Chapter 2
Hudson
I slammed the weights back on the rack. The sound of metal clanging against metal echoed throughout the gym. I sat upright on the bench and wiped sweat from my brow, trying not to pay attention to all of the other hugely buff dudes who put me to shame as the free-lifted three times their body weight. I had to keep my body toned and athletic so that I would have a greater variety of choices when it came time to audition for movie roles. Staying in shape was a huge part of my routine, but it didn’t mean I was any less self-conscious around the sexy people who made of the majority of Los Angeles.
I’d done a few commercials and short movies over the past few years, but I felt that it was just the beginning for me. For my entire adult life, I had been laser-focused on succeeded as an actor, and I was ready for the work that came with getting with the A-level. It was my time, and I was prepared to do whatever I had to in order to make it.
Two women walked by me as changed out the weights on a barbell. I smiled and winked at them and they both blushed and hurried off. The interaction reminded me, with a tinge of misery, that it had been a while since I was romantically involved with anyone.
My ex-girlfriend, Monica, felt that it was best if we went our separate ways. She said that it was her, but I knew that was code for “it’s you.” She never admitted it directly, but she had a problem with the fact that I was still struggling at this point in my career. I asked her to be a little more patient with me while I found my way, but she wasn’t in the mood for waiting. We were together for two years and we broke up almost four months ago. I still felt the sting of the breakup, but it only fueled my desire to achieve just so I could prove Monica wrong.
Since then, I kept women at a distance. Sure, I still had fun with random chicks at the bars, but no one was ever worth my time.
I stood up from the weight bench. My shirt was damp with sweat as I made my way into the locker rooms, where I could change and get ready to get my day started. I had another audition to go to, this time for a romantic comedy called “Love Struck.” I was auditioning for the role of Maddox, the lead character, and it would be a huge deal for my career if I could land the lead. The movie was scheduled to be done and in theaters within a year, which meant it also had a pretty short production schedule.
After I showered, I got dressed and hurried over to the audition, which was in one of the biggest studios in Hollywood. I had been in this area many times, auditioning for roles and applying for jobs in the hope of even getting a foot in the door. When I walked into the casting building, the lobby was filled with various men who were gunning for the same role as I was, many of whom looked a lot like me.
The room was filled with guys, everywhere from their mid-twenties to mid-thirties, and most of them were fit and attractive; pretty boys. I kept Monica’s mockery in my mind with each step I took, lighting the passion inside of me to impress everyone I could at this audition. I checked in and leaned against the wall on the side of the room, waiting for my name to be called. It felt like an eternity before it happened.
“Hudson Andrews.”
I glanced to the front of the room as a short young woman stood front and center. I raised my hand and began walking towards the front of the room as she looked down at her paper, making a few notes on the sheet with her pen.
“A pleasure to meet you, Ms…” I offered my hand to her with as charming as smile as I could muster despite my nerves.
“Miss Anderson,” she said as she placed her hand in mine. “But you can call me Sadie.” Her thin prescription glasses had a red frame, and freckles clustered together on her cheeks like cherries on a tree. She blushed as I kissed her hand.
“Sadie.”
“Right this way,” she said as she turned around and led me down the hallway. Her high heels clicked against the ground as we walked side-by-side down the corridor. “So,” she said, “is this your first time auditioning for a major role?”
“No, I’ve gone to a few,” I answered, making eye contact with her, “but when I get this role, it will be my first time starring in a major movie.”
“When you get it?”
“Yes. I am going to get this part. And yeah, I know how many other men were out there waiting to come in, but the part has to go to someone, right? And that someone will be me.”
She smiled as we approached a white door near the end of the hallway. “Well, I must say… I do like your confidence.” I grabbed the doorknob before she could. “Thank you.”
I bowed my head as she walked into the room. As soon as I walked in, I noticed the setup of the small audition room. A camera was pointed at a black curtain, and behind the camera’s monitor, were four people: three distracted women, all busy flipping through headshots, and one man, glaring intently at the monitor. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why.
I walked to the front of the room as Sadie crossed over to where the where everyone else was sitting. She leaned down and whispered into the man’s ear, who then fixed his eyes on me and nodded scowled at me intently. Once Sadie had finished whatever it was she was saying, she disappeared behind the curtain that I was standing in front of.
“Hudson Andrews… Sadie, my assistant, says you think you’re going to get this part. What exactly makes you believe that?” the man asked me. I summoned up every ounce of self-confidence I had before I answered.
“Well,” I said, increasing the bass in my voice as I stood front and center. “I’ve read the script and it’s brilliant. It’s been ages since we’ve seen an excellent, cross-generation romantic comedy, and I know this film has that appeal. And without a shadow of a doubt, I am your Maddox. I hope you will give me the opportunity to prove that to you.”
“Really?” said the woman to his left, a big smile on her face
“Absolutely.” I glanced at the others, then I ran my hand through my hair, and tilted my head ever-so-slightly to the side. Playing up the ‘leading man good looks’ never hurt.
The man cleared his throat, and definitely rolled his eyes. “Hudson, my name is Simon Dominik, and I am directing this movie. That is Gabby, and she is the writer and producer of Love Struck.” He pointed to his right, “and those are Andie and Leslie, respectively,” he said, motioning to his left. “They are the casting directors, and will be making most of the casting decisions.”
Andie looked up from my head shot. “Whenever you are ready Hudson, state you full name into the camera and then proceed with the lines” she said as she gave me a half-curious stare. I could tell they had already seen a lot of actors, so I had to do something to blow them away.
I took a deep breath, and did everything I could not to make eye contact with Simon. I may not have been the most experienced actor in the world, but I knew who Simon Dominik was. There were few more notorious writer-director-producers working in the industry. In fact, I was more than a little surprised that he was taking the time to do a romantic comedy. Simon was known for big-budget action films, super hero movies, and disaster flicks. I couldn’t think of one good reason he was working on Love Struck, but I guess everyone needed a break.
“My name is Hudson Andrews and I am auditioning for the role of Maddox.” I took a deep breath, and gave the performance everything I had, while making purposeful eye contact solely with the women who would be responsible for my casting. It went by in a flash, and when I finished, I could see Andie was swooning, and Leslie was jotting down notes on her notepad. At first, no one said anything. Then finally, Simon put on his reading glasses and looked back down at a stack of headshots.
“That will be all, Mr. Andrews.”
I gulped. “Thank you for your time. I look forward to shooting this movie.”
I walked out of the room trying to look as confident as I had when I came in. As I closed the door behind me, I heard one of the women say, “I think that is our guy.”
I cheered to myself as I made my way out of the building. This part was mine.
* * *
The next day, my manager Keith woke me up by calling my phone several times in a row. It was barely 8am when the phone rang, shaking me out of my sleep like a nightmare. I blindly reached for my cell, knocking my wallet and a handful of change to the floor before I could finally grab it.
“Hello?” I said in a raspy morning voice.
“Wake up, Hudson! Shit, the day is half gone!”
“Fuck you, Keith. I had a late night.”
“I’ve got good news. You got the part.” I lifted my head off the pillow and rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. After they readjusted to the sunlight beaming through my window, I asked him to repeat himself. “You got the fucking part, man. Listen, I don’t know what you did, but they called me this morning and said they wanted you on the set by the end of this month so they could start filming.”
“You’re not messing with me, are you?!”
“Of course not, man! You are now Maddox Winston, the main character of Love Struck!”
“Hell yeah! This is fucking amazing! I can’t believe it…”
“Yeah, yeah. But hey, we need to celebrate, man! This is just the beginning. I told you that I would set you up and all you had to do is walk through the doors and tell them that you were the guy. Bada bing, bada boom, here we are! So, get ready because tonight we are partying the hell up!”
“Yeah, sure thing!”
I hung up the phone and lay in silence for a few moments, in disbelief that I had finally gotten a role in a major movie. It was surreal and for a minute, I didn’t think it was actually happening. Just then, my phone rang again. Keith’s name flashed across the screen, and for some reason, I thought he was calling me back to tell me that it really had all been a joke.
“You better not be calling to tell me they changed their minds,” I said with a stern, monotone voice.
“What? No. I just forgot to mention that Mona Laiken will be your co-star. The um,” he snapped his fingers, “the actress that did What Love Means and Alice.”
“Oh, yeah. I know her. Well, I mean, I know of her.”
“Yeah, she is your co-star. They hired her in because of her name and they knew it would draw a crowd. But, on the flipside, I’ve heard that she is incredibly difficult to work with. Like, she is a major pain in the ass, you know?”
“Really? Wow. I didn’t know that,” I said as I rolled back over and pulled the blankets over my head.
“That is the word around Hollywood, but the thing is that her talent and name recognition make it worth the hassle. So, be careful with her because if you don’t walk a straight line, she has enough pull to get your ass replaced.”
“Ok, thanks for the heads up.”
“Sure thing. We can talk a little more about that later, but again, congratulations for knocking that damn audition out of the park!”
“Thanks, man. See you tonight.”
He hung up the phone, and as I lay back on my bed, I couldn’t help but smile from ear-to-ear. This was my first real break. And for the first time in years, I thought for sure that I was going to make it.
I was really, and truly, going to be a star.