The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 179: Kiss a Donkey's Ass!

After finishing the audition, removing his makeup, and changing back into his own clothes, Matthew left the Disney studio with Helen. They both knew perfectly well that the production couldn't announce a decision until all the candidates for the role of Will Turner had been seen.

"I just got a message," Helen told Matthew on the drive back. "Geoffrey Rush has accepted the production's offer. It looks like he'll be playing the villain, Captain Barbossa."

Matthew had seen the name on the tape he'd brought from David Astor. "Is he an Oscar winner? When did he get the award?"

"In 1997," Helen answered. "He's a well-known Hollywood actor."

Matthew nodded, unfamiliar with the man. "It doesn't matter who the villain is. All I care about right now is getting the part of Will Turner."

Helen thought for a moment and had to agree. If Matthew couldn't land the role of Will Turner, then it was pointless to discuss whether an Oscar winner coming on board could give him any leverage in salary negotiations.

It was better to wait until the results were certain.

"Do you have a suitable candidate for an assistant?" Helen asked. "Do you want me to hire one for you?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, don't worry about it."

He certainly wasn't going to have his agent find him a personal assistant. "I've already found someone."There was a more fitting candidate on that front—Mira, who had worked with him on the sets of The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King. Matthew had called her, but she had returned to the UK for a while and wasn't sure if she would be coming back to Los Angeles.

He wanted to wait for now. He didn't know the results of his audition yet. Once he was certain he had the role, and if Mira was interested in returning to Los Angeles, he could talk to her then. If not, he would find someone else.

Unless absolutely necessary, Matthew wasn't going to let his personal assistant come from his agency.

His lawyer had been introduced by Helen, his stylist had been recommended by Helen, and if his personal assistant was also close to Helen, it was safe to assume she would know everything he did.

As far as he knew, it wasn't uncommon in Hollywood for agents to team up with a star's assistant to fleece a naive, wealthy client. Helen certainly didn't seem like that kind of person, but you could never be too careful.

...

Returning to the Angel Acting Agency, Matthew didn't immediately switch cars and leave. Instead, he followed Helen into her office, as he had something to ask her.

"Helen," Matthew began, pouring himself a glass of water, "I heard I've had some endorsement offers from businesses?"

"That's right." Helen opened a desk drawer, pulled out a few proposals, and tossed them on the table. "But these are low-end brands. Do you really want to do commercials for them? It's a serious departure from the image I'm building for you, and it will only drag you down as you move forward."

Matthew picked up the papers and leafed through them. It was exactly as Helen had said. They were mostly unknown fast-food chains from this side of North America, or some obscure brand. Among them was something akin to an Indian miracle oil for increasing libido.

He was no longer a newcomer and knew that few rising stars would be willing to endorse such a low-brow, junk-food chain.

"Then we should just ignore them," Matthew said. He was past the stage of desperately needing money for basic necessities. "I won't endorse them."

This was about securing a higher income in the long run.

Helen tossed the papers back into the drawer and addressed Matthew directly. "I'll let you know if a brand that suits you comes along."

After a moment's thought, she added, "Although you're only a C-list star, and it's very difficult for Hollywood actors to get endorsement invitations from top-tier brands, it's crucial to be careful when accepting this kind of work."

Matthew ignored her other words and asked with some dissatisfaction, "I'm still just a C-list star?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Helen asked bluntly. "Besides one film, The Scorpion King, have you had any other lead roles? The Scorpion King grossing $100 million in North America and $200 million worldwide was indeed good, and technically you're at the top of the C-list, just touching the threshold of the B-list. But you need another successful film to prove to everyone that you have B-list appeal."

She reminded him, "Now that The Scorpion King has been fully released, are reporters still chasing you with cameras?"

"No." Matthew spread his hands. "The paparazzi haven't tailed me in a long time."

Helen said, "That shows you're not attractive enough to the media, which is the primary channel for creating stars."

"If only we can land Will Turner," Matthew drained his glass of water, pulled out a chair, and sat across from Helen. "If Pirates of the Caribbean is a success, I should be able to break into the B-list, right?"

Helen nodded. "If your role is brilliant enough and the movie grosses a billion dollars worldwide, you'll have no problem jumping straight to the A-list."

Matthew thought about his own acting abilities, then about the eccentric Johnny Depp. Even if he could get the role of Will Turner, could he outshine Captain Jack Sparrow? Forget acting—although Johnny Depp wasn't famous for his technical skills, the crazed and unconventional Captain Jack Sparrow was practically tailor-made for him.

He wouldn't be able to compete with Johnny Depp in terms of performance.

After a moment, Matthew suddenly smiled. It was too early to be thinking about that before he'd even confirmed he passed the audition.

He pondered for a moment, then asked Helen, "What about a superstar? How do you become one of Hollywood's top stars?"

Without even thinking, Helen replied instantly, "Look at the resumes of Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts."

Matthew shrugged, glanced at the wall clock, stood up, and said, "If there's nothing else, I'm heading out."

...

After leaving the Angel Acting Agency, Matthew drove home, as many of his routine appointments had been canceled for today's audition.

Unlike a month or so ago, he drove home without any paparazzi or reporters on his tail. Just as Helen had said, after the release of The Scorpion King, he himself wasn't particularly appealing to the press.

After all, this was Los Angeles, and there were far too many stars brighter than him.

Matthew understood perfectly that he needed to solidify his current position and move forward by making another successful film, and Pirates of the Caribbean was perhaps the best opportunity to do so.

The film series was a massive success, spawning several sequels. It seemed to transform Johnny Depp from a niche actor into a top Hollywood star who not only became a global sensation but was also counting money until his hands went numb.

As long as he could get the role of Will Turner, his future would undoubtedly be secure. And even if things didn't go perfectly, he could rely on the film series to make a fortune.

There's a saying in Hollywood: if you want to make money, make a sequel, one after another.

Lying on his couch and staring at the sword used by the Scorpion King hanging on the wall, Matthew stopped thinking about these things. The screen test was over; now all he could do was wait patiently for the results.

He was confident his performance would impress Jerry Bruckheimer.

...

The wait was agonizingly long. The casting director at the audition had said they would definitely send the result this week, but by Friday, Matthew still hadn't heard anything. He waited out the end of the week with growing anxiety. Helen also reached out through her connections, but the response she got was that Jerry Bruckheimer still hadn't made a decision.

Since Jude Law had voluntarily withdrawn from the audition and Tobey Maguire had backed out, Matthew felt that something was amiss. The little-known Christopher Masterson couldn't be the final winner, could he?

Fortunately, that worst-case scenario didn't happen. Just before four o'clock on Friday afternoon, Matthew received a call from the casting director himself, informing him that he had passed the audition and successfully won the role of Will Turner.

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though his future—or rather, a comfortable life—was now guaranteed.

Of course, that didn't mean he would lose his self-motivation.

Shortly after, Matthew received a call from Helen. Starting next Monday, she would begin negotiating his contract for Pirates of the Caribbean.