Stupor Star

I met him years ago; he had just graduated Devoe Acting School and had joined the cast of one of those little Shakespearian companies. Handling the casting for television or motion pictures I splash around those little companies. I look for that unknown I could make a known. That new face which could fill the 'Name Brand' role for a tenth of the cost.

I'd search in those lost corners of the thespian world, finding someone who didn't 'fIt' the grid but had talent and presence. That's why I cast him. When I saw him I almost immediately ' felt' his presence.

He had the ability to pull my eyes from centre stage to the corner where he stood, force my ears to strain for his lines.

I wanted him.

I left the theatre, called my Aide, told her where, when, and who, and went for a late dinner.

The next day I met him at the casting. I sat quietly. When he came onto the stage, I told the director; "That's the one..."

I spoke softly without gesture.

I'm Midas. That's what they call me. Behind my back.

I am the one they call first, (if they can afford my fee). I seem to always find that perfect actor/actress who catches attention.

I appear humble. I dress down. I am quiet, ignorable. I work to be ignorable as I do not want the focus. It would destroy my usefulness if an actor knew who I was.

I don't want an actor to play to me or for me. I must see them at that moment of honesty when they are playing their part, unaware of the significance of the eyes on them.

So I sit in little theatres watching little plays, my eyes open for that actor who has the potential to be a Star.

Because I indicated him to the Director, he got the part.

After his first appearance the fan base began to grow exponentially. He was clearly a rising star.

I ran into the director a few months later, expecting the usual gratefulness, instead he blasted: "I am Never going to Take anyone you suggest Again..."

"What is it Syd?" I ask, confused.

"That...character...you recommended."

"I thought he was a hit...?" I say.

"Oh, he gets tons of emails and letters, sure. But he is the most obnoxious S.O.B.
I have ever worked with....."

Syd went on to list this guys faults and because I considered Syd a friend I promised to take the S.O.B. off his hands by getting him a role in something else.

"If you do that, I take back everything I've said..."

They were looking for a particular type in a drama, and I suggested the S.O.B. As I had suggested him, they went for him.

Considering the kind of person he proved to be, he immediately went to break his contract with Syd and take on this 'bigger' project.

Syd sent me one fantastic bottle of wine as a thank you.

The S.O.B. went into that Drama and became almost a Star.

The Drama was a hit, the Actor was getting so much attention you'd think he'd made it. I recall stopping by a Message Board he'd created for himself and seeing all the fans babbling away and he making maybe one or two posts a month.

Not answering his fans, just using his Message Board for pontificating. For him, 'All the World's A Stage' and he is the only one on it.

The Director of the Drama hated him, and said; "In one way he was a great choice, but having to work with him? Let me put it to you like this; He'd try to teach Einstein about relativity."

"He's one of those?" I laughed, I couldn't help it.

Every so often I run across an absolute no body who thinks he is a super star and it is hysterically funny. Okay, I've got a fine sense of the ridiculous.

Until the day an actor is at the top of the A list, unquestioned, to be making demands and being difficult is a one way ticket to Oblivion.

Actors are ten a penny. Trust me on this. Everyone thinks they can act, and those who get the chance to do so should be grateful, as there usually is thirty or more persons who can take that role without dislocation.

I knew that S.O.B.s days were numbered and that once he was dropped from the drama he'd never get anything else and wind up where he was when I met him, third man on the left in an Off Off Off Broadway theatre.

As soon as his contract was up, his character was killed. He had a standard contract not a 'life of the show'. This meant it was easily ended.

Once his character was killed, and he was unemployed, he used his rags of fame to wangle a role on a soap. This role lasted one year and he was dropped. Dropped with no offers from anywhere or anyone. His reputation of an S.O.B. had gone viral.

Shortly, he was back in little theatres.

I hadn't heard of him for a decade when his name came up in conversation. When I got home I did the usual Google to find out if my S.O.B. was still alive.

Yup. Still alive and just as pretentious as he was in those ancient days of maybe.

I found a message board dedicated to him. I doubt he paid to have it done, probably did it himself.

There were dozens of images of him.

The Message Board was not particularly busy. There were few members. I noticed most of the discussion were fans, talking to each other, and not about him.

There was one user who brought up an issue, and anyone could see from the language used, the information shared, that this was an educated person. Anyone, not the S.O.B., who responded in a presumptuous manner.

For a moment I thought of giving him a synopsis of his life why he went from from that little theatre where I found him, through the first project, the second, and why he would 'never work in this town again.'

But I really didn't see why I should expend the effort.