The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 83

"Hello, Mr. Daniels."

In the coffee shop, Helen Herman, dressed in a sharp business suit, smiled and introduced herself to the man across the table. "I'm Helen Herman, an agent with the Angel Acting Agency."

Seated opposite her was Sean Daniels, a balding man in his fifties with brown hair, old-fashioned flat-rimmed glasses, and a rather dated suit. His face was plain and unremarkable, projecting an impression of a stereotypical old-timer from his appearance alone.

Sean lightly shook Helen's outstretched hand and nodded. "Hello, Ms. Herman."

As he spoke, he gave Helen a quick once-over, noting her tailored dark suit and hair pulled back neatly. She wore a pair of simple, black-framed glasses and no accessories aside from a pair of earrings. Her entire presence exuded an air of calm competence.

He had a good first impression of the agent.

Though he didn't show it, Sean Daniels subconsciously felt that this woman, Helen, was a conservative.

"You wanted to see me about something?"

Many agents had approached him lately, like Johnson's, and he didn't need to guess what they wanted.

Knowing the producer was a busy man and that there was no point in being coy, Helen said, "My client, Matthew Horner, passed the initial audition for The Scorpion King and is one of the four actors the production has selected for a screen test.""You're well-informed," Sean Daniels remarked, unsurprised.

Helen smiled and continued, "For the role of the Scorpion King, Matthew has an advantage no one else does. In Gladiator, which is in theaters now, he plays a barbarian chieftain—a character quite similar to the Scorpion King—and he was personally chosen by director Ridley Scott."

Sean Daniels had, of course, seen Gladiator, as it was a Universal Pictures production, and he remembered the barbarian character Ridley Scott had used.

In truth, Helen knew perfectly well that Matthew had his own advantages over the other three finalists, and she intended to highlight them.

Compared to Johnson, Matthew lacked size, but his acting experience was overwhelmingly superior.

"As you know, Matthew just finished filming Band of Brothers, which was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg," Helen listed Matthew's strengths one by one. "He underwent grueling military training starting last November and didn't let up for the entire six-plus months of filming. It's made him very much like a soldier, and during the shoot, Matthew personally handled the most difficult action scenes."

Compared to the other two contestants, who were merely average actors, Matthew had a distinct advantage in terms of physical conditioning and training.

As Sean Daniels listened, a thought naturally formed in his mind: the role of the Scorpion King was essentially all action scenes. With an experienced actor, the film crew would have far fewer problems during shooting—and problems often meant time and money.

Helen could tell that Sean was listening intently to her words.

Anyone who could manage a large production was certainly no simpleton. After her call with Jack, she had devised a comprehensive strategy, from the impression she would make with her appearance to which of Matthew's strengths to emphasize.

There was another crucial element to her plan: finding the right opportunity.

"I understand," Sean said noncommittally, as if he hadn't heard a word. "It's best to wait for the next audition. Johnson and the other two actors are also excellent."

Hearing Sean casually mention Johnson, Helen smoothly replied, "I'm looking forward to the audition! While Johnson—whose father is one of the few black world champions in professional wrestling and who is a world champion himself—has his advantages for a role like the Scorpion King, I believe Matthew is an even better fit."

She deliberately emphasized, "Mr. Daniels, despite his popularity in certain circles, Johnson has never acted in a single film."

That single sentence seemed to carry a world of meaning.

Sean's expression soured slightly, though his displeasure wasn't directed at Helen. Agents were always promoting their own actors and disparaging the competition in front of decision-makers; he was long immune to it.

He had initially been somewhat skeptical of Johnson's completely blank acting resume. It was more of an unexplainable feeling, but he didn't particularly like the idea of someone like Johnson playing a major supporting role. Now, hearing that Johnson's father was one of the few black world champions in professional wrestling...

As an old-fashioned, extremely conservative southerner, a deep-seated prejudice Sean kept hidden within him began to stir.

He had already forced himself to cast one black actor in a supporting role for the sake of Hollywood-style political correctness, and he was very reluctant to see another in such an important part.

"That's all for now. I have things to attend to." He stood up and gave Helen a dismissive wave. "Goodbye, Ms. Herman."

"Goodbye." Helen watched Sean leave the coffee shop, feeling confident that her words had served their purpose. She settled the bill and left as well.

Compared to the other two actors, who were leaner, she had always considered Johnson to be Matthew's true rival. After this meeting, she didn't expect Johnson to recover.

As an agent, her job was to secure roles for her clients. Helen would do whatever was necessary to maximize her clients' chances of getting hired, but she knew her role was a supporting one. If Matthew couldn't deliver in the audition, all her efforts would be for nothing.

...

Back in his producer's office at Pinewood Studios, Sean opened a file cabinet and pulled out the casting documents Johnson had submitted. He sat down in his chair and stared at them for a long time. The more he looked, the more something seemed off about the professional wrestling champion Stephen Sommers had recommended.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was a big name, and having him in their film would be great for promotion. But The Mummy Returns was the sequel to the highly successful The Mummy; the minor publicity boost was limited and hardly outweighed the associated drawbacks.

The biggest drawback was that he had never acted before. If he were playing a minor background character, it would be fine, but a major supporting role like the Scorpion King was a significant problem.

Using Johnson would inevitably increase the budget for both time and money.

He was a professional wrestling star, and even for his first film, he would command a hefty salary. If they underpaid him, he would likely refuse to act.

And he was...

Sean abruptly tossed Johnson's file onto his desk and stopped trying to rationalize. He was just looking for excuses to cover a reason he couldn't clearly articulate.

He picked up the phone and dialed his assistant. "It's me. Get me detailed information on Johnson as soon as possible, including his family situation and background. Be discreet, especially around Sommers."

He had previously considered the possibility of using Johnson if no other suitable candidate emerged, but after hearing Helen's remark, that possibility had become infinitely less likely.

The assistant was very efficient. Since Johnson was a major star in the world of professional wrestling, he quickly gathered the details and sent them to Sean's desk.

Sean reviewed everything, confirmed a few key points for his own peace of mind, and made his decision.

However, he didn't change the audition list. Johnson would still audition. Stephen Sommers was the director of the show, and while he, as the producer, had more power, there was no need for an open confrontation.

...

On a Monday in June, before dawn, Matthew woke early. He freshened up and ate only two eggs for breakfast to avoid any chance of a protruding stomach during the audition. Then, accompanied by Helen, he drove to Pinewood Studios and headed to the dressing room to prepare.