En plein air → La Grande Intérieure
Interagir avec; ces Réveillez - vous
Selon tous les témoignages, le lever du soleil était quelque chose de beau à voir, surmonté seulement par la finalité et la romance d'un coucher de soleil; mais pour toutes les histoires et idéaux attribués au lever du soleil, Ellie ne voyait rien de merveilleux à leur sujet. Un lever de soleil n'était qu'une autre chose qui s'est produite; cela ne signifiait rien d'autre que le fait qu'un autre jour avait commencé alors que de l'autre côté de la planète le jour se terminait. Pas de romance. Pas de beauté. Rien. La magie des levers de soleil a disparu après plusieurs semaines de réveil alors que la plupart des gens dormaient, sauf ceux qui se tuaient lentement physiquement et mentalement en buvant leurs douleurs.
Le lever du soleil d'aujourd'hui n'était pas différent. Ellie Duke s'était levée avant le soleil et avec elle avant les autres dans la maison; elle opérait encore sur le "temps d'appel" qui avait l'effet secondaire de l'avoir debout avant la fissure de l'aube. Elle ne travaillait pas sur le plateau en ce moment, mais ça n'a pas empêché son corps d'agir comme elle l'était. Être éveillé si tôt n'est venu avec certains avantages, en tête d'entre eux d'être seul le temps de penser. Penser était quelque chose qu'elle a dû faire beaucoup de récemment avec une pensée simple prenant la plupart de sa tête.
Pourquoi suis-je ici?
Ici, bien sûr, signifie la maison dans laquelle elle et plusieurs autres vivaient actuellement. Ce n'était pas un secret pour personne que les gens à l'intérieur de la maison ne sautaient pas exactement de joie à l'idée d'être autour d'Ellie, et Ellie ne faisait aucun effort pour agir comme si elle était excitée d'être là. Honnêtement, c'est comme si les gens agissent comme s'ils étaient meilleurs parce que la seule chose que les gens entendent à propos d'eux, c'est avec qui ils sont ensemble. Ellie avait une réputation et il semblait que la réputation était dans la tête du soi-disant groupe d'associés, même si ses pensées à leur égard étaient du côté neutre. Qu'est-ce qu'elle se souciait des musiciens à moins qu'ils ne l'aient dans leur petite tête qu'ils pouvaient accrocher à sa cour? Pourquoi devraient-ils, à leur tour, se soucier de ce qu'elle a fait? Qui était celui qui allait aux cérémonies et qui faisait lire leur nom sur la liste des candidats? Alors laissez les colocataires pleurer leurs opinions. Personne ici n'avait le droit de juger.
L'époque d'Ellie dans la maison jusqu'à présent n'avait pas été un tas de plaisir et de jeux, mais plutôt un exercice en nageant à travers un océan de prétendus professionnels et leurs bagages. Elle avait la sienne, bien sûr, mais ce n'était pas elle qui essayait de mentir derrière les sourires. Ce sont ces petits moments du matin qu'Ellie a trouvé les plus agréables. Personne ne s'est réveillé. Personne n'est là pour commencer à avoir des ennuis ou rouler les yeux. Juste elle, le calme, et le journal. Combien de leurs semblables affluaient immédiatement à la section de divertissement ou aux publications de commérages, bien que les deux ne soient rien de plus que des bouffées? Et pourtant Ellie était celle avec le 'ego'. Comment ça a marché?
Ellie ne s'est souciée que de la section sportive et a utilisé cette pause avant l'aube pour se rattraper sur les matchs qu'elle avait manqués. Détroit avait embarrassé son équipe, ce qui faisait mal à lire, mais pas autant que ça faisait mal de savoir qu'elle pourrait être incapable d'assister à un match pour les soutenir tout l'été. Alors qu'elle volait dans la section des sports, elle bâillonnait sur ce qui semblait être des gaufres, mais elle n'en avait pas goûté. En ce qu'ils étaient subpar par rapport à sa propre recette. Après en avoir traversé une moitié, Ellie secoua la tête et jeta le reste.
À ce moment-là, le soleil s'était levé, ou du moins se levait, et les sons d'autres qui s'agitaient portaient dans le silence. Ellie a entendu le chant familier des nouvelles du matin et peu de temps après, un bruit de chute. Un soupir a fait sortir Ellie de la chaise longue et à l'intérieur de la salle à manger proprement dite.
"Qu'est-ce que l'été a à voir avec le réveil?" Ellie a annoncé sa présence avec une question et des lèvres coulissantes à l'égard du pianiste, "Quoi, le monde du piano ne commence-t-il qu'après midi?" Ellie a traversé vers le frigo pour prendre un gallon de lait et un verre dans l'armoire. "Tu ne durerais jamais dans un champ qui comptait."
Ellie a descendu la moitié du verre de lait d'un seul coup, gaspillant peu de temps dans la garniture de la boisson avant d'entrer pour une seconde aide. "Oh, c'était tes gaufres?" Les yeux d'Ellie se tournèrent vers Zahra pour les moments les plus brefs : « Ceux-là sont partis. Je ne supportais pas de voir des aliments inférieurs aux normes tacher cette maison." Il n'y avait aucun soupçon d'excuses dans sa voix; aux yeux d'Ellie, elle avait rendu service à Zahra. D'une certaine façon, elle doutait que d'autres le verraient de cette façon, mais alors si peu compris ses méthodes de toute façon. Les amateurs, beaucoup d'entre eux.
{"Success makes so many people hate you."}
-Marilyn Monroe
| Full Name |
Eleanor June Dukenzie
| Nickname |
The Duchess. She didn't pick it, some gossip rags thought they were clever what with her stage name being 'Duke' and all. But she'll take it. It sounds regal. Important.
| Birth Date |
August 12, 1991
| Age |
24
| Relationship Status |
Complicated. Such is the way of the celebrity dating world.
| Gender |
Female
| Sexuality |
Homosexual, but she can play hetero for when the role demands it.
| Profession |
Self-proclaimed 'Silver Screen Queen'. Which is an arrogant way of saying she's an actress.
| In Depth Appearance |
With natural blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and what several people have dubbed 'natural bitch face', Ellie seemed fit for the world of lights and cameras even without the helpful boost from nepotism. Ellie's not particularly tall at just about 5'6", but she's got a lean physique with believable musculature to her build that makes her suited for more physical activities; she won't do her own stunts of course but she at least doesn't look out of place whenever she might have to throw a punch or something. With attempts to seem more 'approachable' by certain sorts, Ellie adopts more casual attire when out and about. Some like to wear casual clothing and sunglasses to hide their identity, but Ellie doesn't hide her face when she goes casual, frequently wearing expensive jeans and blouses with comfortable shoes - never heels for anything other than business meetings.
She's slightly self conscious about her nose, specifically her nostrils as she thinks they are a bit too wide. But she refuses to get any work done, priding herself on what she dubs 'natural features'. Her hair never gets too long and her 'signature style', such as it is, consists of parting it to the right, perfect for brushing aside and behind the ear. The only blemish on her ivory skin (blemish of course meaning something like 'ink') is a birthmark just under her left shoulder. Ellie isn't setting any fashion trends, but even her casual wardrobe turns heads even if only because the cost causes envy. Among other less flattering emotions. On the red carpet or interviews, though? Then she goes all out. That's the rule.
 
| Habits | Quirks | Oddities |
-When she laughs she has a bad tendency to snort. Which is off putting to her and to some others. She only snorts when she laughs for real, legitimately, so at least when she does people know they're being funny.
-Ellie frequently snaps her fingers when trying to recall something or someone. Names, places, information, anything. It doesn't help her remember things, honestly she doesn't remember the names of most people she meets, but it gives the illusion that she's making an effort to remember.
-Fairly often when she's behind the cameras she gently bites her thumb both when thinking or just when relaxing. It's just some kind of reflex. It's never hard enough to cause pain or break skin, just a gentle nibbling of her thumb.
| Hobbies |
-An avid fan of baseball. She makes a point to buy season tickets for her favorite team and, schedule permitting, attends live games often. She wants to throw out the first pitch one day.
-Running. It's easy to clear thoughts when focusing on running and jogging. She doesn't run for a daily routine but more as stress relief or just to enjoy the weather.
-Woodworking. While not exactly a carpenter or anything, Ellie likes making small things with wood. Boxes and small things like that. It's another way to unwind that's not self-destructive.
| Likes |
☑ Salted snacks. She loves junk food snacks but rarely gets to enjoy them in comfort.
☑ Baseball. Professional. Minor league. Any level, really. She'll watch college ball or even little league if that's her only option.
☑ Disco and Funk music. She can thank her mother for that one. Her playlist is heavy with the genres.
☑ The time of year just before summer gets unbearably hot. The ending of spring and the breezy days that follow. Perfect for running.
☑ Blueberry Muffins. The perfect breakfast? Coffee and like three fresh baked blueberry muffins.
☑ Voice Over Work. She will always say yes if her agent sends her an audition for an animated feature or voice over for an ad or something. A check for a few hours work? Yes, please.
☑ Eggs. Like deviled and hard boiled. Blueberry Muffins are her favorite muffin or pastry or whatever the term is, but eggs are her favorite food. Bar none.
| Dislikes |
☒ Soda. She'll never do ads for soda and staunchly refuses to drink it on camera. Any time she has been shown drinking it, the contents were not soda.
☒ Actors who blow takes too often. Forgetting a line once or twice is fine. But when someone misses their cue or their line so often that it halts production? Ugh.
☒ Social Media. Honestly if it wasn't for the fact that people seem to care what she says (and because studios like the free promotion) she would've never joined any social media. It's pointless.
☒ Driving. Why drive yourself when there are people who get paid to do it?
☒ Swimming. Going to the pool or the beach is fine. But going into water? No thank you.
☒ Cats and dogs. She has a pet, but it's neither a dog nor a cat which she finds annoying. She has a bird. It's a cockatiel.
☒ Seafood. She cannot and will not eat anything that has the word 'fish' somewhere in the recipe.
| Fears |
Ellie has a fear of drowning that puts her off entering bodies of water of any size, even bath tubs or hot tubs. She won't even put a toe in and sit on the edge. Showers only for her, and even then they are just long enough to get clean.
A more selfish fear she has is the fear of going destitute. She doesn't want to be one of those celebrities that spends money early on and then their star fades and suddenly she's slumming it with the common people.
  
| Personality Traits |
Prima donna. There's an ego that Ellie has but to her credit she does seem rather talented in her particular field, enough so to keep getting offers in spite of the rumors and stories.
Dependable. Perhaps a reason WHY she gets offers is because of her strong work ethic. Her thoughts on cast and crew aside, none can really doubt that she shows up ready to perform.
Selfish. Of course when she does show up to work she only cares enough about her own role in the process. She never gets friendly with the cast, the crew, anyone, although she does have respect for other professionals she's had the pleasure of working with.
Sincere. For better or worse, Ellie isn't going to mince words. She already gets paid to pretend and lie, she wishes to be honest in her day-to-day life.
| Personality |
Ah the spoiled Hollywood royalty and the actress who believes her worth to be greater than the sum of her parts. No one will deny that Ellie can act well enough to be a name on posters, though they might scoff at how she was thrust into the spotlight, but having talent and ability doesn't give someone an excuse to be a total bitch to everyone unfortunate enough to be on set with her. Outbursts, insults, low patience, and those are just some of the words other actors and actresses have used to describe their time shooting with Ellie. She's known just as much for her acting ability as she is for her behind the scenes antics.
That attitude of hers extends to her personal life as well, albeit in much smaller, more contained circumstances. Ellie isn't the easiest person to get along with, ego does terrible things to a person after all, but behind the selfish shell there is someone that does value the opinions of others. She needs the attention but she also needs to be wanted for more than just her name. While she's never punched out a paparazzi or publicly done anything to cause a scandal (apart from being seen on a date with a former co-star, slow news day that was), she also hasn't done much with her status and position to truly make herself seem like anything other than another overpaid, self important Hollywood starlet.
Many predict she'll be forgotten by age thirty, blacklisted because of her attitude. She can't rely on the Dukenzie name to keep her afloat should things go sideways. But Ellie isn't thinking that far ahead. Right now she's just under the assumption that she'll always have a script to read or a part to try out for or a ceremony to go to. She's a bright starlet. She'll never burn out. Never fade away.
 
| Place of Origin |
Chicago, Illinois
| Family |
Elizabeth Duke, Mother. Acclaimed, Award-Winning Director
Martin Dukenzie, Father. Tony Winning Stage Actor.
| History |
The world first saw sight of Elanor Dukenzie when she was still in diapers. A diaper commercial, actually, which Ellie only vaguely remembers. The way she remembers it, her first role was on a two-season sitcom created by and produced by one Elizabeth Duke. Ellie played a precocious child, the one that everyone always either hates or finds adorable. Elizabeth Duke just so happens to be the mother of Elanor Dukenzie; Elizabeth Duke was a common name amongst film fans. She was an award winning director with a fondness for slow, tense character drama thriller films. Elanor's father was a stage actor, lauded for his role in a production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore and musical performances.
Elanor never really had much of a choice in the matter, being thrust in front of a camera before she could even form coherent sentences. Her mother, from which Elanor got much of her persona, was going to have her daughter do what she couldn't. Elizabeth wanted to act but found it more comfortable behind the camera. Elanor, fortunately, found that she enjoyed it. It took getting used to, after all when you're the breakout character on a short-lived sitcom and find yourself talking to comedic talk show hosts it's a bit of a learning process. But once she was getting work not because her mother was involved in the production somehow, she found that there was really nothing else like it.
Elanor took on the stage name of 'Ellie Duke' because it seemed more...marketable than 'Elanor Dukenzie' which just doesn't roll off the tongue at all. Ellie Duke's first major role was in a rom-com set in high school where she played the bitchy best friend of the female lead. She was the antagonist that wound up ending the movie humiliated and defeated. From there she kept getting work, at first because of her name but as her filmography increased so did her ability and now when she's given a script it's because of Ellie Duke and not Elizabeth Dukenzie's influence.
Still young and a hot presence in the film world, Ellie's set her sights on winning awards. She's up for nominations thanks to her most recent turn as a young sibling trying to kick a drug habit, but as of yet she's only ever been a nominee. And contrary to what the nicer celebrities say, it is NOT an honor just to be nominated. Ellie Duke is going to conquer Hollywood, one bad attitude on set at a time.
 
| Extra |
I mean if I had to pick one it'd be Bae Doona or Emily Blunt.