The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!-Chapter 42

"The series will be filmed primarily in Europe, in the UK and France."
As a favor to Helen, Eric had shared some inside information. "Before filming begins, all the principal actors will have to go through at least a month to a month and a half of military training in Great Britain. It's going to be exhausting and difficult."
"Not a problem," Matthew said.
He was prepared for it and wasn't afraid of a little hardship or exhaustion.
Eric added, "The shoot could last for more than six months, so you'll need to adjust your schedules accordingly."
Matthew nodded first, then glanced at Helen. It occurred to him in that moment that Eric was saying all of this purely for Helen's benefit.
"And one more thing, the most important one," Eric said, looking at Matthew. "Your profile states that you're not a member of the actors' union. Are you planning to fix that?"
Matthew looked uneasy, but Helen answered for him. "Of course. I've already prepared the documents for him to join the Screen Actors Guild."
Eric urged them, "Get on it as soon as possible. This is a union project, so the principal actors must be members."
Helen gestured to her briefcase. "I have all the paperwork with me. We'll go to the union office as soon as we leave the studio."
After leaving the studio, Helen got into her car and immediately drove Matthew to the Screen Actors Guild. Just as she'd said, she had prepared all the necessary documents for him to join. With his current resume, getting in wouldn't be a problem, especially since Helen had contacts at the guild.
However, with the fee being just over three thousand dollars, Matthew had to pay the dues himself.
Accompanied by Helen, Matthew completed all the membership formalities, only to realize with a sinking feeling that between the guild fee, his cell phone, and the used TV and VCR, he had essentially spent the entire four thousand dollars he'd been paid for the Britney Spears music video.
If Lister hadn't given him his last month's salary back then, things would have been much worse.
From the Screen Actors Guild, Matthew rode with Helen to the Angel Acting Agency.
"Amanda," Matthew asked the young woman walking beside him as they climbed the stairs to the agency's entrance, "do you know of any jobs that pay a lot for a short amount of work?"
"Sure," Amanda replied instantly. "You could rob a bank or go to Mexico and run drugs across the border."
"Are you short on money?" Helen had overheard him. "Did you receive a summons?"
"What summons?" Amanda asked curiously.
Matthew ignored Amanda's question and said, "They haven't sent me any letters in a while, so maybe they've forgotten about me."
"Forgotten?" Helen shook her head. "It's more likely their claim is just making its way through the legal process."
She reached the second floor, waited for Matthew to catch up, and added, "Just be sure to let me know when you receive the court summons."
Matthew nodded.
With Helen as his agent, at least things like this would cause him fewer headaches.
Once inside the office, Helen brought Matthew a glass of water and said, "You won't be taking any other jobs for a while. This next audition is critical for you. All your energy should be spent preparing for the role we're targeting."
She motioned to Amanda, who opened a file cabinet and pulled out a stack of papers nearly a foot thick. On top lay a book—the original novel, "Band of Brothers."
"I gathered all of this for you," Helen said, sitting down at her desk with a cup of coffee. "Study it. Or at least familiarize yourself with it."
She took a sip of coffee and added, "The next audition is about a month away. Eric has no say in the casting for this role. The real decision-makers on this show are HBO, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. I can't ask them for any favors."
Matthew's heart sank when he heard Helen's words.
He knew his acting experience was limited—he'd only been in the industry for six months. He had no advantage over other actors who had been at it for years.
He had initially assumed that Helen's contacts would be a key factor influencing the audition's outcome, but it seemed he shouldn't harbor any illusions about that now.
"Therefore," Helen set down her coffee cup, "you have to deliver a great performance at the audition. Even if you don't get the part, you must impress the casting director. That way, I can leverage it to get you a smaller role."
Matthew took the papers Amanda handed him, placed them on the coffee table beside him, and asked, "What specific role are you trying to 'land' for me?"
Helen was prepared for the question. "I can't get the series script right now, but I saw a character breakdown on Eric's desk with the main and supporting roles. I've pinpointed a supporting character who has the potential to stand out and has a significant part. That's our primary target."
Matthew picked up the original novel and flipped through the table of contents while asking, "Which character? Can you be more specific?"
"Ronald Speirs." Helen seemed to have already studied the character thoroughly. "He's a lieutenant in Easy Company—brave and decisive, sometimes even cold. A quintessential hardened soldier, perfect for you."
Helen added, "Besides being a typical tough guy, Speirs is a classic military 'predator.' Of all the characters I've seen, that's what could easily make him stand out."
"Based on what you're saying," Matthew asked, "is Ronald Speirs a major supporting character?"
Helen nodded, stating directly, "I believe he'll play a significant role in the series."
Matthew's confidence was low. "You think I can actually get a role like that?"
Helen looked at him. "How will you know if you don't try? Once you land this part, your future career path will be much smoother."
Matthew gestured to the pile of papers beside him. "I'm hoping for a good outcome, but what if I bomb the audition? Won't all this preparation be for nothing?"
Helen acknowledged the possibility with a nod but replied, "If you can make an impression during the audition, then getting you a smaller supporting role will be a relatively simple matter for me and Eric."
She placed her hands on the desk. "But of course, our main goal is Ronald Speirs. He's a character who will be far more significant than the other supporting roles, and the show itself is guaranteed to attract a lot of attention when it airs."
Matthew said nothing. To be honest, he wasn't confident about aiming for such a part.
Confidence had to be backed by a combination of opportunity, ability, and connections all coming together.
And no matter how you looked at it, his score in those areas was low.
Presumably, Helen understood this as well, which explained her backup plan in case things didn't work out with the Ronald Speirs role.
"I'll do everything I can," was all Matthew could say.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself." Helen noticed the constant frown on Matthew's young face and tried to ease the tension. "The goal we're aiming for is a big one, but even if we don't reach it, it's not a catastrophe. Your career won't be ruined by a single failure."
Matthew managed a smile. "Helen, the pressure will just serve as motivation for me."
Helen waved a hand at Matthew. "Go on, get to work."
She watched him pick up the stack of papers and added, "If you have any questions, contact me. Just don't try to solve problems on your own. We have to—"
"I know," Matthew interrupted, lifting the papers and turning toward the door. "We have to trust each other."
In reality, he understood perfectly well that this opportunity was entirely thanks to Helen. He knew he would likely face fierce competition to get any substantial role, whether it was Ronald Speirs or even just a minor supporting part.