Hollywood: From Shadows To The Spotlight

[Chapter 26: A Step Into The Past (III)]

Last Time on Chapter 025 of [From Shadows To The Spotlight] —

Late that afternoon, when the sun was beginning to dip past the horizon, a sudden shout broke out across the set. Alex turned just in time to see Ann struggling against the force of the waves as her dress got snagged on a piece of debris drifting by.

At first, a few people laughed, thinking it was one of her practical jokes or some kind of acting exercise.

Now Continuing — 

But Alex noticed her expression—her face pale, eyes wide with genuine fear. It reminded him of his mother's face when his father had left them after draining the joint bank account and stealing her inheritance money. Without wasting a single second, he bolted down the dock and plunged feet first into the icy waters.

It was colder than he'd expected, each wave hitting him like a punch to the gut, but he pressed forward, his focus locked on Ann. He dog paddled his way to her, as she had gone underwater by the time he had dived in and grabbed her arm.

With his other hand he nimbly began to untangle her dress from the debris, and after she was free, he guided her back to the surface.

Her grip on his hand was firm, but he could feel the tremor running through her fingers. When they reached the shore, the crew gathered around, some clapping him on the back, others shouting half-teasing remarks about him playing the "hero." Ann, though, just looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and shock.

"Thank you, Alex," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. "I didn't realize when my dress got stuck in the prop wreckage or how strong the currents can be." She took a deep breath, her expression softening with gratitude. "I thought I was going to drown for sure."

"No problem, Miss Dusenberry," Alex replied, feeling a bit self-conscious talking to an actress, especially one so gorgeous. "I just didn't want to see anyone get hurt."

Ann chuckled softly, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "Well, you saved me, and I owe you one. So, please, call me Ann."

She patted his shoulder, a warm smile breaking through her initial shock. "You have no idea how much that means to me. Here, let me give you something—"

"No, really," Alex interjected quickly. "I didn't do it for any reward. Just seemed like the right thing to do."

But Ann wouldn't hear of it and asked him to meet her at a nearby restaurant for dinner. Thinking of the canned tuna sandwich that he had planned to eat that night along with a boiled egg for dinner, he quickly agreed, happily to mooch off a free meal in return for saving him from drowning.

What he was unaware of though was that the dinner was just an excuse to meet him again but away from prying eyes, as she had another gift for him in mind. But she didn't want others to find out, as it might cause her trouble, after enjoying a pleasant dinner together later that night.

It took her a bit more than just gentle persuasion to make him agree to take the neatly folded stack of bills she had handed him—it was $500 in cash. Alex hesitated, glancing down at the money, then back up at her.

A part of him wanted to refuse, but the thought of his family and their needs tugged at his mind. This money could help cover rent and maybe even contribute to his sister's tuition.

Swallowing his pride, he finally accepted the cash, his voice soft and filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Ann. This will really help my family."

Ann's smile widened, and she gave him a warm, approving nod. "Good. I'm glad I could help. You've got a good heart, Alex. Don't lose that—it'll get you far."

After leaving the restaurant, she walked away, leaving him standing alone with the cash in his hand, feeling a mix of pride and humility. This wasn't why he'd saved her, but it felt like a sign that he was on the right path. He was here to learn, to make a better life for his family, and to find his place in an industry he admired.

---------

Alex adjusted his posture slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he retold his earlier exploits to Margaret. He couldn't help but pat himself on the back for having the foresight to call Ann ahead of the interview to ask her if she was alright with him sharing the story if the situation presented itself.

He remembered her laughing on the call and telling him that it was about time he finally took credit for it.

Margaret's jaw dropped as she heard him recount the harrowing experience of him rescuing Ann. Though at least this time she was able to hold back her instinct to scold him for his reckless action and patiently listened to him finish the tale with a quiet yet delicious dinner with Ann.

Though, the moment Alex ended his story, Margaret was immediately on him as her mama bear mode got activated. "Alex, you were just a child. You could have—"

"I know," Alex interrupted gently, his voice calm but firm; he knew he couldn't let her build up momentum or else he would never hear the end of it. So he had no choice but to interject.

"Believe me, I've replayed it in my head a thousand times. But Ann… she treated me with kindness. She didn't look at me like some kid who didn't belong there. If I hadn't done anything, and if something had happened to her, I wouldn't have been able to face myself in the mirror. I had to help her."

Margaret shook her head as she let out a sigh, a mixture of admiration and exasperation flashing across her face. "You're impossible. Do you realize how reckless that was?"

Alex shrugged, the ghost of a smile lingering. "Probably. But Ann was okay, and that's what mattered. And I even got paid for it." He paused, chuckling. "I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted. It would really help with rent and my sister's tuition, so I did take it in the end." Alex admitted.

"But not before making her promise to never try to repay me for anything like that again. I didn't save her for a reward, Margaret. I saved her because it was the right thing to do."

Margaret studied him for a long moment, then shook her head with a bemused smile. "You've got this habit of making people want to shake you and hug you at the same time."

Alex laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

----------

In a modest living room, a woman in her early twenties sat on the edge of her couch, eyes glued to the television. The interview with Alex Masters had been gripping from the start, but this story—this moment—left her awestruck.

She leaned forward, her fingers gripping the armrests as Alex's words echoed through the room.

"He jumped in to save her?" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "At fourteen? And then he tried to turn down the money?"

As the interview continued, she leaned back, a slow grin spreading across her face. "Is there anything this guy does that isn't cool?" She said it aloud; her tone was a mixture of awe and admiration.

She reached for the remote, pausing the screen on Alex's image. "You're something else, Masters," she murmured to herself, her respect for the man solidified.

"That he certainly is, Laura. I see you're crushing hard on him," said her roommate, who walked in with just an oversized t-shirt and shorts on.

"I am not! And I told you not to call me that; it's Reese." She exclaimed, though still softly, as she didn't want any noise complaints again about the loud Texan.

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. By the way, did you crack the audition?" Her roommate asked hopefully.

"Do you know who you are talking to?" She asked back with a fake aristocratic tone, but then changed back to her usual voice.

"Of course, I did; now all that's left is the final round and then a meet-up with the director, who, if the rumors are to be believed, is going to be him." Laura, now going by Reese, said while pointing at Alex on screen.

"What? But I thought he was already busy with his first movie." She was surprised, as that schedule didn't make sense to her.

"He is. I think he will either wrap up filming soon, as he did mention inviting the press for a trailer screening next year in spring, or this movie will start shooting a little later, and it requires a lot of pre-production work to be done." Reese explained with a shrug in a carefree manner, feeling confident in her chances of being accepted for the role.

"Hmm, makes sense, so when's your final audition?" Her roommate asked excitedly, feeling happy for her friend to have a new breakthrough in her career.

"Tomorrow, 5 pm, at MONARCH." She replied with a smug smirk, knowing what kind of reaction it would draw from her.

"Wait, they are bringing you all in at the main studio for the final call?" She exclaimed, but then put her hands on her mouth to shush herself in the middle, and whispered the rest of the sentence.

"Yup," Reese replied in a chipper tone.

---------

Jeff Billon, one of Alex's most trusted casting directors, leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his neatly combed hair as he stared at the growing pile of headshots on his desk.

In the background, the TV was running with Alex's interview playing on it; he was explaining how he went from a crew hand to apprenticing under the special effects master on the set of Jaws 2.

The fluorescent office light buzzed faintly, casting a sterile glow over the room, and Jeff's focus remained on the photos spread out before him. Each glossy photo represented a potential candidate, a shot in the dark for one of the most crucial roles he'd ever been tasked to fill.

He had felt like searching for actors to fill the cast for Lord of the Rings had been hard before, but now he wanted to take back his words. As at least at the time he knew of the project that he was casting for, this time all he had been given was a vague description of the plot and its characters.

He wasn't even privy to know of the names of the characters, and knew them by the initials of their names. Alex had simply stated that this project was even bigger and more important than Lord of the Rings to him. While he couldn't imagine just what kind of a project could be more important than a 350 million dollar production budget trilogy.

This wasn't just another casting call, and Alex had made that abundantly clear. 

Jeff's mind drifted back to the conversation they'd had three days ago, sitting across from each other in Alex's office. For a man juggling a 350-million-dollar epic production, his boss had spoken about this particular casting job with an intensity that rivaled anything else on his plate.

~Flashback: Three Days Ago~

"This single role," Alex had said, his tone firm but calm, "is just as important as the blockbuster I'm working on now, if not more. It's a linchpin. A cornerstone or foundation. Get it wrong, and the entire thing collapses on itself before it even has a chance to get off the ground." 

Jeff nodded, scribbling furiously in his notebook. Alex's instructions were as specific as they were unconventional. 

"The actor needs to be close to the character's age," Alex had continued. "No one in their thirties that's trying to pass for a teenager. I want authenticity. And as for his look... I don't need a heartthrob or someone who's going to make the audience roll their eyes.

Remember, Jeff, the character is a nerd. A kid who gets shoved into lockers and laughed at during lunch. He shouldn't look like he belongs on the cover of a magazine. But—" 

He remembered his boss paused in the middle and pointed a pen in his direction for emphasis. 

"—he can't be unattractive, either. He needs to sit right in that perfect middle ground. Relatable. Human. Someone the audience roots for because they see a part of themselves in him." 

The memory brought a small smile to his face. Alex's passion was contagious, but his standards were challenging and even intimidating to some. So, it wasn't surprising to him that he had left that meeting with a mix of determination and dread. 

~Back in the present~

Jeff opened one of the folders Alex had handed to him in their last meeting; it was labeled simply as "P.P." A glance at the initials made him chuckle despite himself.

Alex hadn't explained the name, only muttering something about initials being easier than writing out the full character name in confidential documents. Still, Jeff couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that it was some kind of juvenile joke. 

He flipped through his notes again. Alex had outlined every detail about what he wanted for the role. The actor's physique should preferably be light, agile, and unassuming.

They should ideally already have some background in gymnastics, parkour, or anything that showcases acrobatics, or at least have the drive to put in the work.

No one over 6 feet (1.83 m) tall was to even be considered for the role—"He's not supposed to look like a jock," Alex had said. The ideal height was 5'9 (1.75 m)" or 5'10 (1.78 m)".

Ethnicity was locked in as Caucasian, but Alex had allowed for some flexibility if the actor's performance was stellar. And if they could be passed off as Caucasian at first glance.

Thankfully, the deadline he had been given was quite merciful, unlike the exacting standards Alex had demanded—three months was what he was working with.

Alex wanted a shortlist of ten candidates by the end of the year, complete with Jeff's personal recommendation for the top choice for all the roles he had been tasked with handling.

In total, he had assigned with casting 8 characters, whom he only knew by their initials and the quirks of their personalities. Jeff took a sip of his now-lukewarm coffee and turned his attention back to the stack of headshots. 

He had already met with several candidates over the past two, not wanting to waste even a single moment, and today was no exception. The names lined up for today's interviews were looking quite promising: Tobey Maguire, Freddie Prinze Jr., James Van Der Beek, Ryan Phillippe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Each of them had a reputation, a look, and varying degrees of experience that he had to test and grade to see which one of them would fit the role the best. 

The buzzer on his desk snapped him out of his thoughts. 

"Mr. Billon," his assistant's smooth, professional voice crackled through the intercom, "your first appointment is here." 

"Send him in," Jeff replied, straightening his tie and sitting up. 

The door opened, and he had expected for the aforementioned Tobey Maguire to step in. 

Alternative Title - [Chapter 26: Assembling A Marvelous Cast.]

— To be Continued...

{2,531 words}

{TRL: This is the new Hollywood story that has been bouncing around in my head. I really need to get this out, so here's another chapter.

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