The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 666 [THE SHADOW WITHIN] AUDITION (I)

RHETT ARCHER stood at the entrance of the Bellmont Theatre, knowing this audition might be his last chance. If he didnʼt succeed, he would have to seriously reconsider his future career path.

He had been acting for the past seven years, but apart from a few extra roles and some minor gangster parts, he hadnʼt achieved much success. Some of his friends suggested he should soften his image and adjust his style if he wanted to secure more opportunities. According to them, these factors had significantly limited the number of roles heʼd been able to land over the years.

But what could he do? He was born with slightly sharper features than most, making him come across as intense or unapproachable to many people. No matter how much he tried to soften his demeanor, first impressions always seemed to paint him as serious, stern, or even intimidating. This was exactly why, over the past seven years, the roles he landed were so limited—casting directors couldnʼt see him as anything but a certain type.

His parents had been nagging him for months to come back home, insisting it was time to give up his childish dream of becoming a star. They urged him to start helping with the family business and focus on something more practical.

He wanted to argue, but how could he when it was true that nothing had come of this ”dream” of his for seven years now? Lately, he had started feeling discouraged, wondering if his parents were right and if it was time to consider giving up.

But just as he was starting to think about giving up, he came across an audition notice for an indie film. It was a public audition, open to anyone who wanted to try out. Given that it was an independent production, it was understood that only rookies and unknown actors would be competing for roles.

Those who applied for the audition werenʼt given a script but were instead provided with scenarios. Rhett chose to audition using the scenario involving a police officer with a tough exterior but a caring and soft heart. He figured that if this was going to be his last audition, he might as well go all out. Even if the role seemed challenging, he wanted to give it everything he had and prove to himself that he could do more than just fit into typecast roles.

And now he was here.

Rhett took a deep breath and walked inside.

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Astrid sat at the table in front of the stage alongside Director McCann and the casting director, Camilla. Meanwhile, Ellis had taken a seat somewhere in the audience area, keeping a low profile. The director of photography, Joseph, had excused himself to work backstage, preferring to handle the camerawork there. Heʼd mentioned he didnʼt enjoy being around large crowds.

IndieFlix Studios had sent staff to manage the crowd of people going to audition. Outside the venue, they guided those who had registered for the first day, assigning numbers based on their online registration order. This system ensured that Director McCann and the rest of the judging panel during the audition could quickly access and review the profiles submitted during registration.

Some of the people who came to audition were unhappy with the system, especially those who had arrived much earlier. Their dissatisfaction was partially eased when they were informed that, after receiving their number, they could go inside the theatre instead of waiting outside for those with lower numbers to show up. This arrangement made the wait slightly more bearable for them.

Upon entering, they immediately noticed three people seated at a table in front of the stage. There was a stern-looking woman and two men. The man in the middle had a slightly disheveled appearance, while the man on the left wore a black cap that obscured the upper half of his face.

They had a hunch that the man in the middle was the director. Since this was an indie film, they hadnʼt expected to recognize the director, so all they could do was guess who was who. One thing was clear, though—these were the people who would decide whether they passed the audition or not.

It didnʼt take long for all 482 people who had registered for the first day of auditions to arrive. The turnout surprised Astrid; he hadnʼt expected the audition notice to attract such a large crowd. Then again, he reasoned, maybe this wasnʼt unusual. With so many aspiring actors desperate for a breakthrough, it wasnʼt entirely surprising to see this many people, even for a low-budget indie film.

It was probably the norm, though he wouldnʼt know for sure. The only audition he had ever attended before this one was an invite-only audition, which had been much smaller and more controlled. He realized now that open auditions likely attracted far more people. Should he say that he had been very lucky in his career so far?

Anyway, the audition finally started.

The first person, whose number 1 was pinned to her shirt, stepped onto the stage. She was a woman with long, reddish-brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail, wearing a simple white blouse and black jeans. Her hands fidgeted nervously, and her wide eyes darted around the room as if searching for reassurance.

Astrid glanced at his Terminal and clicked on the profile of the woman on stage. The profiles had been sent to him in advance, allowing him to review the information of each person. It also made it easy for him to jot down notes about their performance directly alongside their profiles if needed.

The womanʼs name was Hazel Marlowe, and she was… 54 years old? Astrid glanced at the woman on stage, who looked no older than her mid-20s, and couldnʼt help but marvel at how deceiving appearances were in this era. Even his grandfather barely looked older than 35.

”Hello, which scenario will you be performing for us today?” Director McCann.

The woman appeared to be mustering her courage as she responded in a slightly shaky voice, ”S-scenario two.”