In the negotiation room, Helen Herrman continued to discuss Matthew's treatment and salary with the crew. Matthew listened for a while but soon let his mind wander to other things, knowing his agent could handle these matters. His presence there was more symbolic, or rather, to sign the final contract once both parties reached an agreement.
As a small actor, his contract negotiations were nowhere near as complex as those of star actors. According to Helen Herrman, many Hollywood crews could spend a month or even months negotiating contracts with big-name stars.
Hearing that Helen Herrman had secured a dedicated assistant for him, Matthew nodded slightly. The crew originally wanted him to share an assistant with another actor, which would have been inconvenient.
Especially during and between shooting, actors are in makeup, making it difficult to do anything without assistance. Having a dedicated assistant to handle various tasks would undoubtedly be more convenient.
His phone vibrated suddenly. Seeing the negotiation continuing and no one paying attention to him, Matthew checked his phone to find a text from Britney.
"Was busy until late last night, fell asleep as soon as I lay down, just saw your message now. Congratulations, dear."
Matthew glanced at the negotiation table and quickly typed a response, "Helen is negotiating with the crew, should be able to sign the contract today."
"When does shooting start? Do you still have time to come back to North America?"
"Probably mid-July, I don't know exactly when I'll join the crew yet." Matthew thought for a moment, then asked, "Are you off today?"
"No break, I'm at the TV station getting makeup done, going to record a show soon."
After receiving this message, Matthew was about to reply when another text came in, "I'm going to change clothes, we'll talk after the show."
Matthew responded, "Okay."
Putting away his phone, he looked towards the negotiation table, where Helen Herrman had almost reached an agreement on the salary.
Matthew's salary for this film was set at one hundred thousand dollars, with a normal working day not exceeding ten hours. Overtime beyond ten hours would be calculated separately according to the actors' union regulations.
He was quite satisfied with this salary. Even if this was his only job this year, he would still belong to the hundred-thousand-dollar income bracket.
Then, under the supervision of a lawyer and a representative of the actors' union, Matthew signed a formal contract with "The Mummy Returns" crew.
After Helen Herrman collected his copy of the contract, Matthew was ready to leave. A crew member reminded them, "Producer Sean Daniel and director Stephen Sommers are waiting for you in the office. Please go there."
Matthew nodded, "Okay."
He and Helen Herrman followed the crew member into an office, where two middle-aged men were present, both seen in the audition room the day before.
"The older one is Sean Daniel," Helen Herrman whispered to Matthew, "The other is Stephen Sommers."
"Hello, Mr. Daniel."
Matthew stepped forward, extending his hand. Sean Daniel smiled and nodded, "Hello, Matthew. Your audition left a deep impression on me."
"Thank you." Matthew was humble, "Thank you for this opportunity."
After greeting Sean Daniel, Helen Herrman approached to say hello, and Matthew turned to Stephen Sommers, extending his hand warmly yet humbly, "Hello, Director Sommers."
"Hello."
Stephen Sommers responded curtly, his expression cold, merely touching Matthew's hand before retracting it.
Matthew was slightly taken aback. The director seemed to have a strong opinion of him. Glancing at Stephen Sommers, he confirmed this; Sommers's face wasn't just cold but also showed a hint of disdain...
Aside from the audition room, this seemed to be their first meeting.
Helen Herrman observed all this, frowning slightly before relaxing.
"Stephen..." Sean Daniel spoke up, "Do you have anything to say?"
Matthew remained enthusiastic and humble despite Stephen Sommers's attitude.
Helen Herrman focused on Stephen Sommers, contemplating.
"You'll join the crew in August. Wait for the notification and maintain your current shape!" Stephen Sommers's tone was unmistakably cold, "That's all."
He glanced at his watch, "I have work to do, I'll leave first."
With that, Stephen Sommers left the office.
Sean Daniel exchanged a few pleasantries with Matthew and Helen Herrman, who then took the initiative to leave.
Exiting the "The Mummy Returns" office building and heading towards the studio gate, Matthew said, "I feel like Stephen Sommers has a problem with me."
Helen Herrman calmly replied, "I noticed." She thought for a moment, adding, "It might be because of Dwayne Johnson."
Matthew was curious, "What's the relationship between Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Sommers?"
"No relationship," Helen Herrman said as she let a golf cart pass, "I heard the Scorpion King character was designed by Stephen Sommers with Dwayne Johnson in mind."
She shook her head, "Many directors have their stubborn side. The crew chose you over the director's preferred choice, probably why Stephen Sommers is not happy."
"Really?" Matthew frowned, "I haven't even joined the crew, and the director already has a bias against me."
He thought that if the director had issues with a crew member, that person's life on set would be difficult.
Helen Herrman suddenly stopped, turned to Matthew, "I've helped you secure the role. How you get along with Stephen Sommers on set is something you need to consider carefully. Let me remind you, you're just a small actor. Don't even think about confronting the director!"
Matthew understood her meaning; if something happened between him and Stephen Sommers, he would be the one to leave.
"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked.
Stephen Sommers's dislike for him was troubling, but he couldn't give up this opportunity, not just for the potential fame the role could bring, but also for the hundred thousand dollars.
"Endure!" Helen Herrman said seriously, "You have no grounds to confront Stephen Sommers. No matter what he says or does, you must endure."
Matthew sighed, knowing this was the best approach.
Helen Herrman resumed walking, telling Matthew as he caught up, "From what I know, Stephen Sommers values family and is very professional. He's unlikely to deliberately make things difficult for you."
She looked at Matthew, "Aren't you good at building relationships?"
Matthew shrugged, "I'll try my best."
He shook his head, continuing alongside Helen Herrman, pondering the challenges he might face on set and how to deal with them.
If he were a big star, these issues wouldn't be a concern. If he were at Tom Cruise's level, perhaps he could easily have a disagreeable director replaced.
In the end, it all came down to his status being too low. Matthew shook his head again, correcting himself. At this point, what status did he even have?
"If it really comes to it..." he mused, "As Helen said, endure! The Scorpion King's role isn't that big. At most, I'll endure for a month."
For that hundred thousand dollars, he was willing to endure.
Helen Herrman received a call, then told Matthew, "I've booked a flight for tomorrow. We're heading back to Los Angeles to prepare for the 'Fast & Furious' audition."
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