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Chapter 15
Shauna couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she fell for Dan Jackson. It might have been the very first day she saw him at work on set, or it could have been while they sat drinking in Molly Malone’s Irish bar near Melrose Avenue that night after he’d caught her off guard on set.
They’d laughed at each other’s stories. Dan told her that, though he had Irish grandparents, he’d been brought up in a typically middle-class English fashion: a private-school education followed by Cambridge, where he’d been part of the Footlights drama club. He told her of the terrible reviews he received after his first performance with his friend Julian Fellowes, which made him realize he was much better off the stage than on it.
What Shauna liked best about Dan was the way he listened to her and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He was over a decade older but didn’t look it. He had a full head of thick brown hair that stuck up boyishly and never seemed to do what he wanted. He had warm brown eyes that always seemed to have a smile in them for her. Dan had been married before. He and his wife, Helen, had separated amicably; she hadn’t been part of the acting world. ‘It’s tough for sweethearts and wives, Shauna,’ he told her. ‘Directors are never at home and it can be a lonely old business. Only the strongest relationships survive, but you’re too young to know about that yet.’
‘I’ve had my fair share of an education on that front, I can assure you.’
He’d looked at her quizzically but didn’t pry. He asked her about her acting ambitions and told her to keep practising, that acting was a constant process of learning and something that you could get better and better at.
‘Why don’t you change your name?’ he suggested.
‘Why would I do that?’
‘It might help you make that mental leap into believing you’re an actress. Sometimes, taking on a new persona can be freeing, it can give you the confidence you need to move on to the next stage in your life.’
Shauna thought about what he’d said. ‘Then I’ll take your name, as a thank you for your inspiration.’
‘Jackson is as good as any, and I’m flattered. Welcome to the world, Shauna Jackson.’
Dan was usually too busy on set for chit-chat, but occasionally their eyes would meet, and he would always give her that boyish smile and a wink. Shauna found herself looking forward to those special moments.
When the film, A Hard Line, wrapped there was the usual raucous party. The star and all the crew mingled together, and Shauna was starting to feel like she belonged. Tom Cruise and Dan both made speeches in which they thanked the crew for their contribution; Tom’s was emotional and heartfelt, while Dan was his usual self-deprecating and modest self.
‘I’ve been privileged to have worked with some dear old friends, and with new ones, and every single one of you feels like family.’ The crew whooped and whistled in appreciation. ‘Mind you, some of you are like the sort family I only want to hear from in the yearly Christmas card – Tom, you know I mean you!’ Everyone laughed and Tom Cruise good-naturedly told him to fuck off. ‘But there are others I hope that I’ll be seeing a lot more of.’ When he said this, Dan caught Shauna’s eye in the crowd, and she felt herself blush.
While the crew were enjoying the lavish spread that the studio had put on, and drinking copious amounts of the free booze, Shauna noticed Dan wend his way through the crowd in her direction. Many of the crew clapped his back and shook his hand as he went past. Despite his approachability, there was a natural deference to the director in Hollywood Shauna had noticed, each cast and crew member knowing that, even if the director was as seemingly normal as Dan, they were still extremely powerful people and had the influence to make or break careers.
Dan had brought over a bottle of red wine and he joined the small cluster of Shauna’s team, chatting to everyone and topping them up. When he came to her, he offered her the bottle and she said, ‘I’ll just have a drop. Red wine goes to my head.’
‘It’s a good one,’ he said. ‘I told Jerry I didn’t want any of his Californian vinegar – this a good French claret, I’ll have you know.’
‘That’ll be even worse for a hangover!’
Dan hardly left her side for the next couple of hours and Shauna was well aware he’d sought her out. She found herself not wanting to chat to anyone else, and when he asked if she wanted to slip away and have dinner, she nodded.
‘It’s like you’ve left your own birthday party,’ she told him as they crept out.
‘Rubbish,’ he replied. ‘No one will even notice I’ve gone. They’re all drunk and getting off with each other.’
He took her to Spago, his favourite restaurant and one the most iconic in Beverly Hills. As they sat eating clam linguine, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese were having dinner at an adjacent table, and Meryl Streep was dining with her agent. Shauna was almost becoming used to rubbing shoulders with the stars, but tonight she only had eyes and ears for Dan.
‘What’s next for you?’ she asked.
‘My next picture is about a family torn apart by the Irish Civil War. It’s got a great script and a smaller budget than this one, it’s more of an ensemble piece. The big blockbusters are great and they pay the bills, but this is something much closer to my heart.’
‘It sounds wonderful. Every Irish person has a story about their own family during that time.’
‘I’m casting right now. I want Richard Harris as the patriarch, and we’re in talks with a couple of actresses for the lead.’
‘How exciting.’
He paused before adding, ‘There’s a small part as the daughter. She’s only in a couple of scenes, but it’s a key role. She leaves Ireland with her new husband to get away from the Troubles, and it breaks her father’s heart.’
‘Who have you got in mind?’
‘I want someone fresh, someone who isn’t jaded – a new voice.’ He looked at her intently. ‘I’ve been watching you and I think you might have what I need.’
