“Clearly you do have my best interest at heart, which I was doubting when you walked me in a room to make Quellcrist watch me.”
“Oh honey, not watch you. Read with you.” She flashed me a little devilish wink and walked off to talk to Malone who’d just walked in.
I stepped back, hoping to fade into the wall and be forgotten about, but I somehow knew Ella wouldn’t forget after our brief exchange. I watched Quellcrist finish his scene with the other actor.
I always found famous actors underwhelming. But not Quell. I didn’t know if this was part of the grind of my job, or maybe because I’d been the ‘one line’ side character too many times, I got to see all the actors for what they really were. Real people. Good, bad, dramatic, beautiful and ugly inside or out—you can never tell which it’s going to be. Or frankly, which façade is really them until maybe it’s too late. I’ve made that mistake one or fifty times. Actors can act, and some of us used it to get what we wanted outside of our jobs.
He was something else. He was overwhelming if anything. More than even I’d expected. I was struck silent. No wonder he’d gotten a spec fantasy with a touch of sci-fi project greenlighted without any hesitation. It wasn’t exactly a cheap project to pick up. But with him as such a big fan of the books, and adding his name to one of the main characters, he was bringing with him the entire Quellcrist fan base. I’d be lucky to get a part. I’d known that when my agent called me.
Quellcrist took over the role. As I continued to watch, he became the prince. He went from owning the room with his presence, to meekly pulling his shoulders in, unsure of himself. His expression changed, even his gaze was different, less sure. A magnificent transformation. He tucked his hair behind his ear and looked up at the man in front of him.
I couldn’t look away.
This character was the opposite of the other characters I’d seen him play. The parts which had made him famous were all suspense-filled and action types where his rippling muscles showed. Roles that always had him smeared in a little dirt with sweat dripping from a glistening body part. I knew, I'd binged watched all his movies before the audition, as well as read the first Pirate Night book. I’d fallen in love with the book, which surprised me. I enjoyed reading, but not anything fantasy before. I was too literal and mostly read contemporary or nonfiction. Pirate Night had captured me from the first page and before I knew it, the clock read two in the morning and I only had three chapters left. I was glad this audition had been in the late afternoon or I would have shown up a mess on no sleep, raving about my love for Sehver and Flint. I wasn’t surprised Quellcrist felt so passionately about the story.
Quellcrist transformed into Prince Flint. All his movements were reserved, and pulled in as if he over thought about each movement before it happened, creating his character with his body language before he even opened his mouth. I could see it all, even in the empty room because of the book. The rolling landscape of a lush green fantasy land, and the world behind him, my mind filled in the costumes and the pompous and uptight ways Flint would be ornamented. Every detail explained in the book. He was the embodiment of the prince.
“Come on.” Ella had her hand on my arm again. “Come meet, Quell.”
“What?” I was stammering as she brought me over before Quellcrist was done reading. “You’re now trying to kill me?”
“You’re a baby actor and it’s fun to see you all starstruck. It’s been so long since I felt that way.” She seemed wistful.
Quell held out his hand and thanked the other actor before someone else whisked him away.
Melone walked up and Quellcrist was shaking his head. “No one fits. No one embodies him.”
“I know, and we aren’t finding the chemistry.” Quellcrist rubbed two fingers over his forehead.
“Quell, perfect. You must meet Hale. He was reading for Dante…”
“What do you think Q—” Mel started.
Quellcrist drank me in with dark eyes, looking over every inch of me and cut Mel off. “He’s exactly it. I see it. I could kiss you.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Quell as he stared at me. I barely noticed they were still talking about me under his intense scrutiny.
“It’s nothing.”
A slight smile formed on his lips and he held out a hand. “I’m Quell.”
I took his hand, looking him in the eyes. Sure he was one of the most beautiful men in Hollywood. A real Brad Pit type, named the hottest man in more than one magazine. But he was anything but traditional looking. He had dark hair with a slight wave to it, that always seemed to be a little unkempt. But it worked for him. He let it go from barely hanging in his eyes to down to his shoulders, cutting it on whims and for roles, but always letting it grow between roles. He had it a little longer than his ears at the moment, probably for the role.
He was lovely, and there was a deep look to his eyes. Pain there, maybe. Shit. He was overwhelming.
“Hale.” I replied when I remembered my voice.
Quell was tall, over six foot, but I was taller. He was maybe the only actor I’d ever met who was better looking in person than he was on the screen. A lot of makeup went into production and artists could make someone unrecognizable, and I’d learned fast even the most beautiful people were pretty normal looking outside of shoots and production.
“Even your voice.” Quell’s words were warm. When people said someone brought light to a room, I finally knew what they meant.
“Thank you?” I said trying not to be self-conscious.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” He brought his eyes up my body and my heart picked up a tick. It felt like we were the only two in the room. His attention was like a spotlight.
He turned to Mel. “Give him something to read.”
Mel shoved a page into my hands. “Sorry to do this to you, but can you read this for us? I know we didn’t give you any time to prepare but it’s really fine if you wing it.”
“Sure…” I mean, what else could I say? I was breaking out in a cold sweat. I was going to be Dante in front of Quell.
I’d read everything about Dante, including some fan fiction. I felt like I could read anything in the character at this point. I was going to rock it.
Mel stepped back. “I know this is really informal, and you didn’t have time to prep for the character.”
“Huh? I prepped for Dante. I’m sure I could nail anything with him.”
A smile formed on his mouth. “Oh, you sweet summer child. Ella brought you in here to read with Quell.”
“He’s, wow—” He was but I had worked with other stars. “But I’m sure I can still be professional. Like I said, I can nail Dante.”
He was laughing now and shaking his head. “We want you to read for Sehver.”
I coughed. “What?” Sehver was going to go to someone with as big a name as Quell. There was no way I had enough clout to read for him. They’d never give me the part. What was the point of this? Dante would have been a big part for me.
Mel patted my shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”
“You’re pulling my leg, right?”
“Sorry, no. Ella saw something in you, and—” Mel looked up at me. “You have a quality.” He touched my hair. “Almost uncanny. Exactly like I’d pictured he’d look.” He shook it off. “Have you read the books?”