The Box Office King of Hollywood

After the audition, Matthew and Helen Herman left the Disney studio, fully aware that they wouldn't receive any notice about the role of Will Turner until after Will Turner's audition was over. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long.

"I just got a piece of news," Helen said in the car on the way back.

Helen wasn't idle either. She told Matthew, "Geoffrey Rush has accepted an invitation from the crew. He's likely to play the major villain, Captain Barbossa."

Matthew, who had seen this name on a videotape from David Aster, asked, "The Oscar winner from a few years ago?"

"The 1997 Oscar winner," Helen simply stated, "A well-known character actor in Hollywood."

"Oh..." Matthew nodded, not too familiar with the person, "No matter who the villain is, right now I'm only concerned about securing the role of Will Turner."

Helen thought about it and agreed. If Matthew didn't get the role of Will Turner, the addition of an Oscar-winning actor like Geoffrey Rush would be irrelevant to his salary prospects.

They decided to wait for the audition results before discussing further.

"Do you have any candidates in mind for an assistant?" Helen asked, "Do you want me to help you recruit one?"

Matthew shook his head, "No need." He definitely wouldn't let his personal assistant come from his agent, "I'm already in contact with someone."

He had a suitable candidate in mind, Mira Wang, who had worked with him on the sets of 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. He had called her, but she was currently in the UK and unsure about returning to Los Angeles.

Matthew decided to wait and see. There was no news from the audition yet. Once he secured the role, if Mira Wang was interested in coming back to LA, he could discuss it with her. If not, he would find another reliable candidate. He wouldn't let his personal assistant be someone closely related to Helen unless absolutely necessary.

He understood the basic principle of caution, despite not having a higher education. His lawyer was introduced by Helen, his stylist was recommended by her too. If his personal assistant was also close to Helen, she would know everything about him.

This wasn't about targeting Helen but basic precaution. There were instances in Hollywood where agents and assistants conspired against stars.

Aside from a personal assistant, Matthew also planned to handle his tax and financial matters independently, even considering replacing the stylist at some point.

After returning to Angel Agency, Matthew didn't immediately leave but went to Helen's office to discuss something.

"Helen," Matthew said while pouring a glass of water, "I heard there were some endorsement offers for me?"

"That's right," Helen replied, pulling out several invitations from her drawer and placing them on the table, "But they're all low-end brands. Do you really want to endorse brands like KFC and McDonald's? It's completely inconsistent with the image I have for you. Wait until you advance further. Accepting these offers now would only lower your image."

Matthew flipped through the invitations and saw that Helen was right. Most were low-end North American fast-food chains or obscure brands, including some odd products like 'Indian God Oil', possibly due to the tabloids hyping his masculinity last month.

Now more experienced, Matthew knew that rising stars rarely wanted to endorse such low-end, junk food-selling brands.

"Let's reject them all," Matthew decided. He had moved past the stage of needing money for basic living expenses, "I don't want to accept them anyway."

It was a decision for long-term, higher income.

Matthew knew the constant scandals surrounding those fast-food chains. Endorsing them might bring some money, but it could hinder his career progress.

Helen put the invitations back in her drawer and said, "If there's a suitable brand endorsement, I'll let you know." She reminded Matthew, "Even though you're a third-tier star, it's tough for Hollywood stars to land top brand endorsements. Be careful with endorsements."

Matthew ignored her other comments and asked, "Am I still a third-tier star?"

"What do you think?" Helen replied directly, "Aside from 'The Scorpion King', do you have any other leading roles? 'The Scorpion King' made a hundred million in North America and two hundred million worldwide, which is decent. Strictly speaking, you're in the upper third tier, close to second tier. But you need another successful film to prove you have second-tier appeal."

She also reminded him, "Did the media pay attention to you after 'The Scorpion King' finished its run?"

"No," Matthew admitted, spreading his hands, "Paparazzi haven't followed me for a long time."

Helen said, "That exactly proves the point. You don't have strong media appeal. Media is a crucial channel for stardom."

"If I get the role of Will Turner," Matthew drank the water and sat opposite Helen, "and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' succeeds, I should be able to break into the second tier, right?"

Helen nodded, "Definitely. If your role is outstanding and the global box office hits a billion, even breaking into the first tier is possible."

Matthew thought about his acting skills and Johnny Depp's eccentric portrayal of Jack Sparrow. Even if he got the role of Will Turner, could he overshadow Captain Jack Sparrow? Acting-wise, he couldn't compete with Johnny Depp.

Considering this, Matthew chuckled. Worrying about these issues was premature since the audition results weren't out yet.

He asked Helen, "And super A-list? How does one become a top Hollywood star?"

Without hesitation, Helen replied, "Look up the careers of Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts."

Matthew shrugged, looked at the clock, and stood up, "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

After leaving Angel Agency, Matthew drove home. Unlike a month ago, no paparazzi or reporters followed him. As Helen said, after 'The Scorpion King', his appeal to the media had waned.

This was Los Angeles, after all, full of stars.

Matthew knew his next step was to solidify his position and advance further with another successful film. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was the perfect opportunity. The series was a massive success, making Johnny Depp a top star. It was a money-making machine for the main cast. If he got the role of Will Turner, his future would be secure.

Hollywood had a saying: If you want to make money, star in a sequel.

Lying on the couch and looking at the 'Scorpion King' sword on the wall, Matthew stopped thinking about these matters. He had finished the audition; now, he just had to wait for the results.

He believed his performance would impress Jerry Bruckheimer.

Captain Jack Sparrow was effeminate, with an ambiguous style. Orlando Bloom's portrayal also leaned towards the soft side, which could lead to a peculiar homogeneity between the two male leads. Even a seasoned movie fan could guess that two male protagonists like this wouldn't be as compelling as a combination of soft and tough, intellectual and physical.

Matthew felt his analysis made sense. In the past three years, his understanding of the acting profession and film industry had deepened significantly.

The wait felt long. The casting director had said they would reply within the week, but by Friday, Matthew hadn't heard anything. Even someone as patient as him was getting anxious. Helen tried to inquire through her contacts, but the answer was always that Jerry Bruckheimer hadn't made a decision.

Matthew worried the unknown Christopher Masterson might win the role, which would mean he had inadvertently helped Orlando Bloom and Stephen Sommers. Fortunately, this didn't happen.

On Friday afternoon, close to 4 pm, Matthew received a call from the casting director. The call had only one purpose: to inform him he had passed the audition and secured the role of Will Turner!

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had a secure and prosperous future ahead.

Of course, he wouldn't lose his ambition because of this.

Shortly after, Helen called to arrange a meeting with 'Pirates of the Caribbean' from next Monday to discuss his actor's contract.

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