Old Gary was not modest at all. He grinned smugly. "So-so. If you want to become famous, honestly, that depends on luck. But if you just want to make a living, I can still help you out."
"Wow, you're really honest. Shouldn't you be talking yourself up at a time like this, as if you could do anything?"
"What would I gain by lying to you? I'm not an agency trying to trick you into signing a contract so I can take a cut of what you earn. If I said I could make you a star but couldn't actually do it, what if you came looking to settle the score?"
"Haha, why would I need a pillar of the industry like you? I just wanted to ask you a few questions."
People said drunken promises did not count, and Henry did not want to take advantage of someone like that. Besides, Old Gary looked perfectly sober, so there was no way to set him up anyway.
"Ask away, ask away." Whether Old Gary was bored and wanted someone to talk to, or genuinely wanted to lend a hand, he came across as quite forthright.
With the attitude that there was no harm in asking, but that he should not believe everything he heard, Henry said, "I saw in the Yellow Pages that the Actors Guild is split into the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. If I want to become an actor, where should I start?"
"Become an actor? Of course you should find a good agency. It would be even better if you found an agent willing to actively provide resources and make you famous."
Bro, this was a Marvel Universe novel, not some Hollywood best-actor novel. Even if he actually won an Oscars, he still would not be able to withstand Snake S.H.I.E.L.D. sabotaging him from behind.
Henry truly did not take overpowered enemies like the Mad Titan or Dormammu to heart. Even if Galactus came, it would be no big deal. At worst, he would die.
But people like Hydra, who controlled political resources and could use administrative measures to mess with people, really gave him a headache. They could not kill him, but they could disgust him to death.
So he needed to develop quietly, not make himself known to everyone. What was a tall tree that caught the wind? You got it, right?
What if he became Best Actor? If they wanted to ruin his reputation, it would only take a few news broadcasts. Fame depended on promotion, destruction depended on smears—it was purely a game of capital. Even Superman was constantly smeared into a complete mess.
Do not think that enough fame was like an invulnerable golden bell that could shield you from blades and bullets. In the eyes of capitalists, it was useless as shit, at most limiting a few more direct methods.
So Henry said, "Gary, I never planned to become famous or anything. I just want to be an extra and see what Hollywood is like. Ideally, I'd get to know some big stars, so when I'm sitting in a rocking chair someday, I can brag to my grandkids about who I met."
The bald little old man gave him a look that said, What the hell are you talking about? But Old Gary quickly accepted the idea.
Groupie collecting was not exactly unheard of in the United States. It was just that rock stars did not think much of it and instead regarded it as a badge of honor, which was why it was so widely known.
But how clean was Hollywood, really? Were there truly no people like that?
No! In Old Gary's experience, that unpublicized world was only darker, dirtier, and more foul-smelling.
Rock stars and their groupies might at most make the entertainment pages. If Hollywood's dark side were exposed, it would all be material for the society pages.
"How about... you just go to the San Fernando Valley? I don't have connections there, but it's all Los Angeles. If I ask around, I might be able to pull some strings. Want to give it a try?"
Henry naturally scoffed at Old Gary's suggestion. "Fuck! Do you really think I'm after sleeping with celebrities? I'm experiencing life. You know? Experiencing life!
"Who doesn't know those little bitches are all packaged up? They look glamorous on the surface, but who knows what they're like behind the scenes. For all we know, every one of them is a biological culture dish packed with every virus imaginable."
This was the era when AIDS was at its most rampant. The incurable HIV virus was enough to terrify people at its very mention. Not to mention traditional sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea, which still remained widespread among certain groups.
Old Gary was no stranger to such matters. He even knew more about them than Henry did.
He had seen too many young people who thought themselves immune to every poison, believing those reports were all rumors or that there was some conspiracy behind them. But once they were hit themselves, every one of them regretted it more than anyone, though by then it was too late.
"So how far do you want to go?" Old Gary asked in confusion.
Henry answered honestly, "For now, I just want to play some extra roles and see what Hollywood is like. Anyway, I don't want to sell my ass for opportunities."
"You're not short on money?" Feeling that his question was a little abrupt, Old Gary added,
"We already agreed that I only welcome tenants willing to sign leases of at least a year. If you can't come up with next month's rent, I don't care how many improvements you made to this house—I'll make you sleep on the street."
Henry replied, "Don't worry. As long as I'm not getting high every day, I won't starve, and your rent won't be short."
Now that Gary understood, he began to explain. "All right. If you really don't mind all that and just want to experience the Hollywood scene, then either joining a union or finding an agent will work.
"The advantage of finding an agent is that he will take the initiative and help you look for opportunities. After all, some opportunities are not out in the open. Simply knowing that an opportunity exists is already a hurdle.
"But an agent will take a cut of your pay, and whether you want it or not, he will find ways to push you upward. Because only then can he make more money. Unless he gives up on you.
"However, whether you find an agent or not, if you want to be an actor in Hollywood and receive a certain level of protection, joining a union is an inevitable choice. Even if you already have an agent, as long as you have potential for development, your agent will recommend that you join a union."
Henry asked again, "I heard it's fine not to find an agent and just join a union. Is that true?"
Gary said, "You need to understand that although only forty or fifty films make it into theaters each year, Hollywood produces an average of seven hundred films annually. The overwhelming majority go straight to the videotape market and never play in theaters.
"Not every movie is a major production worth tens of millions of dollars. Low-budget, shoddily made films make up the majority. Or the directors and actors think they've made a masterpiece, when in reality it's trash that no one will even buy on videotape.
"Unless the producers of these films already have connections with certain agents—especially Creative Artists Agency, which offers package services and can assemble everyone a film needs—they do not particularly like dealing with agents.
"Because with agents actively negotiating, they might drive up production costs, making an already tight budget even more strained.
"At times like that, these small production companies submit their casting needs to the union and recruit openly. In other words, if you only want to find work through the union, the Actors Guild will ensure you do not go unpaid, but you generally will not find good jobs either."
Before you continue