself to a single strand of his hair, let alone try to surpass him with a movie.
Laila smiled. "It wasn't entirely out of anger. I won't deny that I was very uncomfortable with all the negative talk, but The Avengers was a project our company had been planning for some time. That public backlash just gave us a reason to push the timeline forward a bit."
The host nodded enthusiastically. "I'm a huge fan of superhero films too! Ever since Iron Man, we've been seeing teasers about The Avengers in the post-credit scenes. I can't believe the day has finally come! So, Director Moran, do you believe this film can break the all-time box office record?"
"To be honest, I don't know," Laila said frankly. "There are just too many unknowns. But no matter how hard it is, that's no reason to back down. What—are we supposed to give up just because it's hard? Or admit women are naturally inferior?"
She shook her head. "I don't use gender to decide who's better or worse. But what I will say is this—if I say something out loud, I'll do everything in my power to make it happen."
The host and audience burst into applause. They genuinely admired her—not just the female fans, but the male fans too. It wasn't just what she said—it was how she said it. With that kind of conviction, no wonder she'd climbed to the top of Hollywood.
"And now it's time for fan questions. Director Moran, are you ready? Your fans are seriously passionate!" the host teased.
The show was pre-recorded, and a few "insider" fans had been planted in the audience to prevent awkward silences in case no one wanted to speak.
But clearly, their worry had been unnecessary. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to speak directly to a world-famous Hollywood director—who would pass that up?
So the moment the host finished speaking, every hand in the audience shot up.
The host looked out over the sea of raised arms and let out a dramatic sigh. "With all this enthusiasm, I don't even know who to pick. Maybe I should just ask you?"
"Boo—" The audience responded with a long, collective groan of mock disapproval, followed by another round of laughter.
Under mock pressure, the host threw up her hands in surrender and called on a slightly chubby girl in the front row.
The girl, visibly shaking from excitement, took the mic. "Director Moran, hello," she said, her voice trembling a little. "I'm a student in the film directing program. I wanted to ask—how can someone become a great director like you?"
Laila smiled at the question. "Well... I think luck probably played a big part."
"Luck?" The host raised her eyebrows, clearly intrigued.
Everyone knew Laila had gotten her start with a low-budget film made for just $100,000. She hadn't relied on family wealth or connections. Even the film company she'd inherited had been a struggling B-movie studio on the verge of collapse.
Her life story had been thoroughly picked apart by the media around the world. After all, she was the most famous director on the planet—of course, every country, including those in the East, had paid close attention.