Angelina Jolie might have been terrible in other aspects, but her word was good. In just over ten days, she introduced Matthew to an excellent acting training school. Los Angeles was full of similar institutions, most of which were pay-to-enter, but this one had certain admission requirements.
According to Vanessa, this training school was called the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, and it primarily collaborated with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) to train actors for these two companies.
Actors not affiliated with these two agencies needed an introduction from someone with a certain influence in the industry to be accepted.
For example, without Angelina Jolie's introduction, it would have been very difficult for Matthew to get into an acting training school of this caliber.
It was like the place he used to live, where various training institutions were ubiquitous, most of them scams, with only a few being truly reliable.
After getting off the car in North Hollywood, Matthew asked around casually and quickly found the training institution called the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts without much effort.
"Hello, sir."
At the open entrance of the school, a security guard stopped Matthew, "This is private property."
"Ah, hello," Matthew quickly said, "I'm here to enroll in the acting training class!"
The security guard glanced at Matthew, took out a list, and politely asked, "May I know your name?"
Matthew replied, "Matthew Horner."
The security guard searched the list, nodded, and said, "Please come in, Mr. Horner." He then pointed the way, "Turn left ahead, walk straight for two hundred feet, and there's a white building. The enrollment office is on the first floor, you'll see it as soon as you enter."
The other person was very polite, and Matthew also behaved very courteously, "Thank you!"
Following the guard's directions, he quickly found the enrollment office. Just as he entered the office and was about to speak, his phone suddenly rang, and he looked down to see the number for Angel Agency.
"Excuse me," Matthew offered an apologetic smile to the middle-aged woman who was about to assist him, "I need to take this call first."
He walked out of the enrollment office, pressed the answer button, "Hello, this is Matthew Horner."
"Hello, Matthew."
A somewhat familiar clear female voice sounded on the phone, "This is Helen Herman."
Matthew immediately recalled the shrewd and capable female agent he had met.
The other party spoke quickly, "I have a job for you. If you're interested, come to the company tomorrow morning before ten o'clock. We'll gather and depart promptly at eleven. Remember to bring all your documents, as well as your luggage and a change of clothes!"
Although he didn't know what the job specifically entailed, Matthew immediately agreed. For a small extra like him, it was a case of jobs picking people, not him picking jobs.
After hanging up, he returned to the enrollment office and said to the middle-aged woman, "Hello, I'm Matthew Horner. I received a notification to come and register today."
The middle-aged woman rummaged through a stack of documents, pulled out a thin one, and said, "Take a look, is what's written on it correct?"
Matthew took it, flipped through it, and saw that it contained the basic information he had filled out for 'Girl, Interrupted'. "No problem."
"Hmm," the middle-aged woman handed him a form, "Please fill it out."
Fortunately, the form only required simple information, otherwise Matthew would have been in a difficult position.
Perhaps because Angelina Jolie had already made arrangements, everything went smoothly. As Matthew filled out the form, the middle-aged woman added, "The acting course lasts for six months, with no less than twenty-two hours of study and practice each week. During this time, the school will also provide you with audition opportunities, and if you perform exceptionally well during your studies, the school will recommend you to major agencies to help you secure a formal acting contract."
Hearing this, Matthew nodded slightly, thinking it seemed very legitimate.
But then, the middle-aged woman got to the point, "The total fee is six thousand dollars!"
Matthew immediately looked up; this amount far exceeded his estimate.
The middle-aged woman's next words made him breathe a sigh of relief, "The fee can be paid in installments."
It made sense; those who could come here to study were probably small actors, and for them, six thousand dollars was definitely not a small sum. Installment payments could alleviate a lot of financial pressure for many people.
"Today, you pay two thousand dollars upon enrollment," the middle-aged woman continued, "two thousand dollars before classes start in May, and the final two thousand dollars in September."
Matthew calculated. He had received $5,500 from his deal with Angelina Jolie, $180 in compensation from the 'Girl, Interrupted' crew, and just under $1,800 for his first month's salary at Red Penguin Company.
His total income during this period was $7,400.
In terms of expenses, six months' rent was $2,400, followed by his living expenses and various expenditures for the past month. He had been as frugal as possible, but purchasing a large number of professional books and subscribing to newspapers to improve his reading ability had also cost a considerable amount.
Currently, he had less than four thousand dollars remaining in his bank account.
Paying the first installment was no problem. The second installment wasn't due until May, by which time he would have income from Red Penguin Company, so as long as he was frugal, it wouldn't be a big issue.
People kept coming to register, and he even saw a few familiar faces among them, possibly people he had seen in movies, but Matthew couldn't recall their names and had no interest in striking up a conversation for now. After completing his registration, he went upstairs to the finance office to swipe his card and pay the initial two thousand dollar fee, picked up a set of textbooks, and then left the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, waiting for classes to begin in May.
Back in Westwood, Matthew bought two newspapers and went straight into his apartment building. He didn't have to work at Red Penguin Company tonight and had no plans to go out, intending to get some good rest.
On the second floor, he opened his door and had just stepped into the room when he noticed an envelope on the floor near the door. He picked it up, opened it, and his previously good mood was immediately clouded over.
The debt collectors had come directly to his doorstep!
Sitting on the sagging sofa, Matthew reread the letter several times. Although he didn't fully understand it, he guessed it was probably a lawyer's letter. It bore the signature of Chris Walker's lawyer, the one who had called him twice. The content of the letter was similar to the phone calls, listing breach of contract clauses and demanding a fifty thousand dollar penalty.
"These guys!" Matthew tossed the lawyer's letter aside, "They actually found my place!"
After thinking about it, it wasn't particularly surprising. After all, the previous person had left real information, and he hadn't deliberately hidden his tracks. In such a modern society, finding someone shouldn't be too difficult.
"I should also consult a lawyer."
After all, he was the one who breached the contract first, and there was no avoiding such a matter. "Let's see if we can reach an out-of-court settlement."
In the Hollywood movies he had watched, if an out-of-court settlement could be reached, the price was usually much less than the amount the plaintiff was seeking. But Matthew still frowned in worry. Even if the 'Forbidden Tarot' crew and the studio behind them agreed to halve the penalty, it would still be $25,000.
With the lawyer's letter delivered to his door, Matthew felt a sense of urgency and at the same time felt even poorer. If he had a hundred thousand dollars, he would just throw fifty thousand dollars at those swindlers and see if they would still haunt him!
This feeling of being broke was truly unbearable.
Matthew made a decision: after going to Angel Agency tomorrow and seeing what the specific job was, he would make time to consult a lawyer.
In the time that followed, he picked up a book and read, making full use of his limited time to increase his capital. The next morning, after his run, he changed into his only suit, brought the luggage he had packed last night, and took a bus back to Angel Talent Agency in North Hollywood.
"Hello..."
As soon as he entered, a young girl proactively approached him and asked, "Are you an actor here for an audition?"
"Yes," Matthew politely replied, "My name is Matthew Horner, and I received a notification from Ms. Helen Herman yesterday."
"Please have a seat," the girl made a note in her notebook, "Please wait for a moment."
Matthew entered the first-floor lobby, which, unlike its deserted state during his previous visit, was now bustling. Over sixty people, all young and strong men without exception, were scattered on the benches throughout the lobby. Some who knew each other were huddled together, discussing in low voices.
Clearly, these were all extras like him.
"Hey, Matthew!"
Someone suddenly stood up and waved to him, "Over here, come over here!"
Turning his head, Matthew recognized the young face, just like his own, as the porter he had helped last time, Michael Sheen, he thought.
Matthew immediately walked over, greeting him, "Hey, Michael."
"Just call me Mike," Michael Sheen motioned for Matthew to sit down and said, "I was just wondering if I'd see you."
"I haven't gotten a role in a long time," Matthew shrugged, "Just trying my luck."
He then asked, "How have you been lately?"
"Same as always," Michael Sheen sighed, "Working as a porter, then being a background extra in small film crews."
Matthew smiled, "Take it slow, things will get better someday."
This Michael Sheen had very good looks, tall and strong, with brown hair and blue eyes. Matthew thought he would have a future if he went into youth idol dramas or movies.
However, that was just his own opinion.
"Yeah!" Michael Sheen nodded vigorously, "I've been in Los Angeles for three years, I must make a name for myself! I will definitely become a big star!"
"When you become famous," Matthew joked casually, "Don't forget to give me a leg up."
Michael Sheen laughed.
Clap—clap—
Someone in the lobby suddenly clapped their hands. Matthew and Michael Sheen both looked towards the stairwell, where Helen Herman, who had greeted them last time, was already standing.
Seeing that everyone was looking, Helen Herman said loudly, "Everyone, there's a job that might last for a week...