"You will be like Natalie. Your name will be mentioned alongside Mel's. What could be better than that?"
This one sentence was enough—it was very representative.
When he spoke, Harry's face radiated a confident glow of pride, believing that it would be remarkable if Anson could reach the heights of Natalie Portman or Mel Gibson.
Though it differed slightly from Edgar's expectations, the conclusion was the same.
In Harry's view, there was a ceiling, visible to the naked eye. He lacked imagination and creativity, but that didn't matter—after all, Anson didn't need an agent's creativity. He could choose scripts on his own; all he needed was for Harry to secure roles for him.
But the meeting had a small hiccup.
Anson didn't mention Edgar or the details Edgar had predicted. Instead, he brought up the incident in a phone call.
"The meeting didn't last long, probably less than three minutes, and then Harry got busy."
"First, it was a call from Michael Bay. The project he was working on had encountered issues, and Harry needed to handle it and soothe the director's impatience."
It was likely "Pearl Harbor," a film with a $130 million budget, hailed as the most expensive war movie ever. It had attracted all of Hollywood's attention from the very beginning.
"Then there was Natalie Portman. It seemed to be about a long-delayed audition, and Natalie was growing impatient. Harry had to reassure her over the phone, telling her that an answer was imminent, but she needed to be patient a little longer."
"I saw how busy he was, so I found a moment to thank him for making time to meet, then took my leave."
Objectively speaking, Anson wasn't Harry's client yet, so he didn't have to take responsibility for Anson. Naturally, he prioritized his existing clients.
But social etiquette is different. With Darren's introduction and a confirmed meeting time, Harry should have shown more respect—five to ten minutes of a meeting wasn't too much to ask.
This suggests that Harry had no authority in front of big names like Michael Bay and Natalie.
It also suggests that Harry lacked the ability to prioritize.
Of course, maybe this was just Harry's style—personally handling everything and giving it his utmost attention, which strengthened his bond with his clients. But it also meant that if he had to choose between Anson and other clients, Anson wouldn't be his first choice.
So, Anson left.
Darren was a smart man. From Anson's brief description, he quickly judged the situation and subtly raised his chin, showing some dissatisfaction with Harry's response and attitude—
No matter what, Anson deserved a ten-minute meeting.
But Darren said nothing. "What about Eric? Creative Artists Agency has always welcomed new actors in Hollywood. I believe they must be very eager to have you."
Anson nodded. "Actually, that's true. They gave me a warm welcome. Not just Eric; two other agents also attended the meeting. For a newcomer like me, it was quite flattering."
Darren's expression softened, even though Anson couldn't see it through the phone. Darren was somewhat pleased. Whether they could work together or not, the attitude reflected a company's culture.
Darren smiled. "They treat all new actors the same. No need to feel special because their agency culture emphasizes a team approach. Generally, an actor will have three to five agents, with one taking the lead. So during meetings, all three will be present."
Anson chuckled, his voice resonating with amusement. "Uncle Darren, did you forget? I just told you, I don't think they're the right choice either."
Darren didn't mind. "So I assume you have a better reason for rejecting them."
Anson replied, "They have too many voices."
Darren didn't interrupt, patiently listening.
Anson continued, "I know 'Friends' is just a beginning, an insignificant one. In less than six months, maybe even in two months, the audience might forget about me, and Hollywood won't care. I need a plan."
"So, I asked Eric what my next move should be."
"They... had too many voices. Uncle Darren, I don't think they had a clear idea."
Darren gently lifted his chin. "But you should know, most agents don't have a clear idea at the beginning. They might plan a career, but Hollywood doesn't always respond the way they expect. So, in the beginning, you need to experiment, take risks, seize every opportunity—that's how you create a start."
"Countless stars didn't have choices at the start."
Anson agreed, but also disagreed. "But Uncle Darren, they are Creative Artists Agency. They have the power to choose. If they had a plan, they could create opportunities."
"Of course, whether those opportunities can be seized or whether they unfold as expected is another matter."
The key point was that they had too many voices but no plan.
Darren understood immediately. He didn't entirely agree—he thought Anson was still somewhat arrogant, full of dreams for the future and confidence in himself. But Darren wasn't surprised—
At eighteen, one still believes the world belongs to them.
Darren was genuinely curious, "Anson, from what you've just said, it sounds like you already have a plan?"
As expected, an old fox like Darren could pick up on the subtle hints.
Anson laughed heartily. If he knew exactly which projects could succeed but didn't strive to secure them, wouldn't that be a waste of his potential?
"I have some ideas."
"But, Uncle Darren, as you said, before the results come in, none of us can truly know if our plans are genius or foolish."
"Either way, we have to try and see, right?"
He left it at that.
Darren understood. After all, young people often need to hit a few walls before they realize the right path. They need to go through their own trials to grow.
As Darren's thoughts raced, he said, "How about this, Anson? I'll give Eric another call and discuss things further. Let's take some time and not rush to make any decisions. When it comes to agents, urgency can be relative. It's important, but it doesn't have to be decided in haste."
"Meanwhile, take some time to rest and don't be in a hurry to pick your next project. Who knows, something new might come up during this period?"
"After all, we are in Hollywood."
Darren's tone carried a hint of mystery. Anson could sense there was more behind Darren's words, but with limited information, he couldn't quite figure it out.
Anson didn't press the issue—
Indeed, Creative Artists Agency was a good option, and Eric fit the image Anson had in mind for an agent.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Darren ended the call.
He didn't rush but waited a few hours until his tasks were done before dialing David Klein's number.
"David, I have an idea. Let me run it by you and see what you think."
**End of Chapter 3**