Actor in Hollywood

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People were packed in, shoulder to shoulder.

Steven felt a bit helpless.

He had experienced the rush of the Oscars, the frenzy of Europe's three major film festivals, and the crowds at summer blockbuster premieres. He'd been through it all, big and small. Yet, the scene before him still left him stunned—

The root cause lay in the cramped space.

The space inside the show tent was already limited, and the backstage was barely the size of a palm, leaving no room to move around freely. People had to turn sideways just to walk through, and now, with everyone swarming into the backstage area, the tiny bit of breathing room that was left had completely vanished, leaving it impossibly crowded.

There wasn't even a spot to step on anymore.

Turning around, Steven wanted to complain to Tom, but he realized Tom had fallen behind, and between them was a sea of sardine-packed heads.

Steven: ???

From a distance, Tom also looked puzzled, breaking into a wry smile. He couldn't even lift his hand, so he just shrugged, using body language to express his helplessness.

The remarkable thing was that no matter where they went, Steven and Tom, who were always the center of attention, seemed to have suddenly become ordinary here. Despite being in the middle of the crowd, no one paid them any mind.

Steven noticed that he had just made eye contact with a girl, and they had clearly seen each other. But the girl calmly looked away without a hint of recognition, as if he were just a random stranger.

For a moment, Steven wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Wait, can someone explain why they were here?

Hadn't the show already ended? Shouldn't they have turned and left by now? Why were they here, and for what purpose?

Steven looked around but found himself stuck, realizing that it was just as difficult to turn around and leave as it was to keep moving forward.

This...

"Steven!"

At that moment, a voice cut through the noise, and Steven instinctively turned toward it, full of surprise, and saw Edgar's head poking out—

There was a wooden wall in front of him, adorned with intricate patterns that concealed a hidden door. The door blended seamlessly into the wall, and if it hadn't been opened just then, there would've been no way to notice it.

Steven blinked, but before he could respond, Edgar was already shielding him with his hands, pulling him out of the crowd and into the hidden doorway.

"Wow!"

Steven couldn't help but exclaim. Behind the hidden door was a completely different space, and right after, he heard Tom's teasing voice from behind.

"He loves this stuff. Indiana Jones can't satisfy his fantasies of treasure and secret chambers."

Steven was about to retort, but Edgar beat him to it. "A lot of kids probably love it. Imagining that their basement leads to treasure, or that there's a time machine door hidden in the school storage room. Though this place isn't that magical, it does lead directly to the backstage."

At that moment, Steven decided not to rush to speak. He put his hands behind his back, looking leisurely and content, and slightly lifted his chin to look at Tom.

"Similarly, I also like people who carry a bit of mystery, sparking curiosity, making you want to explore, to adventure, to study them," Edgar continued casually as he led the way forward.

However, the two in front of him were no fools; they had weathered countless storms and could instantly catch the deeper meaning in Edgar's words. He was subtly steering the conversation toward Anson.

But that was no surprise. If Edgar hadn't brought up Anson at all, it would have been strange; besides, Edgar's approach was naturally smooth.

Tom's lips curled into a faint smile. "Who are you referring to?"

"A lover. Also a friend," Edgar replied, giving a surprising answer with calm deliberation. "Whether it's love or friendship, there's a bit more uncertainty compared to family, but to me, that's part of the charm."

Steven joined the conversation, "It seems you and Tom are on the same page. You both like mysterious women."

Edgar turned to look, "Rita?"

The implication was that he hadn't expected Tom's wife, Rita, to be the mysterious type.

Tom was momentarily stunned, but a smile had already crept onto his face.

The atmosphere completely lightened.

It was then that Edgar, at just the right moment, shifted the topic. "In fact, that's one of the reasons I initially signed with Anson—I was curious."

"Even if it was full of unknowns?" Tom asked.

Edgar nodded. "Even if it was full of unknowns! But so far, it's been full of surprises."

"Before filming 'The Princess Diaries,' I had no idea he could compose music; before 'Spider-Man,' I didn't know he could do photography. Oh, and he can paint, too."

"Not just as a casual hobby, either."

With an effortless and casual manner, Edgar successfully captured Steven and Tom's attention, and the two exchanged a glance:

Surprise, definitely a surprise.

Even though they had already seen different sides of Anson, they hadn't expected there to be even more surprises. This further proved that Anson was the perfect choice for the role of young Frank Abagnale, even more suitable than Leonardo.

Maybe they really should thank Jeff Robinov.

Steven could see the amusement in Tom's eyes, but instead of responding to it, he turned to Edgar. "Are you lobbying for a role for Anson?"

Edgar wasn't surprised. "Yes." A broad smile spread across his face. "I believe Anson deserves a chance."

A chance at an audition, or a chance to collaborate?

Edgar left it open to interpretation, avoiding the need to make it definitive.

Steven chuckled softly. "You don't even know what role it is."

Edgar shook his head. "Even if it's not for this opportunity, I'm looking forward to future ones."

"For Anson, or for the other actors you represent?"

"Haha, let's focus on the present, shall we? I don't work for Creative Artists Agency, where everything is about packaging deals; but we don't need to rule out any potential possibilities, right?"

Light-hearted, witty.

Steven and Tom both laughed, and then Steven hesitated no longer. No matter how much truth there was in Edgar's words, it at least proved one thing: Edgar's interpretation of "Catch Me If You Can" was spot on.

Without having read the script or knowing the specifics of the character, either Edgar had quickly read through young Frank Abagnale's autobiography, or he had an accurate grasp of the character. But either way, Edgar had hit the nail on the head.

That was enough to pique Steven's interest in Anson.

The decision wasn't difficult.

As a director, Steven believed that a director should not have to rely on the actors—he had that little bit of confidence.

So.

Steven spoke up, "Contact the office and arrange a time for Anson to come to L.A. for a screen test, of course, after the work in Paris is finished."

Just like that?

No formalities, no fanfare; the decision was made just like that.

Edgar's mind was racing.

There was surprise, excitement, and also confusion—

Was Steven inviting him for a screen test or offering him the role officially?

But outwardly, Edgar remained calm and composed as he inquired, "So, which specific role are we talking about? I need to verify my information. If I get it wrong this time, I might need to rethink things next time."