"How did your meeting with Director Allen go?"
Ed called to ask.
"It went alright, but I ended up freeloading a meal from him, and the old man seemed a bit upset," Luca replied, driving.
Ed laughed heartily. "You're not exactly starving, so why mooch off someone else's meal?"
"Well, Mrs. Allen insisted I stay for dinner. I couldn't just refuse her kindness."
"This time, you made a mistake. East Asians often invite you to dinner out of politeness. You should never take it seriously!"
"Really? I'll remember that," Luca chuckled.
"How did the contract negotiations go?"
Ed had gone to DreamWorks to discuss Luca's acting contract for Match Point, which was being produced by the studio.
"Not bad. After several rounds of negotiations, your salary has been set at $1.2 million."
"$1.2 million? Are you sure?"
"Yes, $1.2 million!"
"That's amazing!"
By Hollywood standards, C-list actors generally earn between $200,000 and $1 million, while B-list actors make between $1 million and $10 million.
"So, does this mean I'm officially a B-list actor now?" Luca asked excitedly.
"Yes," Ed replied, even more thrilled than Luca. "You've had a great year so far. Although you've only starred in one film, the box office results of the movies you've been in have been excellent. Even Step Up turned a huge profit. Just like the papers say, you're a valuable actor. So overall, you've been upgraded to B-list."
"That's fantastic news!"
Even though $1.2 million was just the entry-level salary for B-list actors, it was still a significant milestone.
In Hollywood, there are countless C- and D-list actors, but far fewer B-list ones. To be a B-list actor meant you were part of the industry's upper-middle class, and only around 400-500 actors maintain this status.
For Luca, a Brazilian actor, breaking into the B-list was no small feat.
He celebrated inwardly for a moment before calming down.
"But being a B-list actor isn't the end goal."
There was still a long road to reach the top, where A-list and S-list actors reigned with salaries ranging from $1.2 million to $10 million or more.
Now composed, he shifted the conversation back to the specifics of his upcoming film.
The film had a budget of about $15 million and would be shot in London from July to August.
Luca thought about his schedule. Step Up was about to wrap up, and then he would head to Brazil to shoot Infernal Affairs, which would take one or two months, finishing just in time for Match Point in July.
After that, he would film The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston, as well as work on Mr. Ross's stage play and the movie The Man from Earth. It was going to be a busy year.
Arriving in Manhattan, Luca stopped by Walmart to buy fresh ingredients—seafood, fruits, vegetables.
Today was a day to celebrate, and he planned to cook up a feast.
Back home, he donned a pink apron and transformed into a master chef, preparing an array of classic dishes: Australian beef fillet, vinegar-pepper turkey, pan-fried T-bone steak in red wine, egg and bell pepper salad, fruit compote, kumquat-ginger almond salad, and chocolate fondue. The table was filled with a mouth-watering assortment of food from different cuisines.
"Wow, it smells amazing!" Miranda exclaimed as she came home, following the aroma to the dining table. She couldn't resist reaching out for the food.
Smack! Luca lightly slapped her hand with his chopsticks.
"Did you wash your hands?"
He asked, feigning disgust.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Luca, did you mess up again? Is that why you're making all this food to apologize?"
Luca's face darkened. Last time, due to the "Luisa" incident, he was almost banished by Kate and Lima. It took several home-cooked meals to win back their favor. Miranda had also enjoyed some of those meals, so seeing him cooking again, she naturally assumed he had made another mistake.
"My cooking has nothing to do with messing up. I have good news to announce, so I made all this to celebrate," Luca explained, not wanting to bicker with the young woman. He handed her a piece of pastry stuffed with hidden beef.
"What good news?" Miranda asked while munching, her eyes widening in surprise as she tasted the beef. "There's meat! You're so sneaky!"
"If you don't want it, spit it out."
"No way! It's delicious. I'll just work out a little extra tomorrow."
Desire overcame reason, and Miranda happily continued eating.
Luca smiled. This girl was a foodie, and a bit lazy too. She had gained some weight recently, and if not for Nina keeping her in check, she'd have turned into a little chub by now.
"Luca, you still haven't said what the good news is."
"Hold on, I'll wait for Kate and Lima to get back first."
As he spoke, Kate and Lima walked into the dining room.
"Wow, Luca, why did you cook all this amazing food again?" Kate asked.
"And Miranda, you're sneaking bites? Aren't you afraid Nina will give you a death glare?"
"I'll just work out an extra half hour tomorrow!" Miranda proudly declared.
"You said it, I'll be watching," Kate teased before turning to Luca. "So, what's the good news?"
"My new movie contract is signed. Guess how much my salary is this time?"
The three women exchanged glances.
"I'm guessing $500,000," Miranda ventured first.
"I don't think it's that high," Lima analyzed. "Luca's a Brazilian actor who's only starred in one movie so far. His overall influence is still modest, so I'd say around $200,000."
"Even $200,000 sounds like a lot," Kate chimed in. "The director is Woody Allen, a big name. Thousands of actors would jump at the chance to work with him, even for free. I'd guess around $50,000."
"That makes sense. I think $50,000 is fair."
"$50,000 still sounds high. Luca hasn't had any roles recently. He's been struggling to get cast, so maybe he got overly excited and agreed to a lowball offer. I bet $1 would seal the deal."
"Yeah, $1 sounds right."
The three of them turned to Luca with a grin.
"Luca, is your salary $1?"
"..."
Luca stared at them, feeling both amused and exasperated. "Am I that cheap?"
"Then how much are you worth?"
"Spit it out!"
"Or we'll make you!"
The three women weren't holding back.
Sigh... Luca shook his head, feeling a little defeated.
"Fine. My salary is... $1.2 million!"
"$1.2 million?!"
The room went silent.
"Wow, darling, that's incredible!" The three women exclaimed in unison, rushing to hug him.
"Of course!" Luca grinned smugly.