My Hollywood System

Chapter 176:

It has been a month since Ross took over the CEO position. He had met with other prominent Dream Vision and DTA employees. It was mainly because of how close their offices were.

During the time frame of a month, he got to know a lot about who Will Evans was. His strange habits were something significant when Ross thought about him. Will sometimes would bring a random actor and reveal that person would be the protagonist of his next movie, or how that person could end up being a star in the industry. Not just once, but he had done it more than a few times.

Although it was relatively unbelievable to think, Ross had heard such things about Will Evans.

Looking at how Will looked at Andrew, Ross felt as if this would be such a situation. It brought goosebumps to rise in his skin knowing this would be a moment that he would witness such a moment from his bare eyes.

“I’m Andrew Griffin,” The person introduced himself. Will nodded showing he was listening.

“Did you go over the script?” Will questioned.

“Yes, sir. I did,”

“Great. You know how it goes, right? Get ready and watch closely,” Will said while signalling the video operator to start playing the video.

The short scene played once where the animated spiderman did things and looked as if he was talking with no voice. This was all a part of the voice actor’s job description. To give life to something that contains nothing but visual movements.

“Ready?” Ross questioned once the video played once.

“Yeah,”

The video started again but this time, Andrew’s voice came through the mic.

“And a good morning to you J. Jonah Loudmouth.” The start was good compared to every other voice actor who came in. Andrew previously had kept in his mind the exact number of the second, which was 0.48, when Spiderman talked.

Stan Lee’s eyebrows raised seeing how on-point it was.

“Spread the word chief.”

“Oh great, the Trapster.”

“This is when I leave the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man note? Can I borrow a pen? Interesting, villain’s eyes widening in terror, but spidey-sense not tingling.”

Andrew gasped just like how the character did.

“Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. That’s the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. The super spies. You super spies make an appointment to sneak up on hard-working heroes?”

“I do a good job.”

“Yeah. Huh?”

“Heh. I knew it. You want me to buy a line of self-help books. Not interested. Besides, I’m tapped out till payday, so if we’re all done here I’m gonna…”

“Okay, that would be enough,” Will said while the clip came to an end.

This was the first performance in which the three people who took auditions saw a voice actor succeeding on his first attempt.

Will took some time to process that the clone version in the universe of Andrew Garfield was extremely good in what he did. He was quite proud of the way Andrew performed, yet he had other plans.

“Thank you,” Andrew said and walked out of the studio.

“Is he okay? I was surprised how he pulled off the start, it was really tricky to do. I saw the struggle of other people, and considering that, he is very good in my view,” Stan Lee said while giving out his opinion.

Stan Lee noticed the strange expression on Will’s face. He doubted if something was wrong, or if something went too right. He couldn’t tell.

“He’s okay,” Will muttered. “I’m thinking about something, just continue the auditions without me for a while.”

Will said and walked out of the studio.

Walking out, he jogged through the corridor to meet the stairs. He saw two staff members coming through and stopped them.

“Call Andrew, the tall guy with a blue t-shirt who just came, don’t let him leave,” Will said to a fat guy who kept listening to his words.

“Huh?”

“Move. Why are you just standing?” Will questioned why he wasn’t moving.

“I will get him, sir,” A short guy next to him quickly replied.

Will shook his head and waited till the person who he awaits would come and meet him. The moment he stood at the top of the staircase, people started sneaking and talking among themselves, whispering what the hell was going on.

Almost the entire department knew Will just jogged hurriedly, wanting to meet a guy.

***

Andrew and Will were seated in an office, facing each other.

The office looked quite dull with white walls and grey cushions on the side. But the atmosphere was extra chilly for Andrew. Maybe it was the air conditioner or maybe it was how his mind questioned what he was doing here.

“Andrew Griffin, right?” Will asked as soon as they got seated.

“Yes, sir,” Andrew answered.

“Please call me Will. So, how is your life? What do you do for a living?”

Andrew looked a bit taken back. He didn’t expect something like this would be coming his way when he woke in the morning to face the audition. He was confused, nervous and excited at the same time.

“Uh… I’m a college dropout, trying jobs here and there. There gotta be something for someone like me, right?” Andrew chuckled, alone. Clearing his throat in a second he continued, “I worked as a voice actor for the past couple of months, a director selected me thinking I’d suit a side character in his cartoon series. And it ended a while ago, he suggested to me that I should do this audition, saying that I didn’t have anything to lose.”

Will chuckled hearing his words.

“His words, not mine,” Andrew added finally.

“What more, Andrew?” Will asked.

“Well, my dad. He works in ‘Farlan Enterprises’. Nothing much, a single dad, uh-”

Andrew felt more nervous when the realization hit again, in front of him was Will Evans. And there he was, blabbering about his life.

“I’m sorry, but why am I here? Did I get selected?” Andrew questioned.

Will was able to sense how nervous he was right away. Andrew’s fingers who kept fidgeting on the table gave it away.

Will nodded to answer his question, “I think you did. You know, your audition was one of the best I saw today,”

“Oh, thank you so much,” A grin appeared on Andrew’s face while he closed his mouth in happiness.

“Yeah, congratulations. Andrew, I have another question. Do you have any interest in acting?”

“I tried to face auditions in acting. But it did not work for quite a while, then I saw this audition, so I gave it a try. Not like I gave up completely, but I just shifted my focus more into voice-acting.” Andrew explained.

Will was listening to his words closely. He leaned in to place both of his hands on the table.

“What do you think of Spiderman? Read the comics?” Will asked.

“Yeah, I did. The director who mentioned this audition specifically told me to try the comics before attempting the role. So I had to read and I think Spiderman is really cool,” Andrew said. “Spiderman and Peter Parker have different personalities in a way, which makes the hero even better,”

“I have a role for you,” Will said after listening to his words.

Hearing this Andrew’s didn’t knew what was coming his way.

***

“Give me a good reason why you should not think that I am better than him? I mean, look at him. Look at me. Even I wanna marry someone like me. Romantic? Funny? Sarcastic? Charismatic? Be my magic mirror for one last time before you walk out of that door… Magic mirror inside a person, who is the best boyfriend out of it all?”

The person who kept practising some dialogues in front of the mirror looked at himself and roamed his eyes through his features.

‘One more, Won’t harm’ He cheered himself up and stood straight again.

“I saw you running down the shop looking like a stick was stuck up your ass. What even in the world?”

“Oh hell no man, if I was you, I would have even tried to look normal, I noticed the kids who laughed at you…”

“No, I joined them, shit was funny.”

The mirror version of him looked dead serious.

A loud sigh escaped his lips as he sat on the floor. The door of his bedroom opened and an old man with a huge belly came in looking disappointed as ever.

“Be realistic for once in your life. Look at you, talking alone and thinking some director would make you act in a movie. Give up on your fucking antiques for once and get a proper job, we both know that you have already wasted half your life in acting,”

He was the wannabe actor’s father, someone who was now remarried due to his ex-wife’s death. The man in his late twenties lived alone in his apartment room, but his dad would make sudden visits just to remind him how much of a joke his life has been.

“Don’t make fun of my dreams, dad. Sooner or later, I will be on top, earning enough to get us both a happy life. If you can’t trust in my words or my efforts, at least don’t make fun of it, and I do have a job.”

Every time his dad made visits, it would end him up with some words that ate him up alive.

“What job? You call being unemployed a service?”

“If you can’t remember, I’m a freelance paparazzi,” The guy said with a low voice.

He was tired of trying to prove his worth every now and then. It was almost as if his words were unheard by his dad, who just wanted him to get a proper job.

“Oh yes, such a great job you have. How can I forget how proud I am. Times like this, I wonder why do I even waste gas to come and see my son, when he gives no shit about how I want him to be, at least thank me for giving you a pre-warning once you get kicked out from here and are in the streets,” He stormed out, closing the door behind him with a loud thud.

The guy shook his head while thinking about what his dad was saying. He stood up walking to the photo frame that was his sole inspiration to continue struggling.

Will Evans. It was a photo of a handsomely dressed man, who had captivated the whole of Hollywood with his hard work, talent and charms.

“Sorry boss, as much as I admire you, I need to get some spice from you to make a living.”

…

//DreamNote//

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