The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!-Chapter 12

"Hello, Amanda."
As soon as he entered the lobby of the Angel Acting Agency, Matthew saw the receptionist and Amanda, who clearly recognized him and greeted him warmly. "Hi, Matthew. Helen's waiting for you upstairs."
Instead of heading straight up, Matthew walked over and chatted with her for a moment before crossing the lobby and taking the stairs to the second floor. He stopped at Helen's office, knocked, and waited for a crisp "Come in" from inside before pushing the door open and stepping in.
"Make yourself comfortable, Matthew."
Helen gestured toward the only sofa in the office. It was then Matthew realized she wasn't alone. In the room were two middle-aged men in their forties and six younger men, one of whom he recognized—Michael.
Is the Angel Acting Agency signing them to long-term contracts too? The thought crossed his mind, but despite his curiosity, Matthew didn't ask. He simply took a seat on the sofa.
"Now that everyone's here, we can begin," Helen announced. "The Angel Acting Agency is prepared to sign all of you to a one-year collaborative contract, offering a full range of services and excellent work opportunities."
She picked up a stack of contracts, walked out from behind her desk, and handed one to Matthew, Michael, and the others in turn. Then she glanced at the two middle-aged men and said, "This is Mr. Marshall Williams from the Screen Actors Guild, and Mr. Bertus Clement, the guild's legal counsel."
Matthew regarded them with interest.
"Some of you are not yet members of the guild," Helen continued, "but Mr. Marshall Williams can notarize the contracts, and Mr. Bertus Clement can ensure their legal validity."
She returned to her desk. "You can consult with both of them if you have any questions."
The two men presented their credentials—an entertainment lawyer's license and a Screen Actors Guild internal ID, respectively—showing Matthew and the others that their standing was legitimate.
Matthew was already looking over the contract. After his diligent "training," his reading comprehension had improved significantly, and he had no trouble understanding a document like this.
He read it very carefully, scrutinizing every sentence and clause. Though there wasn't much to swindle from a nobody like him, the least he could do was understand what he was signing.
After thoroughly reading the contract and confirming there were no issues, Matthew signed it with a grimace. The agency contract was for one year. From the moment he signed, he became an exclusive client of the Angel Agency, with Helen as his exclusive agent.
This also meant Matthew couldn't accept work from any other agency.
The others also signed their contracts one by one.
Once the contracts were signed, the Screen Actors Guild representative, Marshall Williams, collected the copies for the other five men—everyone except Matthew and Michael—and left the office with Bertus Clement. Matthew realized then that all the others were already members of the Guild.
"There are a few things you should all be aware of," Helen said, looking at the seven men. "First, from this day forward, you are no longer permitted to accept any work offered by other companies. Second, I will be recommending specialized acting courses for you to pursue at your own expense. Third, find a part-time job more befitting an actor's status. And fourth, Matthew and Michael, you are to join the Screen Actors Guild as soon as the opportunity arises."
Matthew nodded. He didn't know what the others thought, but in his opinion, Helen's advice was sound and would be beneficial for an actor's long-term development.
Helen added, "And one last thing: if you don't have a cell phone, get one, and keep it on twenty-four hours a day."
She waved a hand. "You can all go. Matthew and Michael, don't forget to stop by the finance department to pick up your paychecks for your roles."
The pay came through that quickly? Matthew was a little surprised at first, but then he remembered Helen's connection to Ridley Scott and figured it made sense.
Outside Helen's office, the other five men left one by one, leaving Matthew and Michael to walk toward the finance department together.
It was clear the Angel Agency had brought on a few more people.
Just as with the Starlight Agency, Matthew's fee had the agency's ten-percent cut deducted. Because of the large sums involved, both he and Michael left their bank account details, and the Angel Agency's treasurer assured them the fees would be deposited today.
"Amanda called me last night."
As they walked toward the agency's exit, Michael said to Matthew, "It was a complete surprise when they told me they wanted to sign me to a long-term contract."
He was clearly in high spirits. "I guess your method worked."
Matthew gave a slight shrug. "Maybe it did."
They stepped out of the Angel Agency, and Michael added, "This is the most important contract of my life."
Matthew agreed. In a way, it was for him, too.
"Let's become stars together." Michael suddenly stopped, looked at Matthew, and said seriously, "Matthew, we're going to be big stars."
Matthew nodded his head.
Though he already felt a little wary of Michael, their goal was exactly the same.
"Got a minute?" Michael suggested. "Let's find a place to grab a drink and celebrate."
"Some other time." Matthew had things to do and had to decline. "I need to sign up for language classes at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts later."
May was just around the corner, and the deadline for his second tuition payment was approaching. But with the eight thousand dollars he'd been paid for "Gladiator" and the newly signed contract, he decided to follow Helen's advice and enroll in language classes to fix his so-called Texas accent.
"The Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?" Michael asked, stunned. "Are you sure you can get into the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?"
As far as he knew, the school had a relatively high barrier to entry, and for small-time actors like them who weren't with a major agency, getting in was supposed to be difficult.
People like him didn't even bother thinking about it.
How could Matthew get into a school like that?
While Michael was still processing this, Matthew said casually, "I called them yesterday. Anyone enrolled in the acting program can freely sign up for other courses."
The astonishment on Michael's face was plain to see. "You got into the acting program at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?"
"Yeah," Matthew replied.
"No w—" Michael started to say it was impossible but caught himself in time.
Matthew pulled out his phone and checked the time. "I've already paid the first tuition installment."
Michael's astonishment slowly morphed into envy. The acting program at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts was rumored to be exclusive to the Innovative Entertainment Agency and the William Morris Endeavor Agency. Getting in not only meant connecting with actors who might have big futures, but also being seen by agents from those two companies.
How could the Angel Acting Agency possibly compare to the likes of the Innovative Entertainment Agency or William Morris Endeavor Agency?
Matthew glanced at Michael, frowning slightly. "Mike, I've got to go," he said simply.
"Oh." Michael snapped out of it and nodded mechanically. "Right."
Watching Matthew's back as he walked away, the envy on Michael's face instantly hardened into jealousy. Why did Matthew always manage to be one step ahead of him? Why did such great resources always fall into the hands of someone who was just a newcomer to the industry?
This is just the beginning. The jealousy on Michael's face slowly faded. There's still a long way to go. I'll make sure I get the best resources this company has to offer.
A small agency like the Angel Acting Agency would always have limited resources, but...
Once I make a name for myself at the Angel Acting Agency, Michael knew exactly where his path would lead, I can move on to a bigger company.
Leaving Burbank and catching a bus to North Hollywood, Matthew kept replaying the day's events in his mind. Helen clearly wasn't betting everything on one minor actor; she was casting a wide net.
He couldn't help but shake his head. He had previously deluded himself into thinking the Angel Acting Agency was going to heavily promote him, but now it seemed the agency wasn't run by fools.
It also made Matthew understand, once and for all, that even in an agency this small—this unbearably small—you had to fight with everything you had to make a real name for yourself.
"Competition," Matthew told himself. "If you want to move up, you have to compete. No industry is an exception."
When he arrived in North Hollywood, he got off the bus and went straight to the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts to enroll in the language class, which was also starting in May. Hollywood was becoming increasingly international these days, and language classes like this were growing more common.
After enrolling, Matthew called Lister to cancel his time off. With the stock market booming, the nature of the work was such that Red Penguin Services was facing a shortage of drivers. Lister asked Matthew to work that evening, but instead of the usual "high-end business," he would just be delivering party equipment.
The job, once again at night, finished in the early hours of the next morning, but Matthew didn't complain. After all, a job that allowed him to work at night and keep his days free wasn't exactly easy to find.
For a long time, his life fell into a repetitive routine: working at night, exercising and studying during the day. He still hadn't found another role.
May arrived, kicking off the traditional summer movie season in North America, and with it, Matthew's acting classes began.