The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!-Chapter 28

As soon as he finished work in the morning, Matthew turned in his keys and headed to the Angel Acting Agency in Burbank. The first thing he did was stop by the reception desk to see how Amanda was doing.
"It's all my fault." Amanda looked apologetic. "Helen cornered me and asked a few questions. I wasn't prepared and I let it slip."
"It's fine," Matthew quickly reassured her. "It's not like we did anything illegal or criminal."
Amanda nodded as if trying to convince herself. "Right. I was just helping you get a role. Besides, Helen said she didn't care which one of you got the male lead."
She was a relatively simple girl and, in the end, had no real idea what Matthew had been orchestrating behind the scenes.
"Is Helen here yet?" Matthew asked.
"Yeah," Amanda gestured upstairs. "She's waiting for you in her office."
Matthew walked around the reception desk, went up to the second floor, and knocked on Helen's door.
"Come in."
Hearing Helen's voice, Matthew pushed the door open and stepped inside, greeting the woman sitting at her desk. "Good morning, Helen."
Helen gestured toward the sofa. "Have a seat. Tea or coffee?"
"No, thanks." Matthew wasn't thirsty. He walked over to the lone sofa, sat down, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I went to see Michael yesterday." Helen steepled her fingers on the desk. "I terminated his contract, and all he did was curse your name and Martin Jackson's. Care to explain?"
Matthew didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "After the first audition, Martin Jackson called me and asked me to come to his hotel to discuss the role. I went that evening, found out he wanted to sleep with me, and refused."
Helen sounded skeptical. "You turned him down?"
"Come on, I have my principles," Matthew said, spreading his hands. "I'm only interested in women. The thought of that is just nauseating."
He continued, regardless of whether Helen believed him or not, "When I was leaving, I saw Michael heading up to Jackson's room. The next day, Michael asked to meet me for lunch and bragged about getting the lead in the music video. He was walking funny, and I figured he'd made a 'deal' with Martin Jackson that night."
Helen adjusted her black-rimmed glasses. "So why did you end up winning?"
"I didn't want to miss the opportunity, so I put in some effort." Matthew felt no shame, stating with even greater pomposity, "My hard work, combined with a stroke of luck, produced the result we have now."
There were some things Helen had asked Amanda, but he was sure Amanda knew only a tiny fraction of the full story.
"Tell me the specifics." She studied Matthew's face.
"Britney was the key to winning the audition." Most of what Matthew said was true, but some parts weren't. "It just so happens I have a friend who's an entertainment journalist. I asked him what I could do to impress Britney, and he told me that she and Christina Aguilera had a personal feud. So, I enlisted Amanda's help to get Britney's attention. I made a point of saying how much I hated Christina Aguilera."
"A rather crude tactic, but it worked quite well." Helen's tone was calm. "You continue to surprise me, Matthew Horner."
Most major stars in Hollywood didn't have to fight for their auditions, but that wasn't the case for lesser-known actors. This kid was a better fit for Hollywood than she'd thought.
"But you shouldn't have involved Amanda," she said coolly.
"I didn't want to, but I couldn't find anyone else to help," Matthew replied, feigning embarrassment.
Helen said unexpectedly, "You should have come to me. I'm your agent."
Matthew pointed out, "You're also the agent for my competition."
Helen was at a loss for words. She hadn't invested too many resources or much attention in Matthew. Although she felt he was better suited for this world than the others, opportunities were far more important than ability in this business. Many people who seemed to have great acting potential never made it. Of course, there were always exceptions—some people broke through and became famous overnight.
"Tell me next time." Helen had no intention of dwelling on such trivial matters. "You rank quite high on my client list."
Then Helen changed the subject. "Let's talk about Michael and Martin Jackson."
Matthew looked innocent. "What do they have to do with me?"
"Michael was a client of the Angel Agency, and he assaulted a director." Helen's eyes were intense behind her glasses. "Do you think that won't affect you?"
Matthew froze for a moment before recovering. "Don't we have a contract with the production crew and the record company?"
"Do you have any idea how much talking I had to do to smooth this over?" Helen looked displeased.
Matthew put on an expression of annoyance. "Damn it, Michael. He wants to drown and he's trying to drag me down with him."
Helen was slightly perplexed. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
"No." Matthew, of course, wouldn't admit it. "All I wanted was the role."
He genuinely hadn't expected Michael to do something like that, or to make such a scene.
But then again, it was something he clearly hadn't thought through, not even considering the potential consequences for the agency or himself.
Helen didn't quite trust him. Matthew could see that and simply said, "If I were in his shoes, having paid such a humiliating price only to get nothing, I'd probably have killed the guy, let alone beaten him up."
Helen didn't press the matter further. The Angel Agency had terminated its contract with Michael, and the record company had seized the opportunity to fire Martin Jackson. The issue was closed.
Besides, she was once again convinced that Matthew Horner was a more promising client than all the others.
Perhaps she should invest a few more resources in him?
Matthew saw that Helen was lost in thought and kept his mouth shut, also reflecting on the moves he had planned to win the music video role. Looking back now, his plan had been full of holes and many ill-conceived moments. He never would have come out on top if he hadn't been lucky and had the advantage of knowing the future.
But in the end, it was all worth it.
"You need to trust your agent," Helen spoke up suddenly. "We signed a contract."
Matthew replied with a serious expression, "You need to, as well."
Helen looked at Matthew. "I'd like to, but can I trust you?"
She took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead. "Next time, tell me everything before you make a mess."
"I promise." Matthew could tell that Helen was quite irritated that he hadn't approached her as his agent. "I'll ask for your advice on anything I do in the future regarding a role."
Helen put her glasses back on. "And don't ever drag Amanda into this kind of crap again. She's only helping me out temporarily."
This time, Matthew nodded earnestly. "Never again."
He glanced at the wall clock, stood up, and said, "I have to get to class."
Helen waved a hand. "Don't forget to study your character and the script."
Matthew left the office, went down to the lobby, said goodbye to Amanda, and hailed a cab to get to his acting class in North Hollywood.
He arrived at the school late.
Today's class wasn't taught by David Astor, but by a middle-aged woman. Matthew apologized and entered the classroom, where everyone was standing some distance apart from one another.
The class was focused on controlling facial expressions.
Previous lessons had taught that a great actor could control every single muscle in their face, which required extensive practice over a long period. Los Angeles had countless acting schools and classes, with different genres and training methods so finely divided that every seasoned actor had their own unique style.
Compared to the others in his class, Matthew was significantly behind in this respect. Many people who came to Hollywood to become actors, like Rachel McAdams next to him, had discovered their interest in high school and joined drama clubs, giving them a certain level of experience.
And when it came to college, besides professional acting schools, many universities had top-tier theater groups.
It was well known that school societies in the U.S. were quite influential.
Even without professional training in college, many students who became interested in acting in high school already had a certain amount of experience and ability.
These were things that Matthew, a high school dropout, couldn't compare to.
Therefore, Matthew worked harder and cherished every opportunity.
He stood in front of a mirror and practiced along with the others.
The class concluded with what seemed like a rather dull and tedious training session. But having been in this industry for a while now, Matthew felt that behind the seemingly glamorous facade was a level of dedication that outsiders would find hard to comprehend.
Leaving the classroom, Matthew rubbed his face and looked over at Rachel McAdams, who was gathering her study materials.
"Are you heading to lunch?" he asked directly. "My treat."
Rachel McAdams smiled sweetly. "Did you come into some money?"