The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 5

When filming ended for the day, Matthew removed his makeup, changed back into his own clothes, and joined the other extras heading toward the food carts to pick out their dinner from the buffet.

Since Michael had gone off to find Helen, Matthew took his plate of food to the far side of the dining area, found an empty table, and sat down to eat by himself.

Though the pay and status were low, the extras were well-fed. The Gladiator crew provided an impressive spread, including barbecued beef, fish, and chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, vegetable and fruit salads, rice, pasta, French bread, various drinks, pastries, and ice cream—all served buffet-style at tables and chairs set up for them.

For someone like Matthew, getting to live like this every day was a blessing—good food, plenty to drink, a decent night's sleep, and a paycheck on top of it all.

Unfortunately, he had no idea when he'd find another gig like this after filming was over.

Matthew was well aware that massive productions like Gladiator were few and far between in Hollywood.

He had just finished a tender piece of roast beef and was about to take a drink of water when his phone, which he had only just turned back on after getting out of costume, suddenly rang.

He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number, but he answered it anyway. "Hello?"

"It's Helen," a familiar female voice said. "Matthew, where are you?"

"Okay, give me a minute."

After those words, she hung up.

He took a quick sip of water, finished the rest of his dinner, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. A few moments later, he spotted Helen approaching.

"Over here." Matthew waved with an easy familiarity, waiting for Helen Herman to reach him. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

"Not yet." Helen adjusted her glasses and got straight to the point. "I have a role that I think you'd be perfect for."

He was the first person who came to mind when Ridley Scott mentioned the part. She remembered seeing him around, and she knew he'd had a speaking role in Girl, Interrupted, so this shouldn't be a problem for him.

Matthew's interest was instantly piqued. "What role?"

But then his enthusiasm waned. "I was already in the shoot this morning..."

"That doesn't matter." Helen sat down across from him. "Your face is practically invisible in that crowd anyway," she explained. "This new part is for a barbarian chieftain. It has a few action scenes."

"A barbarian chieftain?" Matthew echoed, surprised.

Helen nodded. "It's a role with a big close-up, a full-body shot, and you'll appear in several other scenes."

"I'll take it," Matthew said without hesitation. "When do I sign the contract?"

"Hold on, there's something you need to know," Helen said, stepping into her agent role. "Action scenes always carry some risk. I read the script this afternoon—this one is particularly dangerous."

"Aren't there safeguards?" Matthew asked.

Helen crossed her arms. "You'll have proper protection, and I'll renegotiate with the crew. I'll make sure they sign a new contract with you that includes an insurance policy."

"What about the pay?" Matthew asked the question that mattered most. "Will I be getting more?"

"Of course," Helen answered immediately. "Putting other benefits aside, you'll get eight thousand dollars for the part."

Hearing the eight-thousand-dollar figure, Matthew exclaimed, "Helen, hell yes, I'm in!"

With his acting school tuition due and a lawsuit looming over him, he desperately needed the money.

"Excellent." Helen stood up. "I'll go speak with the production team. Wait for my call—there might be an audition later tonight."

She turned to leave, then added as a final instruction, "Keep your phone on."

Matthew nodded vigorously. He'd been trying to make a good impression on Helen since arriving on set—not for romantic reasons, but for precisely this kind of opportunity, so that she would think of him first.

Now it seemed his efforts had paid off.

Helen had only taken a few steps when a tall young man approached her, an ingratiating smile spreading across his face. "Hello, Ms. Herman."

"Hello." Helen recognized him as one of the extras she had brought.

She ignored the young man's fawning smile and simply walked away.

Michael watched Helen walk away and frowned. Was she unhappy with him?

He turned and looked over at Matthew, confused. He'd been searching for Helen all over, only for her to approach Matthew on her own initiative?

Michael felt a little awkward but didn't let it show. He sauntered over to Matthew's table, sat down with a wide grin, and asked, "Why did she come looking for you? Was she asking you on a date? Or maybe—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Matthew interrupted. "She had a role open up and thought I'd be a good fit, so she came to let me know."

"What role?" Michael's eyes lit up.

Matthew said casually, "A barbarian chieftain."

There was no reason to hide it; after all, filming was tomorrow, so he was open about it.

Michael's eyes widened. "Why did she go to you?"

"Oh," he said with an awkward smile, realizing he'd spoken out of turn. "I didn't mean anything by that."

Matthew returned the awkward smile. "It's fine. You'll get a good part eventually."

Michael shook his head with regret, wondering why he hadn't thought to make himself more visible to Helen. If he had, maybe that barbarian chieftain role...

He'd been an extra for three years and had never had an opportunity this good.

It was a standalone role, which meant there would definitely be close-ups. It was the kind of part that could leave an impression on audiences—or even on other directors and producers.

Michael's gaze turned vacant as he stared straight at Matthew. His big break had been right there, and it had gone to someone else.

Matthew felt a little uneasy under his stare.

"Michael?" He waved a hand in front of Michael's face. "What's wrong?"

Michael seemed to come to his senses. The realization that he couldn't keep up with Matthew's career trajectory was dawning on him, but that didn't mean he was out of options. He and Matthew had been spending all their time together since arriving on set. He considered his next words for a moment before speaking. "Matthew, are we friends?"

Matthew felt a strange pang at the question but nodded anyway. "Of course."

Though Michael was clearly ambitious, just as he was, they had gotten along well, and Matthew did consider him a friend.

"I can't help but be jealous," Michael said with a long, dejected sigh. "Your very first role had lines, and you were working with stars like Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie."

For some reason, Matthew sensed an underlying meaning in his words.

Michael's expression soured. "And look at me. I've been in Los Angeles for three years, played countless roles, and haven't had a single line in any of them."

He shook his head. "Sometimes I just think the world is unfair."

_Of course the world is unfair. It always has been,_ Matthew thought, but he didn't say it aloud.

Michael continued, "I quit my job to come here for this shoot. I don't know what I'm going to do if I go back after it's over and nothing has changed."

Matthew understood where this was going but refused to take the bait. "Finding work isn't that hard," he said instead.

_Doesn't he get it?_ Michael wondered, his brow furrowing. After a pause, he decided to be direct—he couldn't let an opportunity like this pass him by.

"Matthew, can you help me?" Michael looked at him, his eyes filled with hope.

Matthew had known what Michael was after all along. But an opportunity like this was just as rare for him as it was for Michael.

The job paid $8,000. With all his expenses, where was he going to find another chance to earn that much money so quickly?

"Mike, my hands are tied," Matthew said with a polite but firm refusal. "I'm just another actor. Helen offered me the opportunity; I don't have any say in the matter."

Michael, however, shook his head insistently. "No, Matthew. Of all the actors here from the Angel Agency, you're the one who knows Helen best. If you were to recommend me, I'm sure she'd consider me for the role."

Matthew fell silent, his gaze drifting across the room. _Give away an eight-thousand-dollar job?_ The problem was that even if he agreed, Helen might not cast Michael anyway. His wishful thinking would probably just create a lose-lose situation where neither of them got the part.

Matthew remained seated, lost in thought. Finally, he let out a soft sigh and said, "Sorry, I can't help."