Chapter 28: The Actor’s Long-Term Contract

"Get a lawyer," Helen Herman advised without hesitation, "and reach an out-of-court settlement with them, try to pay them as little as possible in terms of the breach of contract fee."

Matthew thought about his nearly empty wallet and asked, "So I still have to pay? Isn't there a way to avoid paying?"

"There is!" Helen was straightforward, "Stop being an actor. Leave Hollywood. Find a place to hide and never show your face again."

"I haven't made any money yet, and now I have to pay a big sum," Matthew shook his head. "I came to Hollywood to become a big star and make big money."

Helen laughed, "You're quite straightforward."

Matthew spread his hands, "I say it as it is! Aren't those who come to Hollywood looking to become stars and make big money?"

Helen couldn't argue with that.

"I don't care about others." Matthew's goals were still as mundane, "I didn't come to Hollywood to sacrifice myself for art. My goal is to be a big star and make big money!"

Helen suddenly laughed, "That's a tough path."

Matthew pointed at himself, "For someone like me, is there any other way to make it, without breaking the law?"

Helen thought about it and actually couldn't come up with an answer.

A poor boy with no money, education, family, or background trying to climb up in today's society... Well, the weather is nice today...

Back to the matter at hand, Matthew turned the conversation back, "Helen, do you know any lawyers? Can you recommend one?"

"Um... okay." Helen pulled out a pen and notepad, wrote down a number, and said, "Call this number, and say you're my client."

"Okay!" Matthew took the note, "I'll call when I get back."

He then asked, "When does the crew pay me? And how much is the total payment?"

Helen quickly calculated, "Three days of rehearsal, one day of shooting, $200 per day. Plus $8000 for today's role, that's a total of $8800."

"When will I be paid?" Matthew asked again.

"It will take a few days," Helen sipped her coffee and asked, "Are you short on money?"

"Very much! I wish I could split a penny in half to spend it!" Matthew worried about leaving a bad impression, so he explained, "I signed up for an acting training class at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, which is quite expensive."

Helen was somewhat surprised, "The Los Angeles School of Performing Arts? I remember it has a certain admission threshold, you..."

Matthew pulled out a big name, "Angelina Jolie helped me with the introduction."

Helen nodded and advised, "You might also want to enroll in a language class to correct your accent."

"Do I have a problem with my accent?" Matthew asked.

Helen tilted her head, not mincing words, "You have a thick Texas accent." She thought for a moment and added, "Right now, I see you as a character actor, not an extra! You should have corresponding expectations for yourself."

Matthew understood her point and nodded, then asked, "Character actor? Does that mean my acting is better than an extra's?"

"You're thinking too much," Helen said directly, "It's based on your income and the roles you've gotten on set."

"It sounds like you have a unique way of assessing actors," Matthew said, intrigued.

Helen acknowledged, "I've devised an assessment based on an actor's income, marketability, and status within the industry, which doesn't have much to do with acting ability."

Before Matthew could ask more, she explained, "Generally, from the bottom up, they can be categorized as extras, character actors, standard actors, minor celebrities, B-list celebrities, A-list celebrities, and super A-list celebrities."

"So, super A-list celebrities are at the very top of the pyramid," Matthew curiously asked, "Who would you classify as a super A-list celebrity?"

"Not many," Helen cited as examples, "like Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise."

Matthew understood; Helen Herman's criteria were somewhat subjective. From the information he had gathered, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise's acting skills might not be considered top-tier in Hollywood, but in terms of income, status, influence, and drawing power, they were definitely top-notch superstars.

Reflecting on himself, Matthew realized calling himself a character actor was an overstatement; he was still at the very bottom of this pyramid.

The road ahead was long.

Helen glanced at her watch, placed a bill on the table, and told Matthew, "Work here wraps up this afternoon. Call Amanda tomorrow and come to the office in Burbank to sign the contract with me."

Matthew didn't take the hint and instead asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll sign with another company

?"

As soon as he asked, he realized how foolish his question was, feeling as if his IQ had dropped to that of the dim-witted Meiken.

"Would you?" Helen stood up, "Would another company sign a long-term contract with you?"

"Not likely," Matthew admitted honestly.

"See you next week."

Helen left those final words and exited the coffee shop.

Matthew also left shortly after, pondering Helen's words. Why had Helen chosen him for the role of the barbarian chieftain? It wasn't because of his outstanding acting or because she was impressed by his presence, nor because she saw potential in him as a star!

The main reason was simply because he had frequently appeared before Helen, becoming a familiar face among all the extras, and also because he had shared the screen in roles with just a couple of lines with Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder.

He had cleverly left some impression on Helen, which is why she wanted to sign a long-term contract with him. But had it been another agent, what difference would there be between him and any other extra like Michael Sheen?

Most agents would probably prefer to work with an untested fool like Meiken, rather than pay him any attention.

Simply put, who knew who Matthew Horner was?

Returning to his hotel along the straight road, Matthew found Michael Sheen was also back, packing up in his room.

"Hey, Matthew," he greeted warmly when he saw Matthew, "Where have you been? Didn't see you after the shoot."

"Just had coffee with Helen," Matthew replied casually, also starting to pack, "You're leaving too?"

Michael nodded, "Our group of extras has pretty much finished our scenes. The crew has a bus taking us back to Los Angeles this afternoon."

"Are you going with them?" he asked.

"There's a free ride, so of course, I'm going," Matthew continued packing.

After their final meal provided by the crew in the hotel restaurant, Matthew and the other extras boarded the crew's bus, ready to return to Los Angeles. As before, he sat with Michael Sheen, but this time, many extras crowded around Matthew, making him the center of attention on the bus.

"When Ridley Scott directed you," a somewhat familiar bald man asked, "what did he tell you?"

Other people bombarded him with questions.

"Does the big director have a bad temper?"

"Do you need to look into the camera when it's a close-up?"

"Were you nervous?"

The questions were too many, and Matthew couldn't answer them all.

Some even handed him their business cards.

"I'm Brad Faith, let's be friends, Matthew!"

"Next time there's an opportunity like this, could you call me? Here's my phone number..."

Whether it was crew members or now the temporary actors, the thing that struck Matthew the most was their opportunism, and he was no exception.

Once the bus started, these people finally dispersed, and Michael Sheen whispered, "Don't mind them."

Matthew nodded; he didn't even know where his next role would be, how could he care about these people?

With that thought, he sighed inwardly, realizing that opportunism was indeed contagious.

To avoid further disturbances, Matthew simply slept for the rest of the journey. When the bus arrived in Los Angeles, the sun was already setting in the west.

"I'm heading back," Michael remained as enthusiastic as before, "If you need any help, just call me."

"Will do," Matthew looked unchanged.

After Michael left, Matthew didn't plan to visit Red Penguin Services, where he had taken leave, planning instead to rest for a day before returning to work.

Not waiting for the bus, Matthew called a taxi. After the tumultuous past few days with the crew, he was indeed tired.

While waiting for the taxi, he called the lawyer Helen had recommended. Mentioning Helen's name seemed to make the lawyer quite accommodating, and they arranged to meet the next morning.

Returning to the Westwood area by taxi, Matthew dragged his luggage upstairs, opened the door to his rented apartment, and found another envelope lying by the door—a lawyer's letter urging payment.

"Good thing it's not a court summons."

Matthew sighed, tossed his suitcase aside, collapsed on the sofa, and picked up the newspaper he'd bought before heading upstairs. Reading had become a daily habit.

After finishing the newspaper and calling to inquire about the language classes at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, Matthew found some acting books and lay reading in bed until he fell asleep, sleeping straight through till morning.

He got up, washed up, went for a run as planned, and after breakfast in his best attire, he went to meet the lawyer. Helen's recommendation was influential; the lawyer didn't charge for the consultation and made it clear that an out-of-court settlement was the best approach. Going to court would benefit neither party, as it would be time-consuming and exhausting.

Moreover, the breach of contract fee could be significantly reduced through

 an out-of-court settlement and even paid in installments.

Installment payments could solve the biggest problem of an empty wallet, and Matthew planned to entrust his case to this lawyer named Wilson.

Before that, however, he was set to go to Burbank and sign the first official actor's agent contract of his life with Helen Herman's Angel Management Company.