The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 82: Resignation

After just a month away, Matthew returned to London to prepare for his audition for The Mummy Returns. He was accompanied by Helen, who, from the moment they checked into their hotel, had been making regular visits to Pinewood Studios—the heart of the production—to gather the latest intel on the film and its casting process.

From what Helen had heard, the auditions were not going particularly well.

As the sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns was bringing back the principal cast from the original film. It only introduced a handful of new characters, the most significant of which was the Scorpion King.

With The Mummy having grossed over $400 million worldwide, the sequel was guaranteed to attract immense attention. Naturally, there was no shortage of actors vying for its key new roles.

According to Helen, around twenty actors had submitted auditions for the role of the Scorpion King.

On the surface, the number of contenders seemed smaller than the crowd that had auditioned for the part of Ronald Speirs, but the reality of the competition was far more intense.

Director Stephen Sommers had already made his choice. Had he possessed more authority, the role of the Scorpion King would have been cast already. However, the producers and Universal Pictures insisted on holding formal auditions.

Despite the previous film's massive success, Stephen Sommers, like the vast majority of Hollywood directors, lacked absolute authority over casting. His name didn't even appear on the producer list.

Helen explained that, just like on the first film, Stephen Sommers—despite being both writer and director—was essentially a director-for-hire. He had no final cut, and while his input on casting key characters was considered, he held no ultimate decision-making power.

Having been in Hollywood for a year, Matthew was starting to understand this basic reality. Directors had little to no power against the major studios until they reached the rarefied status of someone like Spielberg or James Cameron.Hollywood, after all, was a producer-driven system.

"Every one of the nearly twenty actors who’ve auditioned is a strong contender," Helen said, updating Matthew on the latest developments inside a café at Pinewood Studios. "But right now, Stephen Sommers’s preferred candidate has the best shot."

Matthew swirled the coffee in his cup. "Who is Sommers’s pick?" he asked.

"A professional wrestler," Helen said, giving his ring name. "Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson."

The name jogged Matthew's memory. He vaguely recalled a bald man whose name had previously escaped him.

Helen continued, "Stephen Sommers has been aggressively pushing producer Sean Daniels and Universal Pictures to cast Johnson as the Scorpion King."

Matthew frowned. "Even if the decision is in the producers' hands, Sean Daniels would still defer to the director's opinion, right?"

"He'll certainly take the director's opinion into account." Helen glanced at her watch. "But I've heard that Sean Daniels wasn't thrilled with Sommers’s recommendation. Otherwise, these auditions wouldn't even be happening."

Having spent so much time with Helen, Matthew had grown accustomed to her way of speaking and could easily read between the lines. If Daniels didn't find a better option than Johnson, he would ultimately concede to Sommers’s choice.

"Is Johnson famous?" Matthew asked, a bit unsure.

"Not exceptionally, but he has more name recognition than you do." Helen paused, thinking. "Jack used to be Sean Daniels' personal assistant. I once heard him mention that Sean is a man with very traditional, old-school Southern values."

Matthew knew the Jack she was referring to: the bearded man from the Gladiator production team.

"You don't need to worry about any of that," Helen advised. "All you need to focus on today is passing this first audition."

Helen's words sparked a thought. "What about skin color?" Matthew asked. "Is there a requirement?"

Helen shook her head. "Don't worry about that. There's no academic consensus on what ancient Egyptians actually looked like, let alone in Hollywood. Arnold Vosloo, who plays Imhotep, was born in South Africa, but he's a white man. Hollywood's logic is simple: a black actor plays a black character, a white actor plays a white character, and an Asian actor plays an Asian character."

A rare smile touched her lips. "This isn't a historical biopic," she reminded him. "It's a commercial blockbuster."

Matthew nodded, saying nothing more. He turned his head, gazing through the café’s large plate-glass window as his thoughts drifted to the afternoon's audition.

He had been in London for three days. If this audition didn't pan out, he'd be heading straight back home.

The café was perfectly situated at a crossroads within the Pinewood Studios lot. A series of generous tax incentives from the London authorities had made the UK a magnet for film crews, drawing not only domestic television productions but also a growing number of major Hollywood films.

As the oldest and best-equipped studio in the city, Pinewood was the top choice for most productions filming in London.

It wasn't unusual to find five, six, or even more productions shooting simultaneously on the Pinewood lot.

It was now almost noon, and the foot traffic at the crossroads had picked up. With the start of the hot season, many people were ducking into the café for a cold drink.

Three children approached the café from across the lot, and Matthew watched them, his curiosity piqued.

A moment later, the trio—a girl and two boys—entered the café. After ordering cold drinks, they moved away from the counter to find a seat.

Matthew got a clear look at them. The girl had brown hair and a light dusting of freckles on her face. The two boys, one with dark hair and the other with wispy red hair, both looked to be around ten years old.

As she passed their table, the girl glanced over at Helen, whose back was to the door, and stopped short.

"Hi, Helen," the girl chirped.

Helen turned, saw her, and immediately rose with a smile. "Hello, Emma."

Then she waved to the two boys. "Hi, Daniel. Hi, Rupert."

The boys, who clearly didn't know Helen well, simply smiled, pointed to an empty table, and said, "Emma, we’ll grab a table over there."

Emma nodded and turned back to Helen. "Does my mum know you're here?"

"I haven't told her," Helen replied with a smile. "I might be here for a few days before I head back to the States."

Matthew realized who the girl must be.

Suddenly, the girl turned to him. "Are you Helen's boyfriend?" she asked. "Hi, I'm Emma Watson."

"Matthew Horner," he introduced himself, then clarified, "I’m one of Helen’s clients."

"Oh," Emma said, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, my mistake."

"No problem," Matthew replied with a smile.

Emma, who clearly knew Helen well, chatted for another moment before joining her friends.

"They're filming on a nearby set?" Matthew asked, putting the pieces together.

"Yes. Emma is the female lead in the Warner Bros. production, Harry Potter," Helen said plainly. "I met her on my last trip to London."

Matthew understood immediately. "You want to poach her."

Helen didn't answer, but she didn't deny it either.

They sat for a little while longer before Helen made a call. She then told Matthew it was time to head to the studio space rented by The Mummy Returns production. After a forty-minute wait there, someone finally came to escort Matthew to a dressing room.

No makeup artist appeared. Instead, a wardrobe assistant handed him a pair of form-fitting boxer briefs. After Matthew changed and emerged from the dressing room, she gave him a black, hooded robe, much like one a boxer would wear entering the ring.

Matthew slipped on the black robe, concealing his muscular physique, and followed the assistant out the door and into the audition room.

This was a formal audition. In addition to the casting directors and the film's producers, representatives from the actors' union were present to observe the proceedings, as was standard practice.

Upon entering the room, Matthew positioned himself directly in front of the camera as instructed. His eyes swept across the room, and thanks to the photos Helen had gathered, he immediately recognized Stephen Sommers and Sean Daniels seated side-by-side behind a monitor.

The fate of every actor auditioning for this film rested in the hands of these two men—especially Daniels.

Hollywood ran on formulas, and auditions were no exception. Since this wasn't a screen test with full makeup, the preliminaries were straightforward. Matthew quickly gave his introduction as requested by the casting director.

"His credits aren't bad," Stephen Sommers murmured to Sean Daniels from behind the monitor, glancing at Matthew's file. "But he's a little lean."

Sean Daniels ignored the comment. "Take off the robe," he said, his voice directed at Matthew.

Matthew shrugged off the black robe and handed it to a nearby assistant. Clad only in boxer briefs, his body was revealed—magnificently muscled, like Michelangelo's David carved from marble.

At the casting director's instruction, Matthew then turned, showcasing his powerful physique and toned muscles from every angle.

Stephen Sommers remained silent. It was clear to everyone in the room that the actor was in peak physical condition.

Sean Daniels nodded. The actor didn't have the almost freakish bulk of someone like Johnson, but his physique and muscle definition were more than adequate for the role.

What's more, the kid had far more acting experience than Johnson, and he wasn't...

He gave a sharp shake of his head, cutting the thought short. Without consulting Stephen Sommers, he picked up a pen and scribbled a note directly on the file in front of him.

After making his note, he nodded to the casting director. The director recited a few standard, noncommittal phrases, and Matthew was dismissed from the room.

Sean Daniels shot a quick glance at Stephen Sommers before telling the casting director, "Next."

Matthew and Helen had just returned to their hotel after leaving Pinewood Studios when news from the production team arrived.

"Congratulations, Matthew," Helen said, lowering her phone. "You got it."

Matthew let out a sigh of relief. "Should we go for a celebratory drink tonight?"

Helen shook her head. "Not now."

She waited until Matthew had left the room, then picked up her phone and dialed. "Jack," she said, "can you set up a meeting for me with Sean Daniels?"