A month after leaving Great Britain, Matthew returned to London, ready for the audition for "The Mummy Returns," with Helen Herman accompanying him this time. From the first day they checked into the hotel, she had been in and out of Pinewood Studios, gathering the latest information about "The Mummy Returns" and the auditions.
From what Helen Herman gathered, the situation for this audition was not looking optimistic.
"The Mummy Returns" was a sequel, continuing the main cast from "The Mummy" and introducing a few important new characters, among which the Scorpion King was one.
With "The Mummy" grossing over 400 million dollars worldwide, the sequel was bound to attract attention, and naturally, the main roles would have no shortage of contenders.
According to Helen Herman, nearly twenty invitations for the Scorpion King role's audition had been sent out.
At first glance, the number of auditionees seemed less competitive than his audition for Ronald Spears. However, the reality was quite the opposite.
Director Stephen Sommers had his own preference for the role. If not for the producer and Universal Studios insisting on auditions for fairness, the role might have already been assigned.
Despite the success of the first film, like most Hollywood directors, Stephen Sommers did not wield absolute power in the crew, not even listed as a producer.
Helen Herman described Sommers more as a general director than a decision-maker, especially regarding casting, where his opinion was important but not final.
Matthew, now a year into Hollywood, understood this dynamic well. Unless one reached the status of Spielberg or James Cameron, directors generally didn't hold much sway over major studios.
Hollywood operated on a producer-centric system.
"Nearly twenty actors participating in the audition, each with strong competitive power."
In a café within Pinewood Studios, Helen Herman updated Matthew on the situation, "But as of now, the one with the highest chance of winning is Stephen Sommers' proposed candidate."
Matthew stirred his coffee, asking, "Who did Stephen Sommers propose?"
"A professional wrestler," Helen Herman revealed, "Dwayne Johnson."
Hearing this name, Matthew gradually remembered the bald figure he couldn't recall earlier.
Helen continued, "Stephen Sommers strongly recommended Dwayne Johnson to producer Sean Daniel and Universal Studios for the Scorpion King role."
Matthew frowned, "Even if the decision is in the producer's hands, Sean Daniel would consider the director's opinion first, right?"
"He definitely will," Helen checked her watch, "but my sources tell me Sean Daniel isn't too fond of Sommers' recommendation, hence this audition."
Matthew, accustomed to Helen's way of speaking, understood the implication: without a better candidate, Sean Daniel would likely follow Sommers' suggestion.
"Dwayne Johnson is quite famous, isn't he?" Matthew ventured.
"More than you," Helen pondered before adding, "Jack used to be Sean Daniel's personal assistant. I've heard him talk about Sean, describing him as a very conservative Southerner."
Matthew knew the Jack Helen referred to was the bearded man from the "Gladiator" crew.
"You don't need to worry about these things," Helen advised, "Your job today is to pass the initial audition!"
"Right, skin color..." Matthew remembered another question, "Does the crew have a requirement for skin color?"
Helen shook her head, "Don't worry about that. There's no consensus on the actual skin color of ancient Egyptians, not just in Hollywood but academically. Arnold Vosloo, who played Imhotep, was born in South Africa but is white. In Hollywood, if a black actor plays a role, it's black; if a white actor does, it's white; if an Asian does, it's yellow."
She smiled rarely, "It's not a historical documentary, just a commercial entertainment film."
Matthew nodded, falling silent, and turned to look outside the café through the large glass wall, contemplating the upcoming afternoon audition.
Having been in London for three days, failing the audition meant returning home empty-handed.
The café, situated at a crossroads within Pinewood Studios, boasted a prime location. Thanks to London's tax incentives for film crews, not only British TV and film productions but also many Hollywood crews chose to shoot in the UK.
Pinewood Studios was the oldest and most equipped studio in the London area, the preferred venue for many crews shooting in London.
The studio buzzed with activity, housing five to six or more crews simultaneously, a common occurrence.
As noon approached and the foot traffic near the crossroads increased, the hot season prompted many to visit the café for cold drinks.
Three children approached the café, a rare sight within the studio, followed by a young man dressed like an assistant from a crew.
Soon, the trio entered the café, each ordering a cold drink and heading toward Matthew.
Matthew took a closer look: the girl had the common British brown hair and freckles, while the two boys, one with black hair and the other with rare red hair, appeared around ten years old.
As the girl passed by Helen, who was facing away from the door, she stopped.
"Hello, Helen," she greeted Helen Herman, who stood up with a smile, "Hello, Emma." Then she waved at the boys, "Hello, Daniel. Hello, Rupert."
The boys, seemingly less familiar with Helen, smiled and pointed to an empty table, "Emma, we'll wait for you there."
Girls mature early, and Emma nodded, turning back to Helen, "Does your mother know you're here?"
Helen smiled, "I haven't informed her. I might only stay a few days."
Matthew recognized the girl, chiming in, "Aren't you going to introduce us, Helen?"
"Are you Helen's boyfriend?" the girl unexpectedly asked, "Hello, I'm Emma Watson."
"I'm Matthew Horner," Matthew clarified, "Helen's client."
"Oh…" Emma's embarrassed smile followed, "Sorry, my mistake."
Matthew waved it off, "No problem."
Emma seemed closer to Helen, chatting a bit more before joining her companions.
"Is she an actress?" Matthew asked, feigning ignorance.
"The female lead in a Warner crew," Helen disclosed, "I visited their set last time in London."
Matthew caught on, "You're scouting."
Helen didn't reply but didn't deny it either.
After sitting for a while, Helen made a call, summoning Matthew to the studio rented by "The Mummy Returns" crew. After about forty minutes, someone came to take Matthew to the makeup room.
No makeup artist appeared for makeup, but a female costume designer provided him with a form-fitting pair of shorts. After changing in the dressing room, she gave him a black robe similar to what boxers wear before entering the ring.
Matthew donned the black robe, concealing his muscular physique, and followed an assistant to the audition room.
He didn't let the attire affect him negatively; this was a very formal audition, attended not only by the casting director and producer but also monitored throughout by a representative from the actors' union.
This wasn't the Hollywood of the '50s and '60s; even if someone had ulterior motives, they wouldn't be foolish enough to act on them in the audition room.
In the audition room, Matthew stood opposite the camera as instructed, quickly scanning the room. Having seen photos collected by Helen, he immediately recognized Stephen Sommers and Sean Daniel sitting behind the monitor.
These two would decide the fate of the auditionees, especially the latter.
Hollywood is a place of patterns, including crew auditions. Since it wasn't a makeup audition, Matthew quickly introduced himself following the casting director's instructions.
"His resume is okay," Stephen Sommers commented quietly to Sean Daniel after reviewing Matthew's documents, "Just a bit slim."
Sean Daniel ignored him, telling Matthew, "Take off the robe."
Matthew removed the black robe, handing it to a staff member, leaving him in just the shorts. His physique was impressive, his muscles well-defined, reminiscent of Michelangelo's David.
Then, under the casting director's direction, Matthew showcased his strong body and well-defined muscles from various angles.
Stephen Sommers remained silent, but it was clear to everyone that this actor was exceptionally strong.
Sean Daniel nodded, finding Matthew's physique and muscles perfectly met the crew's requirements.
More importantly, Matthew had far more experience than Dwayne Johnson and wasn't a...
He shook his head, not finishing the thought, nor seeking Sommers' opinion, and wrote directly on the document in front of him.
"Makeup audition!"
After writing, he nodded to the casting director, who uttered some formalities before the actor left the audition room.
Sean Daniel glanced at Stephen Sommers and instructed the casting director, "Next!"
Matthew and Helen Herman left Pinewood Studios and had just returned to their hotel when they received a notification from the crew.
"Congratulations, Matthew," Helen put away her phone, "You passed."
Matthew sighed in relief, "Celebrate with a drink tonight?"
Helen shook her head, "It's not time yet." After Matthew left, she dialed a number, "Jack, can you arrange a meeting with Sean Daniel for me?"
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