The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 86

Inside the conference room, Helen was still hammering out the terms of Matthew's salary with the production team.

Matthew listened for a while before letting his attention drift. It was his agent’s job to fight these battles; his own presence was more symbolic, a formality for when both sides reached an agreement and he needed to sign the final contract.

He was just a minor actor, and his contract negotiations were far less complicated than those for major stars. According to Helen, many Hollywood productions spent up to a month, sometimes even several, finalizing contracts with big-name talent.

Matthew gave a slight nod upon hearing that Helen had secured a dedicated on-set assistant for him. The production team had initially wanted him to share an assistant with another actor, which would have been inconvenient.

Between takes, actors were often stuck in full makeup and costume, making it difficult to handle personal tasks. Having an assistant on hand to run errands would undoubtedly make things much more comfortable.

His phone suddenly vibrated. Seeing that the negotiations were still underway and no one was paying him any mind, Matthew pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was a text from Britney.

"I was busy late last night and fell asleep as soon as I lay down. Just saw your message. Congratulations, my love."

Matthew glanced over at the negotiating table before quickly tapping out a reply. "Helen's in negotiations now. I think the contract will be signed today."

"When does filming start? Do you have time to come back to North America?"

"Shooting begins around mid-July, but I don't know my exact on-set dates yet," Matthew typed, then added, "Do you have the day off?""No, I'm in makeup. I have to be on a show later."

After receiving that short message, Matthew was about to type again when another one came through: "I'm going to change. Let's talk after the taping."

Matthew replied, "Okay."

Putting his phone away, he looked back toward the negotiations, where Helen had essentially settled the matter of his salary with the production team.

Matthew’s fee for the film was set at $100,000. His standard workday was not to exceed ten hours, with any overtime to be calculated according to the Screen Actors Guild regulations for every hour worked beyond that limit.

Even if this was the only job he landed this year, he would still be in the $100,000-a-year bracket.

Then, under the watchful eyes of his lawyer and a representative from the actors' union, Matthew signed the official contract with the cast of "The Mummy Returns."

Just as Helen collected their copy of the contract and Matthew was about to leave, a member of the production staff reminded him, "The producer, Mr. Sean Daniel, and the director, Stephen Sommers, are waiting for you in the office. Please go see them."

Matthew nodded.

He and Helen followed the staff member to an office where two middle-aged men were waiting—the same men he had seen in the audition room yesterday.

"The older one is Sean Daniel," Helen murmured into Matthew's ear. "The other is Stephen Sommers."

"Hello, Mr. Daniel."

Matthew quickly stepped forward and extended his right hand. Sean smiled and nodded at him. "Hello, Matthew. I was impressed by your audition."

"Thank you," Matthew said humbly. "I appreciate you giving me this opportunity."

As Helen stepped up from behind to greet Sean Daniel, Matthew turned to Stephen Sommers, offering his hand with the same warm and modest demeanor. "Hello, Director Sommers."

"Hi."

Stephen Sommers's reply was clipped and casual, his expression cold. He merely extended his hand, letting it brush against Matthew's before pulling it back.

Matthew raised an eyebrow. It seemed the director had a problem with him. A quick glance confirmed it; Stephen Sommers's face was more than just cold—it held a hint of disgust.

But where was this animosity coming from? Other than the audition room, this was the first time they had ever met.

Helen observed this silently, her brow furrowing for a moment before smoothing out.

"Stephen," Sean Daniel spoke up just then, "do you have anything to say?"

Helen’s attention was fixed on Stephen Sommers, her mind already calculating.

"You'll be on set until August. Wait for the exact dates, and stay in shape," Stephen Sommers said, not bothering to hide the chill in his tone. He gave a dismissive wave. "That's all."

He glanced at his watch. "I have work to do, so I'll be going."

With that, Stephen immediately left the office.

Sean Daniel exchanged a few more pleasantries with Matthew and Helen, who then excused themselves and departed.

As they walked out of the small office building at Pinewood Studios and headed for the main gate, Matthew spoke up. "I get the feeling Stephen Sommers has it in for me."

Helen replied calmly, "It's not just a feeling."

She thought for a moment before adding, "It's probably because of Johnson."

Matthew was curious. "What's the relationship between Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Sommers?"

"There is no relationship," Helen said, stepping aside for an approaching electric cart. "But I've heard people say that the character of the Scorpion King was practically written with Johnson in mind."

She shook her head. "A lot of directors have a stubborn streak. I suspect Sommers is upset that you were chosen over his preferred candidate."

Matthew’s brow furrowed instantly. "The director has a bias against me before I've even set foot on set."

Helen suddenly stopped and turned to face him. "You need to think carefully about how you're going to handle Stephen Sommers once you join the cast. And let me remind you, you're just a minor actor. Don't you dare try to antagonize the director."

Matthew understood what that meant: if anything happened between him and Stephen Sommers, he would be the one to go.

"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked.

Sommers's disapproval was a headache, but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. Aside from the exposure the role itself could bring, $100,000 was a huge sum of money.

"Endure it," Helen said sternly. "You have no leverage against Sommers. Whatever he says or does, you'll have to put up with it."

Matthew let out a frustrated breath but knew Helen was right.

Helen turned and started walking again. As Matthew fell into step beside her, she added, "From what I know, Stephen Sommers is a director who values his family and is very dedicated to his work. He shouldn't go out of his way to make things difficult for you."

She turned her head to look at Matthew. "And aren't you good at winning people over?"

Matthew shrugged. "I'll do my best."

He shook his head and continued walking alongside Helen, his mind already racing, contemplating the trouble he might face on set and how he would deal with it.

If he were a big star, these problems wouldn't exist. If he were in Tom Cruise's league, he could have a director who disliked him kicked off a project in a minute.

But he wasn't at that level yet.

Matthew shook his head again. "There's really no other way," he muttered to himself. "Like Helen said, I just have to endure it. It's not like the Scorpion King has that many scenes anyway. At most, I'll be filming for a month."

And for $100,000, he could endure a lot.

Helen answered a call, then informed Matthew, "I've booked a flight for tomorrow. We're heading back to Los Angeles to prepare for 'The Fast and the Furious' audition."