Behind The Spotlight

[HellFire28]

I didn't expect it (in a good way).

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 112

As much as Lawrence hated Jolyne, it never reached the point where he wished the actress would get kidnapped or suffer any serious harm in real life. Besides, even though Jolyne seemed to be doing fine, Lawrence could see that she was still troubled beneath her carefully rehearsed smiles. They were both great at acting, and Lawrence could easily see through her facade.

So, even when Jolyne made fun of him and bragged about her increase in box office share, Lawrence didn't bother fighting back. He was mature enough to understand that the actress was just coping.

But Lawrence was wrong about one thing, Jolyne wasn't worried about the kidnapping incident, nor was she suffering from any lasting trauma. Sure, the kidnapping was scary, but she could have prevented it by hiring a bodyguard.

What Jolyne was truly worried about was her relationship with Arnold, a relationship she had carefully kept for years, only to slip up in a moment of weakness. She had made the mistake of showing her feelings too openly, letting her heart take control over her usual calculated demeanor. Now, things between them felt awkward, and she didn't know how to fix it without making matters worse.

As for the kidnappers, a father and son duo, they were sentenced to long prison terms with no chance of early release due to the severity of their crime. Producer Perberto and his son, a failed actor, would never appear in any respectable production again, their names forever tainted in the industry.

.........
......
...

"Why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of hidden ace?" Collin asked, slightly tilting his head in confusion.

"So you're telling me you're not?" Axel asked seriously, without breaking eye contact. He was staring at Collin with awe because of the heroic deed Collin had done to save Jolyne, a deed Axel considered more fitting for a movie script than real life. Axel, a retired soldier, wasn't even sure if he could have done what Collin did under the same pressure and danger.

"I'm not," Collin said firmly with a small shrug, his tone flat, as if trying to downplay the whole thing.

After the incident, Collin became famous, and even his co-workers looked at him with respect whenever he walked past in the agency hallways. At first, he was happy and even amused by the sudden change in how people treated him. But as time went on, he began to feel uncomfortable being placed in the spotlight.

Unfortunately, he had to play along because this was the PR strategy the agency used to prevent the issue from spiraling out of control and to manage the narrative before gossip magazines twisted it further. Wash Dismay Studio also joined in on the PR effort to avoid being blamed for negligence on set and lapses in security.

Because of that, Collin was interviewed by TV reporters multiple times, answering the same repetitive questions until he could practically recite his responses in his sleep. His face ended up in newspapers across several regions.

Collin eventually spoke with the CEO, Lila Seraphina, who promised him a two-week vacation in December as a thank-you for cooperating with the publicity campaign. December was still eleven months away, but Collin was happy to get something positive out of the ordeal. Ah, the life of an agent, you have to negotiate for everything.

In truth, Collin preferred a longer vacation over money, since time away from work was priceless to him. He was already wealthy; what he needed more was time to rest, recharge, and live quietly. In his case, time was far more valuable than money.

'Money is useless if you don't have the time to use it... Bars.'

Today, Axel and Collin were once again in the hallway on the 3rd floor of Uni-versus Pictures. Axel was going to audition for one of the lead roles in Frightening Movie, looking both eager and nervous at the same time. He didn't care what role he got, as long as he could get back on screen.

He hadn't had a job for half a year because studios were afraid to hire him, worried about possible scandals. On top of that, his sponsors and brand deals had dropped him.

With no income, Axel was forced to cut back on expenses. Yet, just like before, he had no regrets. If he could go back in time, he would still make the same choices and face the same consequences without hesitation. Fighting for custody of his son was a battle worth everything.

Fortunately, Axel was friends with Wyatt, and the director personally invited him to audition for one of the lead roles despite the risk of backlash. Axel was grateful to have friends like Wyatt who supported him.

"What you read in the newspaper isn't true. I didn't kung-fu the assailant. I just threw my phone at him and kicked him in the stomach hard enough to make him faint," Collin explained.

"That's still impressive, especially when the assailant had a knife and the situation could have ended badly."

"... Yeah, I have to agree with that," Collin admitted reluctantly, realizing Axel had a point. It was impressive.

"Anyway, let's not talk about me. How's John? Is he doing alright?"

"Yeah, he's attending kindergarten. I also hired a maid to help me take care of him while I'm working. She's been a huge help in keeping things organized at my place," Axel said with a smile.

"The Asian woman I saw last time, that's the maid?" Collin recalled seeing a woman in Axel's apartment during a visit and remembered her polite demeanor.

"That's right. She's Filipina, a mother who has to work overseas to provide for her family back in the Philippines. She's nice and very dedicated to her job."

Collin nodded slowly, his expression softening. He didn't sense anything suspicious about the woman, so she was probably not a bad person at all.

"Collin, you don't have to worry. I know you're concerned about me, and you want to talk to Henry and Wyatt, but I'm confident this time. I've memorized every line in the script and rehearsed them countless times."

The movie had six lead roles, and Axel was aiming for the role of the tall character named Steve, a role he felt suited him perfectly.

He knew he wouldn't get a huge salary because of his scandal last year, but in his current situation, this was better than nothing. As long as he could star in another movie, he had no complaints. He was willing to start again from the bottom.

Besides, he wasn't lying about his confidence. Lately, he felt his acting skills improving, and he believed he could convince the production to cast him based on talent alone.

Collin nodded but remained silent, his thoughts shifting to the upcoming conversation with Henry. He knew Axel had awakened a talent, but that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was his recent scandal, Collin had to convince Henry that Axel wouldn't cause trouble during production and that everything would go smoothly.

'Henry has trauma with scandals, so I have to convince him hard and make him see that Axel is worth the risk. I also have to talk to Wyatt to help me.'

A few minutes later, the door opened, and the production crew announced a lunch break. Crew members stepped out to eat and stretch their limbs after a long morning of work.

Collin spotted Wyatt and Henry talking nearby. Henry glanced at Collin and Axel, sighing with a weary expression. He wasn't naive, he knew exactly what was going on and why Collin had approached him now.

"If you have something to say, follow us to the cafeteria. Let's talk while we eat, we all need a break."

"Of course."

Collin nodded and followed the producer and director, leaving Axel a bit nervous behind.

---

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[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 113

The group found their seats. Collin, Wyatt, and Henry were mostly eating pizza and donuts, each with a can of Coke in hand.

"Collin, I know the reason why you're here. I already discussed it with Wyatt. I'm against working with Axel Gunner. It's unfortunate what happened to him, but I have to prioritize the movie and make sure everything goes according to plan."

"Don't do this to me, Henry. You already worked with Axel in Week on a Cruise Ship. His work ethic is great, you even praised him back then during the celebration party. Give him another chance."

Collin had already expected Henry to be against casting Axel. The producer had bad experiences with scandals in the past and tended to avoid anything that could potentially damage the production's reputation.

But Collin couldn't let go of this opportunity. Axel was basically blacklisted by most of the industry. He needed to star in another movie to prove himself before the public completely forgot his name. Axel had to show that he was worth casting, that his past didn't define his future.

'We can't wait for the release of Face: Swap in summer. We should act while we can. Right now, we can audition for Frightening Movie and hopefully get a role,' Collin thought.

"I admit Axel is a great person, but that's not enough for me to abandon my principles. Besides, I'm not the only one against casting him. The representative from Uni-versus Pictures agreed with my decision. It's already a miracle that Axel Gunner even received an invitation to audition for the third round."

"..."

Collin didn't know what to say. He turned to Wyatt, and the director could only nod, a faint look of regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Collin. The only way to cast Axel is if we have a valid reason the higher-ups will accept," the director replied guiltily.

"It's alright, I don't blame you. You already helped Axel by recommending him. You're a great friend, Wyatt."

Collin had no intention of blaming Wyatt, he was just doing his job.

"It's not Axel's fault that his ex-wife is a bitch. He just did his best to protect his son." Collin turned to Henry, a frown etched on his face.

"We both know that, and I respect him for it. However, it's still true that he broke his last contract by initiating a custody battle. Touchpebbles Pictures asked him to postpone the case, but Axel didn't listen. He went through with it. Even if he's innocent, we can't have an actor who might be a liability. People sympathized with him, but sympathy isn't enough to convince us to risk millions of dollars."

"Then what if his performance is better than you expected?"

"Collin, let's be honest here. We worked with Axel two years ago, and his acting was just passable, nothing memorable. He's not bad, but he's also not great. If not for his connection to you and Wyatt, I wouldn't have even considered casting him. He's different from Lawrence Terrence, who can elevate every scene he's in."

"But what if his audition impresses you? Would you cast him then?"

"If his performance impresses me, I'll let go of my prejudice and cast him. But I'll add a clause in the contract stating that Axel will only receive his full salary once filming is complete and he hasn't caused any scandal or trouble from start to finish."

"You said it yourself. You should keep your promise." Collin's gaze was steady, his tone unwavering.

"Collin, Axel doesn't have the X-factor to convince us. Unless Lawrence possessed his body, Axel probably wouldn't get a role in this movie, no matter how much you want it." Henry's voice was firm.

"Then what about you, Wyatt?" Collin asked, his tone calm but challenging.

"I'm a director. I'm always looking for perfection. If Axel impresses me, I'll fight for him. I'll do my best to convince Henry and the Uni-versus Pictures representative, even if it means heated arguments."

Wyatt promised him. But just like Henry, he wasn't sure Axel could impress him. He had worked with Axel on two movies, and the man's performances had been decent but never remarkable, no defining moment that stood out.

"Then," Collin smirked confidently, "that's enough."

He stood abruptly.

"You must keep your promise. I'll wait until the audition is done because I know I'll have to negotiate Axel's salary today." Collin walked away with quick, purposeful strides.

"...Is your agent insane? Does he really think we'll cast Axel? Maybe being interviewed by the media made him arrogant enough to challenge studio politics," Henry muttered.

Wyatt stayed silent and took another bite of his pizza, unsure what to say. He, too, was confused about where Collin's confidence came from.

Collin left the cafeteria and returned to the waiting section in the hallway. He found Axel deeply focused, flipping through the script with furrowed brows. The studio had formally sent him a copy since Wyatt had invited him, so he had no excuse to pretend he didn't have a script or that he was unprepared.

"Axel, it's hard to convince them."

"Thank you, Collin. I know this might happen, but thank you for trying to help me." Axel smiled bitterly. The fact that he hadn't found a job for almost half a year showed how bad his situation was. From a business standpoint, Henry's refusal made sense.

"No, listen to me first. It's hard to convince them, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. As long as you impress them, you can get the role. That means you have to give your best in the audition." Collin tapped his shoulder firmly.

"You've got this. I trust you. You're a great actor with strong potential. This isn't your downfall, it's your comeback. I'll be there to watch you rise again."

Axel didn't know where Collin's confidence came from, but he didn't want to disappoint his agent. Collin had been helping him for four years, and this was the moment to prove himself to his friend, to the industry, and to himself.

"I will do my best. That's a promise."

Collin believed in him, so he had to believe in himself.

An hour later, Axel's name was called. He entered the audition room. The people inside glanced at him, most wearing cold expressions, as if already expecting to be unimpressed.

"Mr. Gunner, your scene is on page 4, the one where the killer calls your phone while you're watching TV."

Axel sat on the couch, staring at the static on the TV, acting as though he was watching a show with feigned boredom.

The phone rang beside him. He picked it up.

"I'm going to kill you—"

"Wazzup!"

Axel replied, shaking his tongue and crossing his eyes in an exaggerated, comical way.

The people in the room burst out laughing, caught off guard by the unexpected delivery. Even those ready to dismiss him were surprised.

---

[You can read more on my Patreon.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 114

Axel's talent was adapting to his role and making sure he blended naturally with whatever character he was supposed to portray, no matter how absurd or strange that character might be. The role he was striving to get cast in was a tall cracker guy. Yes, the guy was tall but also a cocaine addict whose whole existence in the script was meant to be both ridiculous and comedic. Frightening Movie was a parody of countless horror movies, from slashers to ghost stories, and was obviously a comedy film.

The role was called Tall Cracker Guy... Don't expect anything deep.

In the scene where Axel was performing, the killer phone called the Tall Cracker Guy and tried to scare him, but Tall Cracker Guy thought it was his drug dealer instead, setting up the comedic misunderstanding the director wanted the audience to laugh at.

So when the killer said, "I'm going to kill you," Tall Cracker Guy was supposed to reply, "Are you my dealer? Man, we already talked about this a week ago, I'm not going to try weed. So don't push that lame ass grass at me! Don't threaten me!"

This was the exact line in the script, carefully written for comedic timing.

That was the line Axel was supposed to deliver. However, he improvised and did something different, taking the risk of injecting his own interpretation.

Based on how he understood the role, Tall Cracker Guy was probably under the influence while watching television, reacting to the world around him with exaggerated silliness. So when he answered the call, he was supposed to act like a crackhead whose mind wasn't entirely grounded in reality.

The best decision Axel could think of was to answer the call with an excited wazzup, believing the caller was his drug dealer. This small twist, in his mind, would immediately add a fresh comedic layer to the role.

So he answered with "Wazzup!" while shaking his head, sticking out his tongue, and crossing his eyes, exaggerating his movements as if mocking the stereotype. That was how he adapted to the role.

He performed the scene, and the audience burst out laughing so loudly that it filled the entire room. Even Wyatt laughed out loud while Henry choked on his own saliva from the sudden burst of comedy he wasn't prepared for.

Their reactions didn't affect Axel's performance. He kept going with the same confidence, showing he wasn't thrown off by the crowd.

"What?" Even the person reading the killer's lines couldn't respond correctly because Axel's improv had thrown off the expected flow of the dialogue.

"Ayo, what's happening bro? Got any coke? Although I have to remind you, I don't like the weak grass shit that you offered me last time." Axel altered the lines slightly to match his rhythm. He twirled the cable of the phone while vibing with an imaginary song in his head, looking fully lost in his high.

"What? No, no, I'm not your drug dealer. I'm a killer!"

"Then stop calling me, you dumb motherfucker. You're killing my vibe!"

"Listen to me! I'm inside your house. Hehe, I'm gonna kill you!"

Axel, playing Tall Cracker Guy, suddenly pulled out a machine gun and sprayed bullets all over the house until the killer, wearing a ghost mask, dropped dead in a way that looked like something straight out of a cartoon. Not even done, Tall Cracker Guy shoved a grenade into the killer's mouth and blew him up, overkill serving as the punchline of the entire act.

Boom!

With that, his performance ended, leaving the room in stunned silence as everyone tried to process the absurdity. Axel looked around and saw the production crew staring at him with surprise and disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

There was silence until Henry nudged Wyatt, snapping the director out of his daze.

"Axel, what you did earlier in the performance was obviously improvised. Tell me, why did you make that funny face?" Wyatt questioned curiously while scribbling in his script.

"Because I believe that's what Tall Cracker Guy would do. He does unexpected things because he's always high."

"I see..." Wyatt glanced at his script and nodded faintly before writing something down.

As for Henry, he didn't have any questions. He just sighed and massaged his forehead, not sure if he should laugh or cry.

Axel didn't know whether he had passed the audition or not. He simply left the room without a clear answer.

When he stepped outside, he saw Collin grinning at him as if he had already seen the future.

"Why are you grinning?" Axel asked, confused by Collin's reaction.

"Because you passed." Collin laughed.

"Huh?" Axel was even more confused.

"I heard people laughing inside, which means you passed. In a comedy film, an actor who can make people laugh immediately passes."

"Collin, that's just being arrogant and optimistic."

The other actors waiting for their turn nodded as they listened to the conversation. They knew laughter didn't always equal success in auditions. A laugh didn't necessarily mean they had landed the role.

"Anyway, don't leave right away. I'll settle the contract today." Collin and Axel walked quickly down the hallway.

"Collin, I don't understand. Why are you so confident that I'll pass?"

"You've improved as an actor and you made the production team laugh. That's enough justification to cast you, and in comedy, that reaction is priceless."

"Just like that? What about my issues then?"

"I already talked to Henry and Wyatt. They promised they'd let go of those issues as long as you impressed them, and you clearly just did."

"..."

Axel didn't know what to say. So he got a role simply by making the production team laugh? Just like that? It sounded too simple and too good to be true.

Actually, Collin didn't explain everything. He couldn't tell Axel that the words above his head were glowing brightly like a halo only he could see. His talent might be colored yellow, but it was shining like a light bulb radiating energy. Collin could clearly see that Axel's talent was improving, fast and obvious.

As they talked, the words above Axel's head slowly vanished as his talent faded after being used.

.........
......
...

"Axel Gunner pass."

Wyatt declared firmly and without hesitation. The people in the room agreed, except for two who exchanged doubtful glances.

Henry, the producer, and Andy, the representative of Uni-versus Pictures, were against casting Axel Gunner.

The two kept silent as Wyatt continued explaining Axel's performance and why it stood out among the others. The director seized this moment to convince everyone to cast Axel. He was genuinely happy that Axel had proven himself instead of relying on connections, which made his case stronger. This time, Wyatt was proud to cast him because Axel excelled in his performance and exceeded expectations.

"We worked with Axel two years ago, and everyone can see that he's improved. His progress is so great that it would be a waste not to cast him. Besides, out of all the actors who auditioned for the role of Tall Cracker Guy, Axel delivered the best performance," Wyatt said with conviction.

He wanted to give Axel a chance to prove himself. It would be a shame for an actor showing such obvious talent to be forgotten by Hollywood simply because of past mistakes.

"But we can't just forget the fact that he broke his contract for his last movie. How can we be sure he won't do it again with us?" Andy from Uni-versus Pictures voiced his concern in a stern tone.

---

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