"Hello, Mr. Daniel."
In the coffee shop, Helen Herman, dressed in a business suit, smiled and introduced herself to the person opposite, "I'm Helen Herman, an agent from Angel Agency."
Across from her, Sean Daniel, with thinning brown hair and in his fifties, wore old-fashioned flat-rimmed glasses and a relatively old-fashioned suit. His unremarkable face was quite serious, and his appearance alone gave off an impression of being conservative and rigid.
Sean Daniel lightly shook Helen Herman's outstretched hand and nodded, saying, "Hello, Miss Herman."
As he spoke, he quickly sized up Helen Herman. She was wearing a well-fitted dark suit, her hair meticulously combed back, and a pair of plain black-rimmed glasses on her nose. Aside from a pair of stud earrings, she wore no other accessories, exuding a calm and capable aura.
His first impression of this female agent was very good.
Although Sean Daniel didn't show it, he subconsciously felt that this woman named Helen Herman was a conservative.
"Do you need something from me?"
Lately, many agents had sought him out, such as Dwayne Johnson's agent, and their intentions were obvious.
Helen Herman knew that producers were busy and there was no need to hide anything. She said, "My client, Matthew Horner, passed the initial audition for The Scorpion King and is one of the four actors chosen by the production team for the costume audition."
"You're well-informed." Sean Daniel wasn't surprised.
Helen Herman smiled and continued, "For the role of the Scorpion King, Matthew has an advantage that others don't. In the currently popular 'Gladiator,' he played the leader of a barbarian tribe, which in some ways is similar to the Scorpion King. Moreover, he was personally selected by director Ridley Scott."
Sean Daniel had naturally seen "Gladiator," also produced by Universal Pictures, and remembered that barbarian role. Anyone used by Ridley Scott, even if not outstanding, should at least be decent.
In fact, Helen Herman was well aware that Matthew also had his own advantages compared to the other three competitors. Her purpose in meeting Sean Daniel was to highlight Matthew's strengths.
Compared to Dwayne Johnson, Matthew was at a disadvantage in terms of physique, but his acting experience could easily overshadow him.
"Matthew Horner just finished filming 'Band of Brothers,' executive produced by Hanks and Spielberg." Helen Herman listed Matthew's advantages one by one. "He underwent rigorous military training starting last November and maintained it throughout the entire filming of 'Band of Brothers.' More than half a year of training and filming has made him look very much like a warrior. Furthermore, during the filming of 'Band of Brothers,' Matthew personally performed even the most difficult action scenes."
Compared to the other two competitors, Matthew's acting was average, but he had an absolute advantage in terms of physical condition and training!
As Sean Daniel listened to all this, a thought naturally popped into his head: "The Scorpion King role is mostly action scenes. An actor with rich experience would save the production team a lot of trouble during filming, and trouble often means time and money…"
Helen Herman could tell that Sean Daniel had taken her words to heart.
Anyone who could manage a large production team was certainly not simple, so after she called Jack, she meticulously planned her strategy, from making a good first impression on Sean Daniel with her appearance to listing Matthew's advantages, all specifically tailored to Sean Daniel.
There was still a very important point in her plan, but she had to find the right opportunity.
"I understand." Sean Daniel showed no reaction, as if he hadn't heard Helen Herman's words. "Let's wait for the costume audition. Dwayne Johnson and the other two actors are also excellent."
Hearing Sean Daniel casually mention Dwayne Johnson, Helen Herman seized the opportunity and said, "I'm really looking forward to the costume audition! Although Dwayne Johnson's father was a rare black world champion in professional wrestling, and he himself is a world champion, giving him an inherent advantage for a role like the Scorpion King, I believe Matthew is even better!"
To create a distraction, she deliberately emphasized, "Mr. Daniel, Dwayne Johnson has never participated in the filming of any movie!"
As if that sentence was the main point.
Sean Daniel's expression had already soured, but this wasn't directed at Helen Herman. It was common for agents to praise their own actors and disparage competitors in front of those with casting power, and he was long immune to such tactics.
He had always been somewhat skeptical of Dwayne Johnson's completely blank acting resume, and for some inexplicable reasons, he wasn't very fond of the idea of someone like Dwayne Johnson playing a major supporting role in the film. Hearing that Dwayne Johnson's father was a rare black world champion in professional wrestling… as a conservative Southern white man, something hidden deep within Sean Daniel's heart gradually surfaced.
For the sake of Hollywood-style political correctness in the film, he had already reluctantly cast a black actor in a supporting role, and he really didn't want to see a second one among the important characters.
"That's all for now, I have other things to do." He stood up and casually waved to Helen Herman. "Goodbye, Miss Herman."
"Goodbye…"
Helen Herman watched Sean Daniel leave the coffee shop, feeling that her words must have had an effect. Leaving a banknote, she also walked out.
Compared to the other two leaner actors, she always believed that Dwayne Johnson was Matthew's main competitor. During this meeting, she didn't expect Dwayne Johnson to be eliminated immediately; it was enough if Sean Daniel's opinion of him simply worsened.
As an entertainment agent, securing roles for clients was her job. Helen Herman was simply doing what she was supposed to do, maximizing her client's chances of getting work. However, she also knew very well that these efforts were supplementary; if Matthew's audition performance wasn't up to par, everything she said and did would be in vain.
Back in the producer's office at Pinewood Studios, Sean Daniel opened the filing cabinet, took out the actor's resume submitted by Dwayne Johnson's team, sat in his boss chair, and stared at it for a long time. The more he looked, the more he felt there was something amiss with this professional wrestling champion recommended by Stephen Sommers.
Dwayne Johnson was very famous, and the novelty of his first movie appearance would indeed benefit the film's publicity. However, "The Mummy Returns" was a sequel to the blockbuster "The Mummy," so this promotional effect was limited and couldn't outweigh the drawbacks it brought.
The biggest drawback was that Dwayne Johnson had never acted in a movie. If it were just a minor background role, it wouldn't matter, but for an important supporting role like the Scorpion King, it was a big problem. He had seen countless new actors encounter all sorts of issues when taking on important roles for the first time, leading to endless troubles for the production team.
Using Dwayne Johnson would inevitably increase both the time and financial budget during filming.
Then there was the salary. Dwayne Johnson was a big star in professional wrestling, and even for his first movie, his pay would be considerable. Moreover, if the production team offered too low a salary, he might very well refuse the role.
In contrast, the other three younger actors didn't have such concerns.
And then... Sean Daniel suddenly threw Dwayne Johnson's file onto the desk, no longer thinking about it. He had found so many reasons, all because of some things that couldn't be explicitly stated.
He picked up the phone and dialed his assistant's number. "It's me. Go check and get me Dwayne Johnson's detailed information as soon as possible, including his family situation! Be discreet, especially don't tip off Stephen Sommers."
He had previously considered that if there were no other suitable candidates, using Dwayne Johnson wouldn't be out of the question. But after hearing Helen Herman's casual remark, that possibility was rapidly diminishing.
The assistant's work efficiency was high. After all, Dwayne Johnson was a big star in professional wrestling. He quickly collected detailed information and delivered it to Sean Daniel's desk.
After Sean Daniel reviewed it, he confirmed certain things and made up his mind.
However, he did not change the list for the costume audition. Dwayne Johnson would still participate in the audition. Stephen Sommers was the director of the production, and while he, as the producer, had more power, there was no need to create animosity.
One Monday in June, before dawn, Matthew woke up early and got himself neatly ready. To avoid a potentially protruding stomach during the audition, he only ate two eggs for breakfast. Then, accompanied by Helen Herman, he arrived at Pinewood Studios and entered the makeup room in the styling department to prepare for the upcoming costume audition.