Chapter 18 |
In just ten days, Angelina Jolie introduced Matthew to a reputable acting school. While such establishments were a dime a dozen in Los Angeles, with most being simple pay-to-play operations, this one had a genuine barrier to entry.
According to Vanessa, the institution was called the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, and it worked primarily with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the William Morris Endeavor Agency (WME), preparing actors for both companies.
Actors not affiliated with those two agencies needed a referral from someone with considerable influence in the industry before they could even be considered for admission.
Without Angelina Jolie's recommendation, it would have been nearly impossible for someone like Matthew to get into an acting school of this caliber.
Just like in his previous life, this world was filled with all sorts of educational institutions. The vast majority were just money-making schemes, while only a select few were truly reliable.
After getting off the bus in North Hollywood, Matthew asked for directions and easily found the school.
"Hello, sir." A security guard stopped Matthew at the open entrance. "This is private property."
"Hi," Matthew said. "I'm here to enroll in an acting course."
The security guard sized him up, then pulled out a list of names and asked politely, "May I have your name?"
The security guard scanned the list, nodded, and said, "Go on in, Mr. Horner."
Then he pointed the way. "Turn left and go straight for about two hundred feet until you see a small white building. The registration office is on the first floor, right inside the door."
He followed the guard's directions and quickly found the registration office. Just as he stepped inside and was about to speak, his phone rang. He glanced down and saw the caller ID: Angel Acting Agency.
"Excuse me." Matthew gave an apologetic smile to the middle-aged woman who was about to assist him. "I need to take this call."
He stepped out of the office and answered, "Hello, this is Matthew Horner."
"Hi, Matthew."
A familiar, crisp female voice came through the line. "This is Helen Herman."
Matthew immediately pictured the sharp, capable agent he had met before.
She spoke quickly. "We have a job for you. If you're interested, come to the office tomorrow at 10 a.m. The meeting is at 11 sharp. And don't forget to bring all your documents and a change of clothes."
Although he had no idea what the job was, Matthew agreed without hesitation. For an aspiring actor like him, the jobs chose him, not the other way around.
After hanging up, he went back to the registration desk and told the middle-aged woman, "I'm Matthew Horner. I was told to come and register today."
The woman was clearly expecting him. She shuffled through a stack of papers, found the right one, and handed him a form. "Fill this out."
As Matthew filled out the application, the woman explained, "The acting course lasts for six months, with a minimum of twenty-two hours of study and practice per week. The school will also recommend you to major agencies to help you secure a full-fledged acting contract."
Hearing this, Matthew nodded in satisfaction.
But then the woman added, "The total cost is six thousand dollars."
Matthew's head shot up; the figure was much higher than he had anticipated.
The woman's next words, however, brought him some relief. "The fee can be paid in installments."
It made sense. Most of the people who came here to study were struggling actors, and six thousand dollars was certainly no small sum for them. A payment plan would ease the financial pressure on many.
"You'll pay two thousand dollars upon registration today," the woman continued. "Another two thousand before classes start in May, and the final two thousand in September."
Matthew quickly calculated his recent income. He had earned $5,500 from the job for Angelina Jolie, $180 for his part in Girl, Interrupted, and just under $1,800 from his first month at Red Penguin Services.
His total income for that period was a little over $7,400.
As for expenses, he had paid $2,400 for six months' rent. Then there were his living costs from the past month and various other expenditures. He had been frugal, but buying a large number of professional books and subscribing to newspapers to improve his reading skills had also cost him a fair bit.
At the moment, he had just under four thousand dollars left in his bank account.
Paying the first installment wouldn't be a problem. The second wasn't due until May, and with his ongoing income from Red Penguin Services, he could manage it as long as he saved carefully.
People were trickling in to register, and he even saw a few faces that looked vaguely familiar, perhaps from movies, but he couldn't place them and wasn't interested in striking up a conversation. After finishing his registration, he went upstairs to the finance department and paid the first $2,000 with his credit card. He picked up a copy of the textbook and left the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, ready to wait for classes to begin in May.
Back in Westwood, Matthew bought a couple of newspapers and headed to his apartment building. He didn't have to work today and had no plans to go out, so he decided to take it easy.
He climbed to the second floor and unlocked the door to his room. As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed an envelope on the floor by the door. He picked it up, tore it open, and his good mood instantly evaporated.
The debt collectors had come knocking.
Sinking onto the lumpy sofa in the middle of the room, Matthew examined the envelope. He didn't recognize it, but he guessed it was a so-called letter of demand, signed by the lawyer Chris Walker, who had already called him twice.
The letter detailed the terms of his contract breach, demanding $50,000 in damages.
Matthew casually tossed the letter aside, muttering, "I can't believe they managed to find out where I live."
On second thought, it wasn't that surprising. His predecessor had left them his real information, and Matthew hadn't made any effort to hide his whereabouts. In a modern society like this, finding someone wasn't particularly difficult.
"Time to consult a lawyer."
He was, after all, the one who had breached the contract. There was no running from something like this. "We'll see if we can reach an out-of-court settlement."
In the Hollywood movies he'd seen, the price of an out-of-court settlement was usually much lower than the plaintiff's initial demand, but Matthew still frowned with worry.
The lawyer's letter, delivered right to his door, gave him a pressing sense of urgency.
Matthew decided to wait until after his visit to the Angel Acting Agency tomorrow. He would see what the job was about before taking the time to consult an attorney.
He spent the rest of the day with his books, making the most of his limited time to improve his reading skills. The next morning, after his run, he changed into his only set of formal clothes, grabbed the bag he had packed the night before, and took the bus to the Angel Acting Agency in North Hollywood.
"Hello." A young woman appeared just inside the agency's door and asked, "Are you the actor who was in yesterday?"
"Yes," Matthew replied. "My name is Matthew Horner. Miss Herman told me she found a job for me."
"Please, have a seat." The woman made a note in the book she was holding. "I'll be right with you."
Matthew entered the ground-floor lobby. It was a completely different scene from the cold emptiness of his last visit. Over sixty men were scattered across the benches, all of them young and sturdily built. Some seemed to know each other and were chatting in low voices.
It was clear they were all extras, just like him.
"Hey, Matthew!" One of them suddenly stood up and waved him over. "Over here!"
Matthew recognized him. His name was Michael, he thought.
Matthew immediately walked over and greeted him, "Hey, Michael."
Michael sat back down, asking, "Here for a job, too?"
"I haven't landed a role in a while," Matthew said, taking a seat beside him. "Came to try my luck. How about you?"
"Same as always." Michael sighed. "I worked as a porter for a bit, then did some background work on a few small productions."
Matthew smiled, echoing Michael's earlier sentiment. "Take your time, things will work out."
Michael was a good-looking guy, tall and strong, with brown hair and blue eyes. If he focused on teen idol movies and TV shows, Matthew thought he might have a future.
Michael nodded energetically. "I've been in Los Angeles for three years. Damn it, I'm going to make it!"
"When you get famous," Matthew joked, "don't forget to give me a leg up."
Michael laughed.
Clap, clap!
Someone at the front of the room clapped their hands sharply. Matthew and Michael both looked toward the staircase, where Helen Herman, the agent who had received them last time, now stood.
Seeing that she had everyone's attention, Helen Herman announced, "We've found a job that could last for a week."