Why take it seriously when it's just a casual affair?
Although the analogy is not quite appropriate, it's like "The Emperor's New Clothes." In reality, everyone understands that it's all a show, and they are just spectators cooperating with the performance. There's no need to expose the lie; let the show continue.
However, some people are different; a child who dared to speak the truth emerged at the Hayworth Theater.
From a distance, after a quick glance, the figure looked quite young, probably in his early twenties. He was likely still inexperienced and unable to switch his expressions flexibly or adapt to situations where he was just putting on an act. He inadvertently revealed his true feelings.
Anson was curious whether that person would speak the truth like the child in "The Emperor's New Clothes".
He didn't.
The figure looked around in astonishment, then gradually came to its senses, withdrew its gaze, lowered its head, hunched over, and stealthily prepared to leave.
It seems he has no intention of exposing the performance, nor does he intend to stay any longer.
Anson found this scene very amusing.
It seems that Hollywood in 2000 still retained some vitality and edges; not everyone groveled at the feet of popularity and sold their souls.
Edgar-Cook was thinking, maybe, possibly, probably... he should leave.
As a junior agent, having recently transitioned from an assistant agent to a full-fledged agent, he had absolutely no connections, no network, and no clients.
Everything must start from scratch.
So Edgar had to walk all over Los Angeles, from acting schools to independent theaters, from TV sets to the streets.
Even while walking or eating, one needs to keep an eye on things.
Perhaps he can discover unpolished gems; perhaps he can discover struggling actors; perhaps he can discover big-name actors whose relationships with their agents have broken down.
Opportunities are not something you wait for; you have to discover, explore, and strive for them yourself.
"Possibility" is something we create ourselves.
Edgar had no reason to miss the "hole" this afternoon—
Besides James and Seth, the cast also includes a group of promising actors without agents, and Edgar has high expectations for them.
But that's it?
No way...
Was it that his expectations were too high, causing him to miss the main points, or was it that he lacked the ability to appreciate the performance before him? Edgar poses a thought-provoking question:
To leave or to stay, that is a question worth considering.
But what are the criteria for judgment?
intuition.
A top agent must trust their intuition. Their judgment of their clients, the directors they work with, the projects they collaborate with, and their career planning must all be based on their intuition.
If an agent doesn't know what they're doing, even the careers of top directors and actors can be ruined.
At the very least, this is what Edgar learned during his five years at William Morris Agency, cultivating his own vision.
Although he has not yet received any clients, Edgar believes that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to clients; and he has confidence in himself.
After all, he broke the odds of one in twenty and became the only lucky person to be promoted from assistant to agent in March.
At William Morris, everything is based on ability. Even within the same company, everyone is a competitor. Getting a permanent position is not based on luck.
Founded in 1898, William Morris Agency is the only one of the five major Hollywood talent agencies with a history spanning over a century.
The combined operating time of the other four major brokerage firms cannot match that of William Morris.
It is no exaggeration to say that William Morris witnessed the history of Hollywood and nurtured countless talents who built the Hollywood talent agency industry as it is today.
Although Creative Artists Agency rose to become the industry leader in the 1980s, the aging William Morris made a remarkable comeback in the 1990s, and at the dawn of the new century, the two companies were ranked as the top five Hollywood talent agencies.
One of the most far-reaching moves by William Morris Agency was the invention of the mailroom:
As a training ground for new talent, the careers of the five founders of Creative Artists Agency, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, and DreamWorks founder Jeffery Katzenberg all began here.
Now, all Hollywood talent agencies have set up mailrooms.
Edgar was no exception.
From starting in William Morris's mailroom to becoming a full-fledged agent, he worked his way up step by step, relying entirely on his own hard work.
Even though it's only just begun, he has the confidence to back it up with William Morris's reputation.
Edgar admitted that he was somewhat disappointed with the "hole".
This applies to everything—drama, performance, and so on—like student works: crude, rudimentary, pretentious, and affectedly sentimental.
James Franco is indeed a talented person, but so far, he has not yet found the right way to utilize his talents.
Of course, James is not someone a mere agent like Edgar needs to worry about; however, Edgar doesn't think he needs to stay any longer, and would rather have afternoon tea.
Edgar chose to trust his intuition.
He stood up, bent over, trying to avoid disturbing others, and quietly left without a trace. Then, he realized:
A gaze.
Like prey stepping into a trap and being targeted by a hunter, the hairs on the back of my neck instantly stand on end.
What happened?
Edgar straightened up and, using the crowd as cover, quickly scanned the area—
At this moment, all eyes turned to the stage, applauding the cast as they took their bows, accompanied by screams, whistles, and cheers.
A noisy scene.
If there are any outliers, they will naturally stand out, like a sharp awl in a sack.
Then, Edgar found it.
Aura.
This was Edgar's first impression. His face and features were not clearly visible in the crowd, and his gaze could not be accurately described; it was just an impression.
It wasn't ostentatious, but you couldn't help but shift your gaze, wanting to take another look.
Even when she noticed Edgar's gaze, she didn't deliberately avoid it. Instead, she gently raised her chin and nodded, a smile appearing in her eyes.
Edgar was a little embarrassed.
Only then did I realize that my sneaky and stealthy manner of leaving had been caught red-handed, which was extremely impolite.
Of course, you can leave. Even if James Franco catches you red-handed, it's no big deal. Does the show have to end before people are allowed to leave?
But as his thoughts raced, Edgar slowed his pace, straightened up, and looked at the stage. He thought, perhaps there might be some unexpected gains.
Anyway, the show is over, the most difficult and painful part is over, and staying won't make things any worse.
One second he was about to leave, the next he changed his mind; even the most skilled ballerinas couldn't match his whirling, but Edgar felt no guilt whatsoever.
Playing along, isn't that the basic survival rule of Hollywood?
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