The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 75

After leaving London, Matthew didn't fly straight back to Los Angeles. Instead, he made a detour to Miami, Florida, to see Britney first.

With Britney scheduled to perform in Miami, their time was incredibly tight. Matthew managed to sneak in an hour with her during her lunch break before he had to leave again. His original plan was to stay another day, catch her concert, and then head back to Los Angeles. But an urgent call from Helen shattered that idea, demanding he return immediately to prepare for the premiere of Gladiator.

Left with no other choice, Matthew changed his ticket and boarded a flight to Los Angeles that same day. He was starting to understand why celebrity couples saw each other so rarely and, more often than not, eventually drifted apart.

He and Britney had been a couple for six months, and in all that time, they had only managed to see each other once.

Once Britney finishes her world tour and my career really takes off, Matthew thought, maybe we’ll have more time. Or maybe...

He ran a hand through his hair. When they'd met, Britney had talked about her packed schedule, and rumors were already swirling that her record label was planning a second album.

...

After landing in Los Angeles, Matthew didn't even bother going home. He headed straight from the airport to the Angel Acting Agency, where Helen was waiting for him.

He walked into the small building that housed the Angel Acting Agency, dropped his luggage at the reception desk, and headed upstairs to Helen’s office. "What's the big rush?" he asked the moment he walked in. "You called me half a dozen times in the last hour."

Matthew sank into a chair, unfazed. "Right. Four days."

Helen just asked, "Are you ready for the premiere?"

"Ready." Of course, Matthew was thinking about the red carpet—a rare opportunity for him. "I haven't worn my suit much, but the costumers in England had it professionally pressed for me. I—"

"Hold on." Helen cut him off with a raised hand. "You’re not actually planning to wear an old suit on the red carpet, are you?"

Matthew spread his hands. "It's a new suit."

Helen eyed him skeptically. "Alright, then let me ask you this: What brand is it? Who’s the designer? What season is it from? And what about the shoes, the bow tie, the shirt—how did you coordinate all that?"

"Huh?" Matthew was stumped. He hadn't paid any attention to that kind of thing. He had to admit, "I have no idea."

"You're an actor," Helen stressed. "An actor who's starting to make a name for himself in Hollywood, however small. And in formal settings, you have to take your taste and your image seriously."

Matthew just shrugged.

He knew that a star's on-camera look was the product of meticulous planning, but he had no idea how that process actually worked.

Helen reached for the phone. "Fine, I'll handle it."

"Thanks." Matthew’s trust in Helen was growing. "I'll do whatever you say."

Then he asked, "But you’re not going to make me wear one of those crazy high-fashion designer suits, are you?"

"That won't be necessary." Helen shook her head. "With your current level of fame, status, and financial resources, that would be overkill."

Matthew said nothing, waiting for his agent to elaborate.

Helen explained, "A mid-range brand will be perfectly fine. There’s no time to get anything tailored, so I'll contact a wardrobe rental company. They provide a full-service package, including shoes. You can go for a fitting tomorrow."

With that, she placed two business cards on the desk in front of him. She slid the first one toward him, then tapped the second. "This is a personal stylist. You need to call her today and book an appointment. She'll handle your look on the day of the premiere."

"Got it." Matthew tucked the two cards into his wallet, then asked the question that was weighing on his mind. "How much is all this going to cost?"

Helen knew Matthew was tight with his money. "You should budget about two thousand dollars. That ought to cover it."

Matthew nodded, saying nothing, but he felt a sharp pang of financial pain. The forty thousand dollars he’d been paid for Band of Brothers was already dwindling. After Helen's ten percent commission, the twenty thousand he'd paid in two installments to settle that disastrous contract, another four thousand for Wilson's legal fees, and four thousand for a full year's rent on his apartment... not to mention the money he’d spent on gifts for Britney. After everything, he only had a little over three thousand dollars to his name.

Spending two thousand of that would leave him with next to nothing. He had the sinking feeling he was about to be flat broke all over again.

"That figure also includes a car rental," Helen added. "Unless you’re the director, a lead actor, or a special guest, the studio doesn't provide a car for the premiere. Everyone else has to arrange their own transportation."

Matthew knew perfectly well he wasn't on that list.

He glanced up at Helen and asked tentatively, "You have that Mercedes..."

Helen shot that down without a second thought. "I'm not your chauffeur, and besides, I'll need my car."

She tossed a flyer onto the desk in front of him. "This is an affordable rental agency. Take a look at their fleet."

Matthew picked up the flyer, scanned it, and asked, "Do you have one in mind?"

"A top-of-the-line Cadillac." Helen had her answer ready. "It'll come with a driver from noon until midnight. The rental shouldn't be more than five hundred dollars."

"Perfect." Matthew handed the flyer back to her. "Cadillac it is."

Helen took the paper and nodded.

"Oh, and Helen," Matthew said, thinking of his rapidly emptying pockets. "When is that final twenty-thousand-dollar payment coming through?"

"Cash-strapped?" Helen asked.

Matthew didn't deny it. "Yeah. If I hadn't been living and eating on set for the past few months, I don't think I could even scrape together two thousand dollars."

For the last few months, he’d been on set and had almost no living expenses. Aside from grabbing a drink now and then with Michael, James, and Michael Cudlitz, most of his spending had been on Britney. He’d made a point of ordering a small gift for her in every new city she visited on her tour.

Even so, he was on the verge of being broke again.

Matthew never expected that just showing up to a premiere would be so expensive. He'd always figured women spent more on this kind of thing than men. Wouldn't an actress have to shell out a lot more just to walk the red carpet?

Then again, he knew it was different for the big stars. They had something he didn't: sponsors.

"You've wrapped all your scenes as Ronald Speirs." Helen was always businesslike. "I'll get in touch with production this afternoon. If all goes smoothly, you should receive your final payment by next week."

Matthew got to his feet. "If that’s everything, I’ll get out of your hair."

Helen nodded, adding, "Don’t forget to call the rental company and the stylist."

"I won't," Matthew promised, accepting that a polished image was essential if he wanted to become a star. "Call me on my cell if you need anything."

...

After grabbing his luggage from downstairs and leaving the Angel Acting Agency, Matthew hailed a cab back to his apartment in Westwood.

On the way, his thoughts returned to his finances. Once that final twenty-thousand-dollar payment came in, he could finally pay off the rest of that contract debt. If Helen could find him another job with a decent paycheck soon after, he might even have enough left over to buy a used car.

He was determined not to take out a loan.

Back in his apartment, Matthew caught up on his sleep. The next day, he got down to business. First, he contacted the rental company and arranged to come in for a fitting sometime in the next two days. Then, he called the stylist and scheduled an appointment.

He tried on several formal suits, but despite the tailor’s detailed explanations, Matthew couldn’t see much difference between them. To him, they all looked more or less the same.

After settling on a suit, he went back to his apartment to grab the videotapes he’d borrowed. He made a special trip to the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts to return them to his former acting coach, David Astor, and pick up a new batch to continue his self-study.

Later that afternoon, Helen called with good news. She'd spoken with the production team, and they'd confirmed his final payment would be processed the following Monday.

The news gave Matthew a renewed sense of confidence. He immediately headed to a used car lot to browse. He ended up finding a white, secondhand Ford sedan that wasn't too expensive—just under five thousand dollars.

He planned to come back and buy it as soon as the check cleared next week.

For the next few days, Matthew fell back into his highly structured routine: physical training, studying, and practicing by mimicking other actors' performances. He also tried to add writing to his daily regimen.

After a year of relentless effort, he still wouldn't say his reading level was advanced, but he felt he was getting close to the average standard.

As for his writing ability... the less said, the better.

At noon on the day of the premiere, the black Cadillac Helen had arranged arrived promptly outside his apartment building.

The styling session took three hours. Afterward, Matthew finally climbed into the back of the Cadillac and headed for the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, where the premiere was about to begin.