Hollywood, 25/06/2012. 9:45.
Nathaniel had seen more than a few movies in his life but that was the first time he was seeing a movie being made. There were many construction workers busy building or tearing apart scene elements, assistants running everywhere and material being moved around. Just on their scene, he could count at least fifty people, this was crazy.
He was being auditioned along with three more male actors and he was the only one with no movie experience before. They were all three around twenty years old and relatively good looking. Two of the guys appeared before on a big production movie while the last was a star in a successful werewolf tv series. All three of them were well known for the grand public while he was the unknown wild card.
The three actors seem to know each other and were busy talking while glancing surreptitiously at him. They were obviously talking about him in a hush voice and believed to be stealthy about it. The three were gravely mistaken as Nathaniel could hear basically everything they were saying.
"Which one of you knows who is blondie over there?"
"Never seen him before."
"I heard from my agent that he has never been in a movie before. He was brought in by a casting director that he knew personally."
"Is that so? Then why is face so familiar to me? Did you catch his name?"
"Yes but even my agent could not pronounce it. That sounds like nat? Something like that."
At that point, Nathaniel stopped paying attention. While it was true that he had an atypical name, it was not that hard to pronounce it. Since they were perfectly fine talking among themselves about him instead of coming to see him, he was more than happy to stay on his own. In both of his lives, he never had a problem staying alone. On the first, he was a trained killer so people were unconsciously avoiding him even in the military. He had a chilling aura around him that acted as a deterrent. In this current life, once he was known that he had two mothers, well kids can be cruel sometimes especially in a catholic school. He was constantly bullied about it and so developed a lonely personality. Even if he never gets physical on any boy who bullies back then, things always seem to happen to them. If only they knew how smart he really was back then, a few of them could have avoided some headache back in school.
"How are you? Anxious?" Maggie asks, coming back.
She knew quite a few people around here and she was the one who told him where the three guys came from. She had an amazing movie knowledge which was not that all surprising considering her old job.
"A little but I'm good."
"Good. What's up with the boys band over there? Why didn't you join them?"
"Too busy talking about me to talk with me." He shrugged.
"Well that's Hollywood for you. Everyone talks about everyone, you will need to deal with it." She said blasé. "I got news for you, You will be auditioned on the ferry scene. The backstreet boys over there will go first and you will be last. This is good for you, look at what they are doing and try to learn from it. Do you need the script?"
"No, I'm good, I already memorized it. The backstreet boys really Maggie? Moreover they were five if I recall correctly."
"Nice. What about it? Not too late to join them you know." She said in a mocking voice. As to whoever she was mocking, Nathaniel did not have a clue but knowing her, it could be them and him.
"I would have to decline, too young to be in a boys band. I didn't know that the boys band kind of guys were your type Maggie. Well, you're not that old yet, you could probably still hit that." He said with a nod in the direction of the three mens talking.
He got a punch on the shoulder for that one. He could not help but rub it, she was surprisingly strong when she was pissed off. He liked to pissed her off as much as she liked insulting him. That was some weird and friendly banter between them.
"Stop saying horrible things or I would have to call your mothers. Besides, I'm still quite young." She said with a righteous tone, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
He got the message and chose to not say anything else. After that the director came and explained to the four of them what Maggie already said to him. As the first guy starts the scene, he spies on the corner of his eyes people sneaking on the audition. He recognized them easily as they were extremely famous. They were the stars already cast on the film. They seem to have come to spy on the audition. With a nudge, he points them to Maggie who just nods.
"Technically, it is the director and producer's job to validate the actor but in cases like this, the actors present have as much to say as the director. As they would be close with the other actor, they need to get along with the new guy or the filming could turn bad real fast. That will certainly not happen but if one of them comes to talk to you, be nice, that could help you in the future."
"You know that your confidence in my ability to succeed warms my heart constantly Maggie." He said bitterly.
"I'm just stating the fact, don't get your hopes up. Now shush, they are starting."
Nathaniel could see that she was right, the first one was on the platform with his script and was busy making weird head and hand movement. Frowning, Nathaniel turned to Maggie with a raised eyebrow.
"He's 'getting' into the role." She precised simply.
"Are you sure he's not experiencing a stroke?" He said, hiding his laughter.
"Actors are weird and superstitious people. Not quite the level of a football player but not that far from it. Second thing is that you will have to learn to deal with it if you want to get in this profession. Now, look at him and try to learn."
Nathaniel started doing just that. The scene of the ferry was not that hard but she was indeed wisely chosen to be on an audition. The scene starts with Jack Wilder getting on the ferry and issuing a challenge to the crowd. If they could figure it out as a trick, they would get money. The trick was simple too, you just had to pretend folding a spoon with your mind when in fact you simply have two spoons in your hand. The scene ends when the one in the audience who figured out the trick got his wallet and watch stolen from him and Jack ran out of the ferry.
The audition would end at the moment the one in the public would expose him. The scene was wisely chosen because the actor would need to have a presence to hap the viewer on the show while moving his hand quick enough to pull off the trick. It was not by a long shot a hard move to make with the spoon but it demanded sophistication and training all the same. Nathaniel managed to perfect it in only two hours so he was not expecting the three others to fail in performing it.
The first guy then started acting when the director told him to go. He was surprised to see the audition was filmed but thinking about it it did make sense. They needed to see how the actor was looking behind the camera. Nathaniel looked at him with attention, noting particularly his tone of voice and body posture. He was glad that he was being last as such he could observe his rivals and learn from them. The good and the bad.
Once he finished, he got back to his position with the two others without even looking at Nathaniel. It was as if he was not treating him seriously which Nathaniel loved. He could surprise them more later. Looking at Maggie, he could see her shake her head.
"That was okay but not good enough to pass." She said simply. Nathaniel did not know much about it but he chose to trust her opinion on the subject.
The second guy then starts approaching the scene with a confident if not arrogant gait. He was just hoping on the stage when an assistant brought him a script that he refused with a sneer as if the simple thought that he needed help was an insult to him. That made Nathaniel frown, he really didn't have to be that odious with an assistant who was just doing his job.
"Why do I have the envy to punch this guy all of a sudden?" Nathaniel asked.
"Yeah, you and me both. He's kind of a dick but also very talented, something I saw a lot in Hollywood. Since he won a nomination for a role that he did as a fighter, His ego cannot pass a door. Rumors as it is that he kept his training as a boxer and used his fist to intimidate people." She said with a disgusted expression.
"Why would they invite him if he is so despicable?"
"This is Hollywood, if we were going to ban people who have bad rumors, we will lose 85% of all our actors and directors."
They stopped talking after that as he was starting. Despite his view of him, Nathaniel still inspects him with as much intention as the last one. Despite his lack of knowledge in acting, he could still see that douchebag was much better than the first one. Contrary to the last one, he was competent with the trick and managed to grab the attention of everyone in the audience. He could even see the director nodding appreciatively.
Once the scene finished, he descended the scene with even more arrogance in his step if that was possible. As much as he disliked that kind of individual, Nathaniel could not argue that he was really talented. He was not the kind of person to refuse to see the good points of people even if they were dicks.
"And I believe we have our winner." She said bitterly.
"Yeah, he is gifted, no arguments there. What about the third?"
"The werewolf guy? He will not top that." Assured Maggie.
Looking at the third guy performance, Maggie was right. He was in fact badder than the first one. He didn't even manage to do the trick correctly on his first try. Looking at his dejected face, Nathaniel could not help to feel bad for him. Looking at the people arranging the scene, Nathaniel should be scared shitless but the reality was that he was just feeling immensely excited. He loved being challenged and was doing his best under pressure. Doing his first audition under the scrutinizing eyes of some of the best actors in the planet was well into that category.
"Okay this is showtime! Wish me luck Maggie." He said, determined.
"Good luck!"
Nathaniel was waiting for a scathing remark but he was surprised that it never came. She was just standing here and looking at him. Nathaniel could see in her eyes concern and support in equal measures., that made him smile a little.The same assistant came to see him and gave him the spoon needed to do the trick. Remembering the way she was treated previously he thanked her with a few words and a beautiful smile making her blush a little. He was making his way to the scene when he was stopped by the director. Nathaniel found that odd because he never stopped anyone before him.
"Hi, I'm the director Louis Leterrier but you can call me Louis. Jillian told me that it is your first audition, are you alright?" The man told him with a heavy french accent.
Nathaniel was surprised to learn that such a big movie was directed by a french guy. Never in the script that he was given or the information provided by Jillian was it specified. Thinking about it, that explains the number of french references in the movie.
"Yes, I'm good, thank you. The name is Nathaniel and I'm fluent in french if you prefer talking in that language." He finished the last part in french.
"Wow, you have a really good accent, are you french?" He said amazed.
"No, I'm american I have just a french heritage so I have spoken the language since I was little."
"That's great. So, do you know what you have to do?"
"Yes, basically act and try not to make a fool of myself." He said simply, making the director laugh.
"I see you got this, good luck." He said, leaving after giving him a tap on the shoulder.
Getting up on the stage, he looks at the persons in front of him, the camera and the people looking at him behind it. He took a deep breath. Nathaniel didn't know it but it was at that moment, his whole life changed.