Inside a Disney studio audition room, Matthew, following Jerry Bruckheimer's request, concluded a performance, imitating Helen Herman's mannerism of adjusting her glasses, standing in front of the camera waiting for the next set of instructions.
Jerry Bruckheimer, overseeing the audition, appeared calm and stated, "That'll do. Matthew, that's enough for today. I'll notify Helen of the results as soon as possible."
"Okay." Without saying much, Matthew turned and left the audition room, following a staff member to the makeup room.
In the audition room, Jerry Bruckheimer turned on the monitor to rewatch Matthew's audition tape, with Anderson Martinez also watching intently beside him.
After the tape finished, Anderson Martinez frowned slightly, murmuring, "Something feels off."
Jerry Bruckheimer had noticed the discrepancy during the audition itself. Replaying the audition tape, Anderson Martinez scratched his head, pondering, "What exactly is off?"
With his eyes glued to the monitor, Jerry Bruckheimer remained silent until the tape ended, then stood up and said, "Call Helen Herman later and tell her Matthew Horner isn't right for the role."
Anderson Martinez was taken aback, knowing Jerry Bruckheimer had initially favored Matthew Horner for the lead role.
"Is there really a problem?" he asked.
As one of his most trusted assistants, Jerry Bruckheimer didn't hide his thoughts, replaying the audition tape and pointing at Matthew on the screen, "Have you noticed? Matthew has developed a masculine, strong, even slightly domineering aura that matches his rugged exterior. Even dressed in a suit and wearing glasses, this aura comes through during his performance. This makes him stand out in roles like a tough blacksmith or a professional soldier, but as a scholarly leading man…"
He shook his head, "The audition was significantly different from what I expected. Matthew isn't suited for this type of role; he's more suited for King Arthur."
Jerry Bruckheimer sighed. Clive Owen's performance in "King Arthur" was just okay, falling short of expectations. A tough role like that, if played by Matthew Horner, might shine like Will Turner did.
Now it seemed that Matthew Horner couldn't be cast as the lead in "National Treasure." Despite appearing scholarly, he lacked the historical depth and scholarly demeanor needed for a decryption expert. Facing the villain, his scenes threatened by physical force would turn into comedy rather than suspense.
Perhaps he had set his expectations for Matthew Horner too high.
Jerry Bruckheimer quickly developed a clear concept: Matthew Horner could handle roles similar to his own temperament without issue, but struggled with characters of opposite temperaments.
Unwilling to take the risk, he would not cast Matthew. This is Hollywood, after all, where finding suitable young actors isn't difficult.
After delegating the remaining tasks to Anderson Martinez, Jerry Bruckheimer left the audition room first.
Helen Herman received the call from Anderson Martinez while leaving the Disney studio, headed back to Angel Management in the car.
"Okay, got it. Thanks for letting me know, Anderson."
After a brief exchange, Helen closed her phone, looked at Matthew, who had guessed the audition outcome from her conversation.
Indeed, Helen Herman announced, "Bad news, we're out."
"Why?" Matthew asked curiously.
Helen Herman explained directly, "Jerry Bruckheimer thinks your personal demeanor greatly differs from the scholarly aura the role requires."
"So, he thinks there's a problem with my acting?"
"That's one way to put it," Helen Herman contemplated, then added, "Anderson just told me that Jerry Bruckheimer has finalized the lead character with the screenwriters and submitted it to Disney. They won't easily change it. It's a scholarly role, in an action-adventure film that leans more towards adventure, with very few action scenes for the male lead."
Matthew grimaced, seeing Anderson Martinez's comments as hindsight.
Helen seemed to guess Matthew's thoughts, saying, "Anderson Martinez is one of Jerry Bruckheimer's most important assistants. Would he risk getting fired by Bruckheimer to leak information to us, even if we're on good terms?"
Matthew shook his head slightly, "I'm just a bit frustrated. We've been following this project since last year, only to be cut now. It feels unsatisfying."
"I'm frustrated too," Helen Herman didn't show it, "but that's Hollywood. Even as a second-tier star, there are plenty of others ready to take your place."
Her self-deprecation was fleeting, "You don't think we can get whatever role we want, do you?"
Matthew raised an eyebrow at Helen Herman, "Do I look that naive?"
The failure of the audition was an unwelcome outcome, but not uncommon. He had heard that other second-tier stars like James Franco, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell also auditioned, any of whom winning wouldn't be surprising.
Starting from last year's interest in Jerry Bruckheimer's new project to end up with nothing was hard to accept.
Upon entering Angel Management, Matthew's frustration faded. After all, he was just a second-tier star, neither Tom Hanks nor Tom Cruise, as Helen had said in the car, there are many who could replace a second-tier star.
"You okay now?"
Entering the front hall of Angel Management, Helen Herman glanced at Matthew, confirming, "You're fine."
Matthew shrugged, "I'm a man. Should I wallow over this all day? If an audition fails, I'll just move on to the next job."
"Good attitude," Helen Herman gave Matthew a rare compliment.
Matthew, somewhat unused to the praise, casually waved her off, "You go ahead, I'm off to the game room to play for a bit."
With that, he headed down the corridor, deciding to relax and not dwell on the audition. Finding new work was Helen's concern, not his.
At his level, just as with endorsements, choosing roles carefully was crucial. Accepting too many offers could lead to poor-quality films, affecting one's standing and next film's salary.
Hollywood's system is based on the box office of the last three years' films. If the box office is low, so is the salary, even for Oscar winners.
Many fallen superstars started their decline with one bad film, like Nicolas Cage, who accepted any role due to financial issues, leading to a plummet in his value.
In Hollywood, age and experience don't necessarily lead to higher pay or prestige.
Ultimately, the market decides.
Entering the game room, Matthew picked a game console and played Super Mario and Contra.
Days later, news came that James Franco, known for his role as the Green Goblin in "Spider-Man," landed the lead in "National Treasure."
Matthew wasn't surprised by his casting or the changes to the film. Success was uncertain.
Adhering to a policy of quality over quantity, Matthew and Helen didn't find a suitable project until December, apart from a collaboration with DreamWorks and Michael Bay on a clone project.
Matthew wasn't in a hurry. He participated in a voiceover session for "Dawn of the Dead," discussing film techniques with Zack Snyder. Most of the conversation was led by Snyder, with Matthew listening intently, lacking expertise in directorial knowledge.
From Snyder's words, Matthew sensed Snyder's frustration with the limitations placed on him by Sean Daniel, hindering his creative expression.
Matthew thought of "300," based on the
ancient Greek defense against Persians, possibly a novel or comic adaptation. He considered collaborating with Snyder on "300" after "Dawn of the Dead," depending on a reliable film company's support.
For now, this remained an idea, as "Dawn of the Dead's" success was uncertain. Failure would blacklist Snyder, making future projects difficult.
Matthew also had commitments with Disney for "Pirates of the Caribbean," supporting its Oscar campaign alongside Johnny Depp.
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