13. Character with Lines
"He?" Winona Ryder turned to look at Matthew and asked, "What's your name?"
She probably wanted to remember his name. Matthew thought to himself sarcastically. Nevertheless, he replied, "Matthew, Matthew Horner."
Winona Ryder nodded, "Matthew Horner? Okay! I'll remember you."
Matthew put on a relaxed smile, pretending to be indifferent, when in reality, he wished Winona Ryder would forget him tomorrow.
"I'll find a suitable role for you," Winona Ryder said.
"It should have lines," Angelina Jolie had previously discussed with Matthew, "and a higher salary!"
Winona Ryder's expression turned unpleasant, "The roles with names and significance have already been cast, it's not possible to change them casually, you know this well."
Matthew didn't even ask for a significant role with a name. That was wishful thinking, and with his current abilities, he wouldn't be able to handle it and would only embarrass himself.
Angelina Jolie, according to the agreement between the two, said, "Roles with lines will do." She looked at Matthew. This young man was greedy, but he knew when to stop. He had been quite helpful this time. After thinking for a moment, she added, "His name should be included in the end credits."
Upon hearing this, Matthew couldn't help but slap his forehead. He really was clueless.
This should have been the agent's job, but his agent... Matthew shook his head. He had no capital at the moment. For now, he would leave it like this. If the situation changed, then maybe he would consider Dennis Kurt.
"Alright, there's no problem with these conditions," Winona Ryder gradually regained her cold demeanor. "I can agree to your terms."
Bingo—
Angelina Jolie snapped her fingers, "Alright, problem solved."
She turned to leave, and Matthew stood up too, but Winona Ryder said, "Wait!"
"Is there anything else?" Angelina Jolie stopped and asked.
"I've agreed to your conditions," Winona Ryder quickly said, "But how can you guarantee you won't talk about this?"
"Why would I?" When Angelina Jolie wasn't being unreasonable, her head was quite clear, "I've already got what I wanted. Why would I talk about it? To tarnish your reputation? To affect this film? Would it benefit me if the film was tainted by scandal? Aren't all the things I've gained now just a joke?"
Winona Ryder thought for a moment, then nodded gently, "I'll trust you on this."
Then, she turned to look at Matthew, "But what about him?"
"I promise not to say anything!" Matthew immediately interjected.
"I don't believe you," Winona Ryder said bluntly, "I don't trust someone like you."
Matthew spread his hands helplessly, "I have a good reputation! Miss Jolie can testify."
"I can't prove anything!" Angelina Jolie maintained her distance, "I don't know you at all."
None of these famous people were fools.
Matthew frowned slightly and asked Winona Ryder, "What should we do?"
"It's simple!" Winona Ryder also stood up, "I'll have my lawyer come over, and you'll sign a confidentiality agreement with me!"
Matthew thought about it and could only look at Angelina Jolie. He had limited education and didn't understand American law. Besides Angelina Jolie, he didn't know who else to consult.
"Don't you worry about one more person knowing?" Angelina Jolie asked.
"I'll just include a clause in the agreement that he can't mention anything related to me during a certain period of time," Winona Ryder seemed prepared, "No need to specify the details."
"That's one way to do it," Angelina Jolie nodded.
Matthew couldn't voice any objections. As long as Winona Ryder kept her promise today, he wouldn't be foolish enough to spread the news about the bookstore incident.
With both parties in agreement, the remaining matters were easily resolved. Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie each called their respective lawyers. These two women were not to be trifled with. Despite their eloquent words just now, they still signed a private agreement.
As for Matthew, with the help of Angelina Jolie's lawyer, he signed his name on an agreement. If he got a role on the set and still spread the news about the bookstore incident, he would have to pay a hefty sum.
When they left the office, Matthew glanced back. This not particularly complex set had become a scene of intrigue. How fierce was the competition in Hollywood?
The others left one after another, leaving Winona Ryder alone in the office. She took out her phone and dialed her agent's number. "It's me. Go to the bookstore outside Universal Studios and buy all the surveillance footage. Remember! You go yourself!"
After making the call, Winona Ryder felt somewhat relieved. She looked out of the office and remembered that jerk. Just a small supporting role had forced her into this situation!
Her already fair face turned even paler. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was her boyfriend.
"Hi, Matt..." She listened for a while, then said, "I'll be working late tonight. Don't come to pick me up. Feeling down? Yes, I met a very annoying guy today, a supporting actor named Matthew Horner! Let's talk about it when I get back. Are you having dinner? With Ben? Okay, say hello to Ben for me."
After hanging up the phone, she picked up the receiver on her desk and dialed the number of the director, James Mangold, to begin coordinating the shooting.
On the other side, just leaving Universal Studios' photography area, Angelina Jolie's driver had already parked the car at the door.
The female assistant Vanessa opened the car door, and Angelina Jolie was ready to get in. She saw Matthew walking towards the bus stop and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Hollywood Boulevard." Matthew planned to go to the Red Penguin Company. He still had to continue being a chauffeur in the evening.
"Get in." Angelina Jolie beckoned, and she got into the car directly. Matthew hesitated for a moment, then walked over, opened the car door, and got in.
"Thank you." He said politely.
The backseat of the luxurious car had two separate seats. Angelina Jolie sat in the right one and had already taken out a magazine. She didn't even look at Matthew, casually saying, "No need to thank me, you've also helped me."
Matthew smiled, "I'm helping myself."
"I don't like owing favors," Angelina Jolie finally stated the true purpose of calling Matthew into the car, "So, what do you want?"
Matthew immediately understood that Angelina Jolie treated this as just a small transaction.
He didn't expect Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie to treat a small supporting actor as an equal. Today's events made it very clear that people in this circle wield significant influence.
"I need professional training," Matthew knew opportunities were rare, "Miss Jolie, you're an industry veteran. I hope you can recommend a good acting school for me."
Surprised by this request, Angelina Jolie thought for a moment and nodded slightly, "Sure, if there's a suitable one, I'll have Vanessa inform you."
Having said that, Angelina Jolie focused her energy on the magazine, not speaking to Matthew anymore. Matthew didn't want to make it awkward, so he turned to look out of the window. It wasn't until the car approached Hollywood Boulevard near the company that he asked the driver to stop.
"Goodbye," he said politely to Angelina Jolie.
Angelina Jolie just nodded.
Getting out of the car, Matthew walked to the Red Penguin Company. He got the keys and his duties from Lester. When the sun started to set, he drove out the Ford minibus and continued his job as a chauffeur like always.
As night fell, Hollywood Boulevard lit up with colorful lights. Dragging his overweight body, Dennis Kurt squeezed into a nightclub and sat at the bar, ordering a black beer. Thinking about the events of this afternoon, he felt depressed and took a big gulp of beer.
The female lead and producer of the crew, Winona Ryder, clearly had a prejudice against that fool. He had just managed to establish some relationships within the crew, and now he might be dragged into this.
Dennis Kurt felt even more gloomy and lifted the glass, taking an even bigger sip.
Suddenly, his phone in his pocket rang. Dennis Kurt grumpily took it out, glanced at it, put down a bill, and quickly left the noisy bar, finding a slightly quieter place to answer the phone.
"Dennis!" Rubin, the casting director's voice came from the receiver, "Is Matthew Horner your actor?"
"Uh..." Dennis Kurt wanted to say no, to avoid implicating himself, but he had already registered with the crew and couldn't deny it. He could only say, "Yes! But, Rubin, what's the matter..."
He first exempted himself, "I left very early this afternoon. Did something happen with Matthew Horner?"
Dennis Kurt was slightly nervous, fearing that this afternoon's incident would sever his connection with Rubin, the director.
"What happened?" Rubin's voice sounded quite normal. "I just wanted to inform you that tomorrow, bring Matthew Horner to the set to sign a contract. His role has changed, with two lines, and his pay has increased to $200 per day..."
"What..." Dennis Kurt could hardly believe his ears. "What did you say?"
"Didn't you hear me clearly?" The voice in the receiver suddenly raised, "Bring Matthew Horner tomorrow! We'll shoot the scene as soon as the contract is signed, don't be late!"
Dennis Kurt was dumbfounded, "I... I understand."
Hanging up the phone, he stood there, unable to make sense of the situation. Was this change happening too fast?
He took out his phone and dialed Matthew's number, but no one answered. He kept dialing repeatedly until he finally got through. Matthew seemed busy on the other end, and after a few perfunctory words, they arranged to meet at the set tomorrow before hanging up.
Standing on the street, Dennis Kurt stood dazed for a long time. Did that small supporting actor have an unknown side to him?
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