The Box Office King of Hollywood

In the audition room, Cameron Crowe sat behind the director's monitor, waiting for the next actor to audition.

This project was his brainchild, serving as writer, director, and producer. From convincing DreamWorks to invest to securing film fund investments last year due to a budget shortfall, he had poured his heart and soul into "Almost Famous," which he considered his child.

Cameron Crowe invested his entire being into this film, refusing to allow any mistakes.

Thus, he personally oversaw many aspects, including the initial auditions for major supporting roles.

A knock on the door was followed by a young actor entering. The moment Cameron Crowe saw him, his eyes lit up—the actor had a tall stature, defined features, and a rugged face, exuding masculinity.

The young male actor's physical appearance was impressive.

"What a pity..." Cameron Crowe sighed softly.

Casting director Gail Levin then spoke, "Please introduce yourself."

"I'm Matthew Horner, twenty years old, from Texas..."

Standing in front of the camera, Matthew confidently completed his self-introduction.

"Hmm..." Cameron Crowe suddenly interrupted, "That's enough."

Matthew was taken aback. Was that it? He had a bad feeling.

Gail Levin understood the director's intent, internally lamenting the wasted potential of such a promising actor dismissed by Cameron Crowe.

"Mr. Horner." He continued with the formalities, "We will notify you of the audition results as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Matthew realized there was nothing he could do but to leave the audition room and find Helen Herman waiting in the lobby.

"That was quick," Helen Herman frowned, "What happened?"

Matthew shook his head, "I don't know. I just did my introduction, and Director Cameron Crowe said it was enough. Then the casting director asked me to leave."

Helen Herman, her face hidden behind dark glasses, looked sternly at Matthew and shook her head, "Let's go."

She led the way out of the studio, with Matthew following, asking, "Was I eliminated?"

Helen Herman didn't sugarcoat it, "Ninety-nine percent likely."

The disappointment that had been lurking in his chest surged forward, and Matthew's expression darkened, "All that preparation for nothing."

Helen Herman remained silent, pulling out her phone and answering a call. After a while, she put on a polite smile, "Okay, I understand. Thank you. Let's have coffee sometime."

Hanging up and putting away her phone, she shook her head at Matthew, "You didn't make it."

Despite expecting it, Matthew was still dejected and frustrated, unable to understand why, "There must be a reason."

"The director, Cameron Crowe, just didn't like you," Helen Herman said helplessly, "A contact from the crew just called me. They received a notification from the audition room. Cameron Crowe thinks you're too masculine and doesn't fit the gentle and decadent rock star image he had in mind."

Matthew spread his hands in resignation, ultimately just shrugging it off with a bitter smile.

With Cameron Crowe holding all the cards in "Almost Famous," there was indeed nothing they could do.

"Let's go," Helen Herman quickly regained her composure, "Staying here won't change anything."

"Okay."

Matthew followed her to the studio gate, feeling unavoidably downhearted. After all, he had prepared so much, only to be eliminated without even a chance to showcase his talent.

For this role, he had meticulously studied every piece of information collected by Angel Management, met with veteran guitarists from rock bands, had encounters with former addicts, and even visited gay bars to understand bisexuality, only to be harassed...

All for nothing.

To say he wasn't disheartened, disappointed, or irritated would be a lie.

As they neared the studio gate, Helen Herman suddenly asked, "Feeling defeated?"

Matthew shrugged, not denying it, "A bit. This is my first audition failure."

But then again, he hadn't attended many auditions to begin with.

Helen Herman seemed completely unfazed by the setback, "You'll get used to it. There will be many more."

Matthew nodded, not saying much. He knew Helen Herman was speaking the truth. With so many actors in Hollywood vying for even the smallest roles, only one could win. Failure was the norm.

"I'm okay, just a bit frustrated," Matthew admitted, "All that preparation was for naught."

He shook his head, then added, "But that's in the past now. Let's look forward."

This level of setback might bother him for a while, but it wouldn't crush him. As Helen Herman said, with more auditions would come more failures.

Leaving the studio, they reached the parking lot. Matthew reminded Helen Herman, "Don't we have other options?"

"I'm aware," Helen Herman replied as she approached her car, unlocking the door, "I'll contact 'The Mummy Returns' crew once I'm back. You should also review that material; we might head to the UK at any moment."

Matthew also mentioned, "And 'Fast and Furious.'"

Although he might not land a lead role, every audition was a precious experience for him, every role a valuable opportunity.

Self-study and actual filming were entirely different experiences. Now, he needed both practice and experience accumulation.

Helen Herman got into her car and rolled down the window, "I remember."

She drove off first, and Matthew followed in his second-hand Ford, leaving the parking lot.

Back at his rented apartment, he stored all materials related to "Almost Famous," now worthless to him, and pulled out the documents for "The Mummy Returns," immersing himself in preparation.

The "Almost Famous" audition failure made the role of the Scorpion King in "The Mummy Returns" even more appealing.

"It seems the guy who played that role later became a superstar," Matthew mused, trying to recall the name, "Was it a professional wrestler or fighter who switched careers?"

Compared to that individual, he might be at a disadvantage in terms of physique, but he believed his experience and acting skills gave him an edge.

Matthew laughed to himself; such considerations were moot at this stage. Who knew who else would audition? Perhaps there would be candidates superior in both aspects.

The past year had been too smooth for him, leading to overly simplistic expectations. For instance, this failure. He had thought adequate preparation guaranteed at least passing the initial audition, but what was the outcome?

In this competitive industry, not everything would go as planned.

After calming down, Matthew saw this failure as a blessing in disguise, helping clear his previously muddled mind and regain his composure.

It also sharpened his understanding of his current situation.

For those production crews, rejecting an actor of his level was as simple as saying no, without needing a reason. Meanwhile, he had to give his all for even a minor role, with no guarantee of success. In fact, the odds of failure were much higher.

The sudden ring of his Nokia phone interrupted Matthew's reflections. Seeing it was Britney's number, he quickly answered.

"Matthew, didn't you have an audition today?" Britney asked with concern, "Did you pass?"

"I failed," Matthew responded calmly, "The director thought I didn't match the role's image and temperament."

Britney immediately retorted, "Then he lacks vision! He doesn't appreciate how outstanding you are!"

Matthew smiled, "Thanks! But don't worry, dear, I'm fine."

"That's good to hear," Britney said, with noise in the background. She whispered, "I have to attend an event, gotta go."

"Alright, take care," Matthew replied, "Goodbye."

Britney seemed rushed and hung up before saying goodbye.

Tossing his phone onto the sofa, Matthew considered whether to fly to Vancouver to visit Britney if he wasn't heading to London soon. Even a brief meeting was better than short daily phone calls.

Matthew sometimes struggled with their busy schedules. Britney was extremely busy, and so was he. He couldn't just abandon his work to accompany her on tour, which would effectively make him a kept man—a concept he couldn't accept, regardless of cultural differences.

A call from Elena Polyar inquiring about the audition soon followed. Upon hearing of his failure, she couldn't help but mock him a bit.

Matthew knew her personality and didn't take it to heart. Her immediate inquiry showed she considered him at least a half-friend, or a decent collaborator at worst.

In the days that followed, Matthew moved past the "Almost Famous" audition debacle, focusing on preparing for the Scorpion King role. While preparation didn't guarantee winning the role, lack of it almost certainly meant failure.

To familiarize himself with "The Mummy" series, he rented almost all of Universal Studios' monster movies from a video rental store. There were several films about mummies alone, as Universal had been producing monster movies like "The Mummy" and "Frankenstein" since the 1930s and 1940s.

He also watched other films directed by Stephen Sommers, the director of "The Mummy Returns," to understand his style and preferences.

By late May, Helen Herman relayed news from "The Mummy Returns" crew, officially inviting Matthew to a London suburb's production studio for the Scorpion King audition.

Failing the "Almost Famous" audition only intensified Matthew's determination to secure the Scorpion King role.

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