"Uh, there's another thing," Freddy said tentatively.
"What's that, babe?" Russ began lightly tugging at Freddy's nipple with his teeth.
"Sid wants me to get rid of my chest hair."
"Fuck! Why?" Russ sat up and grabbed Freddy's hair- covered pec protectively.
"Sid said it doesn't fit the look he's going for with me. He says women don't dig it."
Russ seemed to be considering this. He stroked Freddy's light rug of black hair. "Well, it'll grow back," he said wistfully.
"No. Sid's thinking of electrolysis."
"Electrolysis!" Russ fairly shouted. "Oh, man! First they take your name and now this." He leaned down and began grazing on Freddy from neck to navel.
"I could tell him 'no' if you really want me to," Freddy offered, reaching out and rubbing the top of Russ's head.
Russ was now swirling Freddy's nest of dark pubic hair with his tongue.
"No, Babe, you do what you gotta do. You're gonna be a star. Just as long as they don't take this away from me," he said, taking Freddy's resurrected cock into his mouth.
Freddy didn't say anything as he let the thrill of his dick being enveloped run through him. But he was thinking of Sid's comment: Do you have a girlfriend? Good, then we won't have to make her disappear. What would Sid say to a boyfriend?
* * * *
During the next few days Freddy and Russ looked over their finances. The shoot that weekend---even sharing it with several other young actors---was expensive. Freddy would have to pay for studio time, camera crew, director, and make-up artists. The electrolysis they put aside for now as Sid hadn't fully decided on it.
Russ said that since he'd been wanting to get in better shape he'd pop for the trainer and they could go together. "It'd be cheaper that way."
Freddy could always fall back on bank loans from the place where he worked if his money ran out.
In the evenings Russ helped Freddy learn his lines for the scenes he would be shooting that weekend. Freddy had never worked in front of a real camera crew before. His DVD was made by amateurs who had attended his performances back home.
The prospect both frightened and excited him.
It was kind of tricky learning four different scenes; Freddy found himself getting the lines of each confused. This proved to be a source of comic relief at several points for the men.
One scene, a comedy, involved two brothers who were plotting a bank robbery and couldn't agree on how it should be pulled off. A second was a soldier leaving his family to go to war.
The third was a love scene in which Russ said he was more than willing to play the part of Freddy's lover. The fourth was the hardest for Freddy. It was about two people in love but having to go their separate ways.
They investigated personal trainers and came up with one named Guy Marshall. It meant they had to leave the gym where they had been working out regularly and take a membership in one that was much more expensive. Guy, however, turned out to be a real find. He was short, but muscular like a gymnast. His beautifully developed and toned body made for a convincing reference for his ability to produce. By the weekend both Russ and Freddy were sore in places they didn't know they had, despite the fact both worked out on a regular basis.
When Saturday came, Russ kissed Freddy goodbye, wished him good luck, and said he could hardly wait to hear all about it. Freddy held his boyfriend tight, thanked him for all he'd done that week, and headed out full of hope to start his career as a motion picture actor.
* * * *
Freddy arrived at the address Janet had given him. He looked at the building. He checked the address on his piece of paper several times. He really didn't know what he had expected but certainly hadn't pictured this. The building looked to be an old and run-down warehouse. He took a deep breath and walked inside.
He came into a large reception area. Three people were there---two men and a young woman. One of the men was standing facing the wall going over lines from one of the scenes Freddy recognized from the scripts he had been given. The other guy and the woman were sitting together on a couch. They looked up as Freddy came in. He self-consciously waved and shrugged his shoulders. They smiled and went back to their conversation. The man reading lines didn't turn around.
A young woman rushed through the door behind Freddy and bumped into him. She was very pretty with long auburn hair and a beautiful smile.
"Am I late?" she asked breathlessly. "I wrote the address down wrong. I only just discovered that and I was way over on the other side of town. Oh, I'm Tiffany by the way," she added, sticking out her hand to Freddy, who took it awkwardly.
"Hi, I'm Fred...ah...Les."
"Not used to the new name Sid gave you yet?" Tiffany said with a warm smile. "I was lucky. Sid said my name didn't have to be changed. He said Tiffany Goldwin would work just fine."
She walked over to the couple sitting on the couch.
"Hi. I'm Tiffany," she said, again offering her hand.
"We heard," the woman said in a dismissive kind of way without looking up.
The guy, however, jumped to his feet and took Tiffany's hand. "I'm Paul, Paul Rogers and this is Tina St. Cloud."
"Sid's idea or your parent's?" Tiffany said to Tina with a warm smile.
Tina merely gave Tiffany a derisive look with a raised eyebrow.
The man who had been running lines at the wall turned and joined the group.
He walked up to Tiffany and said in an affected way, "I'm Rex, Rex McAllister."
Sid's work, Freddy surmised.
Rex was tall and wore a light blue body shirt. He was built, handsome, and had a fantastic voice, all of which intimidated Freddy.
"I really hope we get to do the love scene together," Rex said to Tiffany. "I think we'll really make it sizzle."
"Oh, paaaleeze," Tina said.
"What's your problem, bitch?" Rex said, turning to Tina.
"What would you know about making a love scene sizzle with a woman, Rex, since you play for the other team? You'd have a better chance of making it hot if it was with Paul or...what's-his-name over there. He is kind of cute though," she said, looking Freddy up and down.
"Speaking of playing for the other team," Rex returned.
"Just when did you have that operation in Sweden?"
Tina's eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything, Sid and a distinguished-looking, handsome man came into the room.
"Good morning, good morning," Sid said. "I see you're all getting acquainted."
The group nodded.
"Great! This is Skylar Randolf. He'll be your director."
Freddy didn't know the name Skylar Randolf from Adam but Tina got up and with the most provocative walk Freddy had seen since the night he and some friends went to a strip joint to celebrate his twenty-first birthday, said, "Oh, Mr. Randolf." She gushed, "I've been a big fan of your work for so long. It is such an honor to be directed by someone of your stature." She advanced on the man, holding out her hand as if she expected him to kiss it.
Freddy glanced around. From the expressions on the faces of the others, it seemed he was the only one of the group that hadn't heard of this man before. He sidled up to Tiffany and said, "Is he famous?"
She giggled and whispered. "Yes. He has two Golden Globes and an Oscar. Where are you from anyway?"
Freddy sighed. It was like Russ was always telling him.
He should really make time to study the craft he was so desirous of making his career.
"Newton, Iowa," he whispered back.
"It shows," Tiffany said, making it sound more like a compliment than a put-down.
Tina had finished her grand entrance and was walking back to the others. Freddy looked at Mr. Randolf. He was older, probably in his forties or early fifties. He was handsome with salt-and-pepper hair and carried himself with an air of confidence. He smiled at the group of would-be actors warmly. Freddy felt some of his nervousness about his lack of experience fade a bit.
"Now, kids,"
Sid was saying, "we're going to be shooting the scripts I gave you. Who of you will be in which scene, Skylar will decide. We'll repeat scenes so that each of you will get a chance to show your versatility."
Skylar interjected, "Have any of you had film experience?"
Everyone but Freddy raised their hands.
Skylar then went through the group asking them to give him some idea of what they had done. Paul had done several commercials, Tiffany had been an extra with lines in two movies, and Tina had had a small role in a feature film. Rex said he'd had several major roles in small, low-budget productions.
Tina covered her mouth with her hand and murmured, "Porn."
Freddy looked at Rex. He certainly had the looks for it, but he couldn't imagine anyone who had had that kind of background would expect to try for a career in legitimate motion pictures. It would be too easy for a porn career to be discovered.
The skeletons in your closet could break you. At least Freddy knew that much about the industry. Then he had a disquieting thought. What about Russ and me? Is that something that could be a deal-breaker as well?
"Okay," Sid said, rubbing his hands together after they had all said their piece. "First step---make-up. Not heavy stuff, just enough to make you all look good for the camera. Follow me."
Sid, Skylar, and the actors left the reception area and entered a vast and cavernous space. Several men with cameras were setting things up. Freddy could see there were four sets, apparently one for each of the scenes---nothing elaborate, just enough to give the feel of the setting.
Skylar left the group and headed over to talk with the cameramen.
Sid took them to an area to the side of the room. Each of the actors was led to a table with a chair and a mirror, and introduced to a make-up artist. Freddy drew Arnie. You didn't have to have gaydar to figure out which side of the bed Arnie slept on. He was slight, wore his two-toned hair spiked, had his eyes made up, and wore a real peacock feather earring in his right ear.
"Oh, sugar," Arnie enthused as he looked Freddy over.
"Oh my, my, MY, my my!"
Freddy sat down, looked in the mirror, and watched the make-up man walk up behind him and put both hands on Freddy's well-developed shoulders.
"It will be such a pleasure to work on you!" He emphasized 'pleasure' with a squeeze of each of Freddy's shoulders. "Have you done make-up before, sweetheart?"
"I've been in several stage plays and---"
"Oh yes, that heavy, dreary, theatrical stuff. So hard on the complexion," Arnie said disdainfully. "Since in film you're going to be seen so very, very close up, your make-up must make you look fabulous but natural. And you do have a fabulous face."
From behind, Arnie ran a finger lightly up Freddy's jaw line and then patted his cheek. Freddy smiled. He liked Arnie despite the campy demeanor.
Make-up done, the group assembled on what Sid referred to as a sound stage. Skylar then assigned them to the first scenes they would shoot. Freddy was paired with Paul in the comedy bank heist scene. They went to the set where they sat on opposite sides of a table, plotting their caper. They went over their lines under Skylar's direction. He coached them on characterization and comic nuance.
"We'll shoot your lines first, Les," Skylar said.
Freddy was confused. "Aren't Paul and I doing this scene together?" He heard Rex chuckle somewhere out in the darkness beyond the lights.
"This is Les's first time in front of a camera," he heard Sid say, he assumed for Skylar's benefit.
"Oh, that's right," Skylar said. "In film we usually film one actor at a time giving lines in close up. Then we do a wide angle of the scene for some of the lines. Your script should have been marked that way."
Freddy realized it was, but when he read it he didn't have a clue as to what the markings meant.
"So, I just give my lines one after another and Paul doesn't respond?"
"We usually do it that way," Skylar explained. "Sometimes the other actors aren't even on set."
"I guess I didn't learn them that way," Freddy said apologetically. "I'm sorry. I did them like normal." He heard Rex snicker again.
"Here, why don't we let Rex do the scene, since he's going to do it for his résumé anyway. You can get a feel for how it works and you can work a bit on learning the lines out of context," Skylar went on.
Freddy got up and walked off the set.
As they passed each other, Rex sneered, "Watch and see how a pro does it."
Freddy stood next to Sid and watched. Sid told him not to let it worry him. They'd make sure he got it right. He told him how editing of the takes would do magic for the scene.
Freddy watched as first Rex, and then Paul did their lines.
They sat alone on the set, the other actor standing to the side with the camera focused on the speaker. It seemed impossible to him that you could act and not relate to the other characters in this way. He found he had a new respect for the art of acting on film. After each had filmed their individual lines, they did those parts of the scene which would be filmed in wide angle with the actors together. That Freddy could understand better, but still there was no continuity to the sequences as some of the lines from the scene had been done in close up. The continuity would come when the editors put it all together.
When it was Freddy's turn to do the scene, Skylar had Paul help him out by feeding Freddy the lines Paul would speak.
The director was very patient with him, helping him to understand the methods used by screen actors to play to a camera instead of a live person. They did several of his lines over many times. He tried his hardest but really felt he had blown his first time in front of a camera.
The next two scenes went better for him. They were done in one long shot much like the stage productions he was used to.
Then they repeated some of the scene with a few close-ups where the lines were out of context. He felt he did especially well in the scene of the soldier leaving for war. The last scene, the love scene, proved to be the most difficult.
"Les, you'll do the scene with Tina. Rex, you and Tiffany will work together," Skylar announced.
Freddy's heart sank. Tina was a real turn-off for him. He'd much rather do the scene with Tiffany. She was warmer, friendlier. He felt he could give a better performance with her. He looked over at her. She didn't look too thrilled about doing the scene with Rex.
Sid must have noticed Freddy's reaction. He came over and said, "It'll be a real test for you, Les. If you're gonna go anywhere in this business there'll be times when you're gonna play opposite someone you don't like. Take it as a challenge."
"Les, you ready?" the director called.
Freddy took a deep breath. Ready as I'll ever be, he thought. He mustered up his confidence. "Yes, sir, I am," he said.
He walked onto the set where Tina sat on a couch waiting for him. She smiled and ran her tongue over her lips, raising an eyebrow as she did.
Oh, brother, Freddy thought. I hope I can pull this off. He sat down.
Skylar came over to the pair. He explained their motivations in the scene. Freddy's character was in the relationship for the sex and Tina's for love. They would film the lines of each separately over the shoulder of the other person.
They would do the scene twice in this manner and splice the scene later so it looked like the two were talking to each other.
This relieved Freddy as at least he would be playing to the other actor, not just looking into a camera lens. Then they would film the two of them together making out on the couch.
The first part of the scene went well. When it came time for the physical contact, things were a bit rocky. Skylar stopped the take several times. He kept reminding the actors that Tina's character was not the one in it for sex; she was sincerely in love.
Freddy's was the one trying to make her believe he loved her when all the while all he wanted was her body.
Finally he took Freddy aside. "What's the problem, Les?"
Well for starters I'm gay
and she's a slut, Freddy thought, but he said, "It's kind of hard to be the aggressive one when she keeps ramming her tongue down my throat and pushing her leg against my nuts."
Skylar chuckled. Freddy was relieved; after he had said what he did he was afraid he had overstepped his bounds.
"Look, Les," Skylar said, laying his arm across Freddy's shoulders in a fatherly way. "You have a real talent, great potential. But you've got to leave that small town image of yourself behind and take on the persona we're trying to create for you here. I think you could make it big here in Hollywood, but you need to become Les Bannister and forget you were ever Fred...ah?"
"Perkins," Freddy offered.
"Fred Perkins," the director continued. "So, if Tina rams her tongue against your tonsils, ram her right back. Here, why don't you take off your shirt? Maybe that will help you play the scene more like Les would: forceful, hot, sensual!"
"Okay," Freddy said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
He stripped off his green polo and went back on the set.
Freddy could hear Arnie's voice from somewhere behind him expressing his delight at this turn of events.
Tina pursed her lips and shifted on her seat on the couch, taking a deep breath while smiling broadly. "Oh, nice," she purred.
This time they finished the scene in one take, and when it was done Tina looked at him with wide-eyed astonishment. The crew and other actors burst into applause.
Later, Freddy sat in front of his mirror removing his make-up. He looked himself squarely in the eye and said aloud, "Goodbye Freddy Perkins, hello Les Bannister." He paused for a few seconds and then said again only louder, "You are Les Bannister!"
"Of course you are, sugar," Arnie said as he came around the corner. "Did somebody tell you that you aren't?"
Les smiled, got up and gave the make-up artist a hug and said, "No, Arnie, I'm just realizing who I really am."
* * * *
"You were pretty damned impressive in those scenes Sid had you do," Orin Bartlett, assistant casting director for Joel Anderson, told Les in his office at the studio about a month after the filming in the warehouse.
The Price of Fame Page 2