The change in rhythm was really too fast.
One second they're praising each other, the next they're suddenly turning on each other.
"Be careful, this guy might be a scammer."
James raised his hand and held the business card under his nose, sniffing it like a detective, his gaze towards Edgar carrying a hint of mockery and amusement.
"This guy is just a junior agent. The ink on his business card is still wet. You can tell at a glance that he's just starting out in his career."
"We came here today to find some prey, to deceive and trick innocent lambs into signing contracts with sugar-coated bullets, and to exploit the blood and sweat of these vulnerable groups."
"In fact, he was nothing to William Morris and had no say in the matter. He was just making empty promises about a future that he could never deliver."
"Sam, be careful, don't fall for it."
After saying that, James stuffed the business card back into Edgar's shirt pocket and patted Edgar's chest provocatively.
Sam's eyes widened. "But... that's the real William Morris!"
James slightly raised his chin and glanced at Edgar, deliberately giving him some time, but Edgar did not rush to defend himself before James spoke.
"Of course, I believe he is William Morris's, that can't be faked."
"But everyone in Hollywood knows that William Morris is seniority-based, and all resources are concentrated in the hands of a few agents and a few superstars. Agents are just like actors, and newcomers have almost no chance to get ahead."
"It was precisely because they couldn't stand this that the five apprentices left in anger to found Creative Artists, and are now William Morris's biggest competitor."
"This junior agent has absolutely no say in William Morris's business. 99% of the sweet talk he's spouting now is completely worthless lies. His promises are like the conversation between a man and a woman when they first meet in a bar—not a single word can be believed."
James's words do have some merit, but they are not entirely correct.
At least one thing is certain: faced with the powerful impact of innovative artist management companies, if William Morris were truly so corrupt and outdated, it should have long since disintegrated and disappeared into the annals of history.
However, this did not happen in reality.
This proves that William Morris must also have his own advantages and strengths, even with unknown new actors and young agents.
Anson remained remarkably calm and was not led by the nose by James's words; however, he did not speak either, but was curious about Edgar's reaction.
Edgar showed no panic, no anger, no shame—nothing at all.
From passive to active and back to passive, through a short period of intense activity, Edgar remained calm and listened quietly to James.
Edgar only spoke slowly and deliberately after James finished speaking and noticed James's youthful and impetuous gaze directed at him.
"Our company's secrets are obviously no secret in Hollywood."
He made a self-deprecating remark.
"Indeed, William Morris is seniority-based, which is why A-list agents target A-list actors and lead roles in A-list productions."
"But the key point is that a movie doesn't just have one actor."
"Everyone only focuses on the top 1% of superstars, so what about the other 99% of actors? They can only rely on us B-level, C-level, and D-level agents to take care of them."
As he spoke, Edgar's gaze swept over the curves of James' upper body, the unintentional teasing only understood by a select few.
"A one-step solution, something I've always dreamed of, but there's also a certain charm to raising a character like Johnny Depp."
"Who knows? Maybe today's Hayworth Theater will produce the next 1% agent and 1% actor, while we are all standing in a 200-seat theater, talking and laughing with nothing to our name."
Johnny Depp transitioned from an unknown, distinctive rock band lead singer to an actor, steadily growing into one of Hollywood's most charismatic actors. Not only did he receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year, but recent rumors suggest he has been chosen by Disney to star in their next blockbuster, "Pirates of the Caribbean."
It's a truly inspiring story of a Hollywood underdog's rise to success.
All of this was created by a small-time agent, Tracey Jacobs, with the actor and agent complementing each other.
At that time, Tracy was just a junior agent at an innovative artist agency, signing Johnny, who was unknown to anyone, didn't know what acting was, and couldn't even memorize his lines.
Twenty years later, Johnny became Tracy's absolute trump card in Hollywood. In 1998, when Tracy moved from Creative Artists to United Elite, one of the Big Five Hollywood agencies, Johnny did not hesitate to transfer his contract with Tracy.
Despite James' aggressive approach, Edgar handled it with ease.
James was also somewhat surprised, and his gaze lingered on Edgar for a moment. "So, are you comparing yourself to Tracy Jacobs? Haha, hahaha."
Edgar shrugged slightly. "Yes, I'm also comparing you to Johnny Depp."
James: ...
puff.
Anson's lips curled up slightly, and a smile could be seen in Sam's eyes. It must be said that Edgar was indeed a fascinating person.
Be flexible and adaptable, neither arrogant nor humble.
In addition, one must assess the situation and act accordingly.
He did not flaunt his power when he had the upper hand, nor did he lose his composure when he was in a disadvantageous position. He always remained calm and grasped the situation appropriately.
In just those few brief exchanges, Edgar demonstrated the essential qualities of an excellent agent in both his offense and defense.
In Anson's view, this junior agent does indeed have some talent.
The only remaining question is, what is Edgar's eye for selecting works? This is another important criterion for judging an agent's professional competence.
But for a supporting actor like Sam, signing with Edgar would be a good choice.
only...
James is still young and energetic. The "freak and nerd" cutoff score did not make him bow his head. Instead, it aroused his arrogance, showing that he would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. At this time, he was extremely critical of Edgar.
James heard Anson's laughter but didn't mind. He spread his hands in strong protest, "Hey, buddy, I'm acting as your black knight, and instead of helping me, you're sabotaging me?"
Before Anson could respond, Seth and Chris walked over, and James immediately started wailing and protesting, begging for help.
"Seth, Seth!"
"There's a junior agent named William Morris here trying to swindle Sam and Anson. I'm not worried about that scoundrel Anson at all, but what about Sam? Oh, our naive Sam."
Anson: ? ? ?
Seth didn't know what had happened either, but he immediately joined in the commotion, "William Morris? No, no, no, Sam, don't be fooled. Even if you sign Endeavour, don't be deceived by the name William Morris."
Endeavour, a newcomer among the top five Hollywood talent agencies, was founded in 1995.
Despite their rapid growth and successful poaching of talent from competitors to eventually join the ranks of the top five, they are still too young and currently focus primarily on television dramas.
"That's a den of dragons and tigers. Be careful, you might get devoured alive if you're not careful," Seth said, spreading alarmist rumors.
Sam was pale and his eyes were glazed over; he was completely terrified and couldn't laugh.