The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 52

Watching Britney's car drive away, Matthew turned and walked into the small building that housed the Angel Acting Agency. Helen was standing by the reception desk, and it looked as though she had been waiting for him.

“Let’s go.” Helen spotted Matthew and immediately approached him. “We’ll find a place for lunch, and then head over to Warner Studios.”

Matthew followed her out of the small building.

Helen guided him toward a restaurant on their left, explaining, “The production team is signing a lot of contracts with the actors today.”

She paused for Matthew to fall into step beside her before adding, “But I’m sure some will back out.”

After they entered the restaurant and Helen had ordered, Matthew asked with genuine curiosity, “That can actually happen?”

“It’s not uncommon in Hollywood.” Helen handed the menu back to the waiter. “That’s why we need to finalize our negotiations with the production team as quickly as possible. Ideally, we’ll sign the contract this afternoon.”

Matthew had no problem with that. “And the terms?” he asked.

This was the most fundamental part of an agent’s job, and Helen reassured him, “I’ll fight for the best terms the production can offer.”

Soon, the waiter brought out a few simple dishes, and Helen and Matthew kept up their conversation as they ate.

Helen offered a few words of caution. “You can get on the wrong side of other actors if you must, but never, ever offend the director’s team, the crew, or the post-production staff. The decisions they make in the editing room after filming will directly impact how much of you is left in the final cut.”

Matthew was no longer the greenhorn he had been during his first few months in the city. After studying at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, he understood that an actor’s performance wasn't just about his own talent; it was directly influenced, and even dictated, by numerous other factors.

A director’s influence is enormous. Even if they are just the on-set director or something similar, the way they run rehearsals can have a massive impact on an actor's final performance.

If an actor was performing well, but the director constantly berated him on set, it would inevitably take a toll, potentially derailing his entire career.

And that didn’t even touch on the producers who handled post-production, editing all the footage shot on set.

Of course, for the most part, Hollywood professionals were ethical—after all, their own careers were on the line.

But Matthew knew that things like human nature and professional ethics could be unreliable at times.

Still, he agreed with Helen; it was always best to cultivate a good relationship with the production team.

Then she added, “And another thing: don’t overlook the assistant directors or anyone else in a junior position. They could be the full-fledged directors or key producers of tomorrow. It happens constantly in Hollywood, so—”

“So I need to build those connections now, I know,” Matthew cut in.

Helen said seriously, “Relationships are currency in Hollywood. Your network is built one connection at a time, especially for an actor with your background.”

Matthew understood what she meant. He didn't come from a notable family or have any built-in advantages. If he wanted to build those crucial relationships, he couldn’t just rely on Helen; he had to put in the face time himself.

“Actually, there is a better way...” Helen suddenly gave Matthew a strange, appraising look, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. “And it’s both simple and effective.”

A dreadful feeling crept over Matthew. He knew exactly what she was implying and shut it down immediately. “No.”

His voice became firm. “I’d rather starve.”

Helen didn’t seem surprised by his vehement refusal.

Matthew set down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and asked, “Do a lot of people go that route?”

“For actors with no connections—men or women—it’s the easiest way in,” Helen stated bluntly. “It might be sordid, but there are plenty of people in this business, including some established stars, who took that path.”

She looked at Matthew, her expression unreadable. “Many actors, like you, come from poor families. Some haven’t even finished high school. They don’t have a wealthy father to bankroll their way into Hollywood. The only asset they have to trade is their body, since they lack other professional skills or knowledge. If they fail here, they’ll probably end up waiting tables for the rest of their lives. For a lot of them, trading their body for a role feels like a pretty good bargain.”

Helen shrugged. “Not everyone is like that, of course. Some people land roles through regular auditions without any of that crap and become breakout stars. Some get lucky and meet a real mentor. And a few are so talented they simply rise above the competition. All of those things can happen.”

In truth, as someone who used to follow entertainment gossip, Matthew had a vague understanding of the landscape. On the global entertainment stage, the ‘casting couch’ wasn’t even considered all that scandalous.

He recalled reading in some online gossip column that Marilyn Monroe’s autobiography contained a line that went something like: “Yes, I slept with producers. Everybody does it. If you don’t, there’s another girl waiting right outside the door who is willing to do anything for the part.”

Of course, it was just a piece of internet gossip, so it was impossible to know if it was true.

Helen, having finished her meal, signaled for the check. After paying, she glanced at her watch and said, “Let’s get going.”

They left the restaurant and headed to the parking lot in front of the agency building. Once in the car, they drove off toward Warner Studios.

They arrived at the production offices for Band of Brothers a little before one o’clock. A staff member met them and led them into the building where the team was based.

Just as he had before, Matthew left all the negotiations to Helen. She was, after all, the professional.

The production team had summoned the actors themselves, not just their agents, because there were a few points to go over in person besides the contract negotiations.

Before Helen began the formal negotiations, the producers reiterated a few key details for Matthew. It was nothing he hadn't heard from Eric Bork already: starting in November, all the principal actors would be sent to the United Kingdom for six weeks of military training. Filming would then run from January through July or August of the following year, with the entire shoot taking place in Europe.

Matthew had fought too hard for this role to have any objections.

Then, the negotiations between Helen and the production team began, with Matthew as a silent observer.

The main point of contention was salary. Since it was still unclear how many episodes the character of Ronald Speirs would appear in, Helen pushed for a packaged deal for the entire series, asking for $100,000 for all ten episodes.

She had correctly deduced that for an epic miniseries like this, the bulk of the budget would be allocated to filming and production. This was precisely why they were hiring lesser-known actors—to keep talent salaries to a minimum. Her asking price of $100,000 was likely the absolute ceiling they would consider.

However, the production team’s primary goal was to keep talent fees as low as possible, and they held all the leverage when dealing with an unknown actor like Matthew.

It would be easy for them to drop Matthew and find another actor who would accept their terms, but it would be incredibly difficult for Matthew to find another opportunity of this caliber.

It was inevitable that Helen would have to make concessions. In the end, both parties settled on a fee of $60,000. As was standard Hollywood practice, the payment would be made in three installments: the first when Matthew reported for pre-production, the second before filming began, and the final payment upon completion of the entire production.

With the terms agreed upon, the contract was drawn up. It was signed in triplicate by both parties in the presence of a representative from the Screen Actors Guild.

Matthew was now officially a member of the Screen Actors Guild. In addition to the copies kept by him and the production company, a third copy of the contract would be filed with the Guild.

Next, he went to the production office to pick up his script and the shooting schedule.

Once everything was settled and he was walking out of the studio, a profound sense of relief washed over Matthew. The contract was signed. Barring any unforeseen disasters, the role of Ronald Speirs was officially his.

“By the way, I forgot to tell you something,” Helen said as they walked toward the studio exit. “I got in touch with Ilana and convinced her to work with us. You can keep in contact with her, but clear anything you give her with me first.”

“No problem.” Matthew nodded, a thought seeming to strike him. “And didn’t you say I should run it by you first if I fall in love?”

Helen stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Matthew. He met her gaze and said, quite matter-of-factly, “Britney is my girlfriend now.”