Behind The Spotlight Chapter 264
"First of all, I would like to thank the people who believed in me." Axel's voice trembled as he steadied his breath.
"Thanks to my friends, Collin, Lawrence, Wyatt, Jennifer, and Princess Chantal, for supporting me." His grip tightened around the trophy.
"I also want to thank my son for being my motivation to be better. John, buddy, we made it!"
Axel raised the golden statue and smiled at the camera, tears gathering in his eyes. The stage lights reflected his raw emotions.
Who would have thought that a simple guy like him would win the Best Supporting Actor Award?
While Axel was getting emotional, Collin witnessed a transformation. A quiet and unreal change unfolded right before his eyes.
"...You've got to be kidding me." Collin stared at the golden words floating above Axel's head. His pupils trembled in surprise.
The words were radiating.
-- Axel Gunner
-- Multi-Range Actor (Gold)
'Multi-Range Actor? Isn't Axel's talent called Adapting like a Chameleon Actor? How did it jump to a different term?'
Collin was both curious and confused. This was his first time seeing a talent change drastically, even the floating words had completely transformed.
'Well, their meaning might be the same, but Multi-Range Actor has a higher level.'
Based on how Collin understood it, Axel could now perform any kind of role effortlessly.
'It seems like winning an award is not the only thing Axel achieved today. His acting talent also improved. His mentality changed now that he's recognized as one of the best actors in the era.'
It was a great thing for both Axel and Collin. It meant they had opened up a whole new realm of opportunities for Axel.
Collin always meticulously chose good projects for Axel, movies that were directed by Yellow Talent directors so that the chances of success were higher. But now, Collin was confident that Axel could perform exceptionally well even if the director only possessed White Talent.
Of course, Collin would still prioritize movies directed by Yellow Talent directors. He always chose the absolute best options for his clients.
As Axel raised his trophy, the audience stood up and clapped their hands. Collin followed suit and stood up, his claps strong and energetic. He had accomplished a major milestone now that one of his clients had won at the Academy Awards, the biggest award show in Hollywood.
Now, his resume as a talent agent had reached a whole new level. It wouldn't be surprising if some people in the industry started getting jealous of him.
The show continued, and more awards were presented. Unfortunately, the Best Director Award wasn't won by the director of Whiflash. Only Axel won an award for their movie, which was still a victory worth celebrating.
"We've prepared an after-party for Axel, he can invite the cast."
Paul Kim contacted Collin, reminding him of the plan.
No matter the results, Axel had already paid for an after-party. The PR team was responsible for organizing it, as many actors would likely show up. They had rented a hotel, and everything was already set up, they were just waiting for Axel and the others to arrive.
Now that Axel had won, he was incredibly happy and wanted to celebrate. He invited the cast of Whiflash, and even other actors from different movies decided to attend the after-party he hosted.
Axel didn't forget the PR team who had helped him throughout the entire promotional campaign. He promised to give them a bonus tomorrow.
With that, the party became another excellent opportunity for Collin to network.
"Oh, so you're Collin. I've heard about you. Aren't you Princess Chantal's talent agent?" Lana Halili, a famous actress, raised her brow in slight surprise when Collin introduced himself. He handed his business card to Lana and her group of friends, most of whom were B-tier actresses who had starred in a few notable projects.
"Indeed, that's me." Collin kept up his charm, which caused a few of the actresses to blush in shyness.
"I can't believe you're also Axel's talent agent." Lana glanced at Axel, who was smiling from ear to ear. He was talking to his co-stars with an incredibly friendly vibe.
"...Wait a minute, I heard that Axel's talent agent also represents Lawrence Terrence and Director Wyatt Bray. Are you telling me that you're also that person?" Lana was stunned. Even the other actresses began to murmur, staring at Collin with newfound respect.
All of his clients were heavy hitters in the industry. Suddenly, the actress glanced at him with intense interest.
'Not only is he handsome, but he's also highly capable.' Lana scanned him from head to toe and subtly licked her lips.
"...Are you interested in signing a new client?" she asked. She was currently a client of AAC, but her contract would end in a year. If her contract was handled by a capable talent agent like Collin, her career might take a massive leap forward.
Lately, her career had been going downhill. The recent projects she worked on had flopped at the box office. She hoped to change the trajectory of her career by starring in a biopic, an autobiographical movie. She deeply hoped that she would eventually win an Academy Award.
However, the best she had received so far was a nomination. She hadn't walked away with the golden statue tonight. She felt like her time in the limelight was shrinking further. She stared at Collin, waiting for his response.
Aside from being attracted to Collin, she genuinely wanted his help. If Collin could help her revitalize her career and win an award, she had no problem signing a contract with him.
Collin had already proven that he was elite. Having five highly successful clients was no simple feat.
Collin glanced briefly above the actress's head.
"Miss Halili, I don't want to offend AAC."
"I see..." The woman placed the business card in her purse but didn't bother reading it further.
Collin believed that Lana was a profitable actress who would be worth signing if he didn't possess his golden vision. He saw through her talent, and it was only a Yellow Talent related to acting in drama movies. If another agent were in Collin's position, they would probably agree and immediately sign the actress. But Collin had a strict standard.
Collin politely excused himself. Some of the other actresses wanted to get to know Collin more intimately, but he respectfully declined their invitations. He loved his girlfriend.
[Thank you guys for your support. It means a lot to me.]