Compared to the talk shows Ryan had seen before, Kate was rather courteous. She only skimmed over sensitive questions without delving too deep, which was partly due to Pat Kinsley's prior PR efforts and partly because of his age.
Besides, regarding the conflict with Tom Cruise, although he was ultimately the winner, the media and public still cast him in the role of the underdog. Adults tend to have a degree of sympathy for children.
"Strictly speaking, The Sixth Sense was your first exposure to acting, yet you delivered an amazing performance. How did you manage that?" Kate asked.
"It has to do with my experiences. After all, aside from the thriller elements, a lot of the film came from my own life..." Ryan pulled that tiger skin over himself again—after all, lying doesn't cost money.
"Were you abused at the orphanage?"
"Not before I was six." Ryan shook his head at first, then frowned. "The orphanage was indeed a very emotionally distant place. Let's put it this way—besides Director Katie, I wasn't close to anyone. As for what happened after Director Katie retired, I'd rather not talk about it."
"Alright," Kate changed the subject. "What about your relationship with Miss Nicole Kidman?"
"Nicole is my only family and the most important person to me." Ryan didn't even hesitate. "Can you imagine? I ran away from the orphanage, penniless, confused, asking for help everywhere but being treated like a homeless person and turned away. In that situation, I met Nicole on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She helped me wholeheartedly without any hesitation. To get custody of me, she exhausted all her savings, sold her house and car, and even went into heavy debt."
Although many media outlets had reported on his relationship with Nicole, these secrets known to only a few had never been uncovered. At this point, the audience gasped. In their shoes, they couldn't possibly have done all that for a stranger.
"I know some people don't mind seeing others in the worst light. In their eyes, Nicole fought for my custody because of the potential for huge profits. But at that time, Nicole had no idea about my writing ability. And even during the toughest times, she never spent a single dollar of mine. In fact, all my expenses were actually covered by her."
As soon as Ryan finished speaking, the audience broke into enthusiastic applause. What could be more convincing than hearing it from the person himself?
"Ryan, I don't know if you've noticed, but many couples have published statements in the newspapers claiming you're their lost child."
"I've said it before—I only have one family in this world, and that's Nicole Kidman!" Ryan said with a serious expression.
Perhaps the show's director notified Kate of something, as she touched her earpiece and quickly changed the topic. "You had a dazzling year last year. Many say you're a child blessed by God. What's your take on that?"
"Definitely not." Ryan made a helpless expression and shrugged. "I do have a strong sensitivity to art and a bit of talent in that area, but God is fair to everyone. If He gives you a pearl, He'll take away a diamond. I actually have some pretty terrible sides—people just don't know about them."
"Can you share some of those?" Kate's eyes lit up.
"I have trouble focusing and can drift off at any moment." Ryan shrugged. "Also, I've found that I can't go near the kitchen. The only time I made coffee, I nearly burned down the entire apartment building. My neighbors even came to protest afterward."
The audience burst into laughter. To them, this made him seem like a normal boy—someone with both strengths and flaws.
"Anything else?"
"Hmm..." Ryan thought for a moment, then finally said, "Alright, this is my biggest secret."
"Wow~" A chorus of admiration came from the audience, followed by some playful heckling.
"I can't drink alcohol. I'm severely allergic to it. Don't worry—I've never snuck a drink. That was discovered when the family doctor was disinfecting me with alcohol. He warned both me and Nicole that if we wanted to avoid a life-threatening situation, I had to stay away from anything alcoholic."
Across from him, Kate, along with the audience, opened their mouths wide in surprise. Although there are laws regulating alcohol consumption, everyone knows the reality. A life without alcohol? That sounded like a tragic life!
"This... is unbelievable," Kate said after a brief moment of shock.
Ryan playfully shrugged but didn't say anything more.
"Alright, now for the new segment of our show—Celebrity Income Reveal!" Kate pointed to the big screen above the stage, which displayed a list of figures.
She looked at Ryan. "You don't mind if we tally up your finances, do you?"
"No problem." Ryan shrugged. No one had discussed this segment with him beforehand—it was clearly the producers' attempt to surprise him, or perhaps to make things a little awkward.
This was standard. To avoid accidents or unpleasant surprises, shows like this usually discuss everything with the guest in advance—but they often hold something back. Nothing too over-the-top, of course.
Kate looked at the screen and began to read, "The Sixth Sense—script fee: $50,000; acting fee: $150,000; revenue share: $1 million; total: $1.31 million. That sound right, Ryan?"
"That's right." Ryan could only nod. These were public figures from the production company—anyone with a bit of effort could look them up. Of course, they didn't include under-the-table bonuses.
"Home Alone—script plus acting fee: $3 million; revenue share: $5.7 million; total: $8.7 million. Terminator 2—acting fee: $5 million; revenue share unknown."
"Wow~"
The audience gasped.
"Your total film income last year was... hmm, let me do the math—$16.8 million! Oh my God! Sitting across from me is an eleven-year-old multi-millionaire!" Kate exaggerated her expression.
"Actually, it's not that much." Ryan waved his hand. "Don't forget taxes!"
The IRS is the most powerful institution in America—way more than the CIA or FBI. If they catch you evading taxes, your life will be a disaster. The IRS even has its own courts—no jury!
"Don't forget you also have royalty income from your books. The publisher of The Alien Entity wouldn't reveal the numbers to us. Can you tell us, Ryan?"
"Sorry, I rarely pay attention to that stuff. You'd have to ask my accountant." Ryan dodged the question quickly.
This was the early '90s. His film income alone was astonishing. If they added everything else, it would make countless people jealous. He didn't want to become a target for kidnappers.
"Alright then!" Kate blinked. "Can you at least tell us what you're working on right now?"
"A script for an action film, and I'm also polishing another screenplay." Ryan made a "you know what I mean" gesture.
"Then we'll wait for your good news!" Kate continued, "Now it's time for audience questions. We'll pick two people from the live audience and one caller from our hotline."
In the audience, people had long been ready, and they all raised their hands in unison.
"Third row, second from the left!" Kate randomly picked one.
It was a girl of about fifteen, looking very playful. "Ryan, are you planning to get a girlfriend? What's your type?"
"Not for now! As for type, I haven't really thought about it." Ryan looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Seventh row, fifth from the left!"
This time a middle-aged man stood up and said, "Ryan, I have two kids who are fans of your books and movies. They're too young to attend in person. Could you sign something for them?"
"No problem." Ryan knew fans had to be cultivated—he had lived two lives and understood that well. "Please stay after the show ends, alright?"
"Thank you!"
"The next question comes from a caller. Staff, please connect the phone!" Kate said.
Soon, a call came through. From the sound of it, it was an older man. "Ryan Jenkins, your work is garbage. Other than deceiving children, it has no redeeming qualities."
Everyone in the studio, including Kate, froze for a moment. Clearly, no one expected this.
"Please don't watch my work again, okay?" Ryan responded calmly. "I don't think the federal government forces anyone to read or watch anything by Ryan Jenkins, right?"
"Alright! Thank you, Ryan. Thank you to our live and TV audiences. Today's episode of Face to Face ends here. See you next week!"
That was just a small hiccup at the end of the show. Ryan handled it with ease. After signing autographs for that father, he left the studio.
After Face to Face aired, major newspapers and tabloids began analyzing Ryan's statements, satisfying the public's curiosity to some extent. His topic heat gradually cooled down. Especially the reporters outside his villa—most of them disappeared. Of course, there were still a few persistent paparazzi trying to dig up exclusive news.
As for Ryan, he returned to school. But his classmates looked at him differently now. Even Jerry and Peter rarely talked to him anymore. This was normal—just like what Natalie experienced. Exceptionally smart and mature kids rarely get accepted among their peers.
Ryan didn't care. He went back to his usual routine. Besides, he didn't have time to mingle with those little brats. To him, they were nothing more than background characters.
What he didn't expect, though, was that Face to Face revealing his income would bring him some serious trouble.