章 78: Chapter 78: Cameo Appearance in a Movie
Link had agreed with Franco to transfer the yacht's ownership after winning the gold medal at the Olympics. To achieve this, Link returned to the boxing gym to continue training after a two-day break.
However, with fame came more responsibilities. One day after training, he received a call from director Justin Lin.
The director mentioned that he had seen Link's impressive driving skills and asked if he was interested in making a cameo appearance as a racer in his film.
Link was intrigued. The "Fast and Furious" franchise had been successful, and the fourth installment seemed to have a good reputation. Appearing in the movie could boost his fame, and acting was one of his dreams. A cameo wouldn't hurt.
However, he was busy with training and didn't have much time.
Justin Lin explained that there were only three racing scenes, and Link only needed to show his face, with a stunt double handling the actual driving. It would take about a day to film, within the week, as most of "Fast & Furious 4" was being shot in Los Angeles, with only half a month of filming left there.
Link agreed and called his agent, Simon Curtis, informing him of the invitation and asking him to contact the "Fast" crew to arrange the schedule.
Simon Curtis, Franco's former assistant, was now Link's boxing agent, handling publicity and work arrangements. Other support staff, such as drivers, bodyguards, personal assistants, masseurs, and private doctors, would need to be arranged after Dynasty Promotion moved in.
Link realized that many things were happening at once. Shortly after hanging up with Simon, he drove home and found a familiar figure sitting on the beach chair - Stephen Herek, the director who had visited the coral reef last month, the man in the vest, and the director of the "Into the Blue" sequel.
"Hey, Stephen, long time no see."
Link greeted him as he stopped his sports car.
After nearly a month, Stephen Herek still looked the same, wearing a brown shirt, a vest, and baggy casual pants, only with a slightly longer beard.
"Haha, Link, you've changed so much. When I saw you last month, I thought you were just a skilled diver. Not long ago, I saw the news of you winning the qualifying match in the newspaper. When I saw your photo, I couldn't believe my eyes. The boxing champion and the diving instructor were the same person? Seeing the name Link in the photo, I realized it was really you. It's unbelievable."
Stephen Herek's acting skills were impressive. When expressing his surprise, his eyes and mouth opened wide, and he shook his head repeatedly.
"Yes, it's all me. The economy is so tough now, you'd starve without a side hustle."
Link joked.
Stephen laughed heartily, agreeing with his words.
This year's financial crisis had caused the US stock market to shrink by nearly 40%, and Americans' wealth had decreased by an average of 25%, and it was still declining. Everyone was having a hard time. If not for this financial crisis, the "Into the Blue" sequel would probably have been filmed already.
Link poured two cups of tea and placed them on the round table in front of the shop, talking with Stephen under the awning.
"Stephen, are you here to hire me to take you diving again? Although I'm a boxing champion now, my rates haven't changed. How about we stick to the original deal?"
Link knew he wasn't here for diving and was intentionally joking.
Stephen waved his hand. "No, Link, I'm here for something else. You know I'm preparing for the 'Into the Blue' sequel. After seeing your news the other day, I suddenly had a new idea. Why not invite you to star in this movie? You're handsome, an excellent diver, and you can box. You're perfect. As soon as I thought of this, I came to find you. What do you think, Link? Are you interested in making a movie?"
Link was a little surprised. He had just received a cameo role, and now another director was approaching him for collaboration. It seemed he was truly becoming famous.
"Can I see the script?"
Link felt that with his current status, he had the right to choose scripts. If it was too bad, he would refuse. His time was limited, and he couldn't waste it on a doomed movie.
"Of course!"
Stephen took out a folder from his backpack and handed it to him.
The script was about twenty pages long, not much content. It told the story of a couple of divers hired to salvage underwater relics, only to discover they were two nuclear warheads. To save their lives, they fought back and eventually defeated the mastermind, living happily ever after.
The plot of the movie was very similar to the first one, with nothing new. The main selling points were handsome men and beautiful women, the underwater world, luxury yachts, treasure hunting, and some romance and action scenes - a typical low-budget commercial film.
"Is my role Sebastian, the main character?"
"Oh, no, what do you think of David, the third male lead?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Link put down the script and looked at Stephen in confusion. "You just said I have a great look, I'm a diving expert, and I'm good at boxing. It's the perfect image for the male lead. Now you want me to play a supporting role?"
Stephen shrugged and said helplessly, "Link, I know you're suitable for the male lead, but the male and female leads are designated by the producers. The only role I can recommend for you is this one."
Link thought for a moment. As a newcomer with no acting experience, playing the third male lead in a Hollywood movie was a good start. He could take on a few small roles, gradually accumulate fame, and maybe in a year or two, he could play the first or second male lead.
"Stephen, I have to participate in the Olympics in August and will probably have time in September."
"No problem, your role is about a week's worth of scenes, which can be adjusted. Also, I'd like to hire you as an action director, mainly responsible for directing the diving parts. What do you think?"
This was Stephen's main purpose. After diving with Link last time, he had looked at a few Hollywood diving instructors and found their skills to be far inferior to Link's.
Link's diving skills were superb, and his movements were agile. Stephen felt that hiring him to guide the actors' diving would definitely enhance the film.
"I can teach them the movements, but I don't know anything about underwater filming."
"That's not a problem. We have professionals on set."
Stephen said.
Link nodded, deciding to take on the role. Whether it was acting or being an action director, there would be a salary. Taking on some interesting side jobs during training and competitions would also be a good experience.
After seeing Stephen off, Link called Simon and entrusted him with the task of contacting the film crew, including negotiating the salary and work arrangements. Link would only be responsible for the actual work.
(End of Chapter)
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