Adam in the Real World and Harry Potter?(OC/HP/Showbiz/Hollywood)

Chapter 5:

…..

"Very well," one of the middle-aged men said, picking up another copy of the page. "I'll read with you"

Adam nodded, took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, he was no longer Adam White.

He was Albert Franklin.

His voice, his gestures, even the way he tilted his head and moved his hands… all of it was perfect. Every intonation of every word and every gesture was flawlessly synchronized with the scene to create the perfect effect.

At that moment, it genuinely felt as if he were seeing an imaginary friend and speaking to him.

When the time came for the few lines in French, he pronounced them with a fluency that left the judges speechless.

His Perfect Acting even improvised certain small elements that enhanced the performance, making the dialogue and reactions feel more natural for a child in the given situations.

He brought the character of Albert Franklin to life.

Naturally, the people in the room noticed this.

Everyone looked up, not just with interest, but with pure disbelief.

At that moment, Adam seemed like a professional actor… one far too skilled to be real.

Little did Adam know that, contrary to what he believed, it wasn't actually necessary to know French for the role. The lines in the script were so brief that they could easily have been learned on the spot. The kids who had exaggerated the importance of knowing French were just trying to show off. Still, it didn't make Adam's fluency and perfect pronunciation any less impressive.

…..

When he finished, Adam turned to the five men, looking at them expectantly.

There was a moment of silence before one of the middle-aged men spoke:

"Well, that was… impressive"

"Brilliant, without a doubt," one of the elderly men added, looking very pleased. "What do you think, Norman?"

The other elderly man, apparently named Norman, seemed to snap out of his thoughts at the question.

"Hmm, yes, it was good… very good, in fact," Norman agreed with a nod. "Tell me, have you taken acting classes?"

Adam shook his head with a shy smile.

"No, sir. But I really enjoy acting," he replied. At least, he had realized this recently after constantly hiding one of his identities and having to act as Draco. It was exciting, and playing a completely different role was even more fun.

Norman seemed somewhat skeptical of his answer and glanced briefly at Adam's mother, who confirmed that what Adam had said was entirely true.

The judges exchanged looks and quickly discussed something in hushed tones. Adam could barely contain his excitement. Something told him he had done well… really well.

But when one of the men, who had said very little, thanked him and dismissed him, Adam's confidence wavered.

"All right, that's it," the middle-aged man said. "We'll contact you in a few days to let you know the results of the audition"

"Okay, come on, Adam," Sylvia said, gesturing toward the door and waiting for him to follow her.

Before following her, Adam composed himself and nodded respectfully to the five filmmakers.

"Oh err, thank you for letting me audition today. Have a great day," he said politely.

With that, Adam followed his mother out before they could respond.

As soon as he returned to the waiting room, he noticed that all the children and their guardians were looking at him strangely. Adam could understand why the kids might be curious about how his audition went, but the adults too? That was a bit unsettling.

Little did he know that among those watching him was a boy named Haley Joel Osment, who played Albert Franklin in the original timeline.

Eventually, Adam's mother gently guided him outside.

"Curious about why everyone was staring at you?" she asked, sounding amused, though she also seemed surprised by his acting ability and fluency in French. Little did Adam know that she was already thinking about how little attention she'd paid to him lately.

"Um… yeah?" Adam admitted, still puzzled, even as they moved far from the prying eyes.

"Your audition took much longer than the others. And I think that usually, that means you have a higher chance of getting the part." she explained with a smile. "So, naturally, they were curious,

'Ohhh, so I really did well, just like I thought. But then… why did they dismiss me so casually?' Adam wondered, feeling slightly frustrated by the last part.

...

...

"Okay, then…. what did you think of him?" Alvin Sargent, the screenwriter, asked Norman Jewison, the film's director and one of its producers, after Adam and his mother had left.

"He's very good. I think we all noticed that," Norman replied.

"True. Too good, I'd say. It's honestly hard to believe he hasn't taken acting classes or attended any acting schools… It's not normal to be so…" Arnon Milchan, one of the film's three producers, trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

"Professional?" Jeff Rothberg, another producer, suggested with a hint of amusement, though he was equally surprised.

Everyone was.

"Yes, exactly," Arnon nodded, still unable to believe the boy's seemingly natural and exceptionally impressive talent for acting.

"All right, I don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary. Especially since it already feels unnecessary. We need a kid who can carry the lead role, and we've auditioned over 300 kids so far. Finally, we've found someone good… too good, honestly. So even if it seems a bit rushed, I think there's no need to audition anyone else," Alvin said, clearly more than satisfied with Adam. "What do you think?"

Norman, the director, glanced at the other two producers before firmly announcing his decision:

"I agree. I want him. He understood the character perfectly… exactly how I envisioned him. I was looking for a kid like him… No, he beats anything I had been expecting"

Everyone nodded.

The only other child they had truly liked so far was Michael Cera, a sweet and talented boy. However, he lacked the practical experience and ability to carry such an important role on his shoulders.

"So, are we all in agreement?" Alvin asked, looking around and receiving unanimous nods of confirmation. "Good. Then one of us should stay to finish up today's auditions. We just need to ensure the session is completed and take note of any standout children who might serve as backups for the role of Franklin"

One of them nodded and took on the role, allowing the others to leave. Soon, Alvin, Norman, and two other producers exited through a back door on the other side of the room.

Now the poor man left behind had to continue auditioning kids for the role of Cole, even though the lead actor had already been chosen. A dozen children were still waiting their turn.

…..

…..

That same afternoon, Adam and his mom received a call, and Sylvia spoke to him about it.

"So…?!" a nervous and excited Adam asked.

"I just got a call. They loved your audition," she said with a smile.

"YES! I knew it! Then, have they made a decision?" he asked, full of energy and hope.

"You got the part!" she responded with equal enthusiasm.

"YESSSS!! I got the role!!" he shouted joyfully, hugging his mother and bouncing around as she tried to keep up with his uncontrollable energy.

"Now, now, slow down… I'm not as young as I used to be, son," his mother joked, though it was true she had frequent back pains, so it was better to be careful. Otherwise, their celebratory day could turn into one of reprimands in seconds.

After that, his mother told him that they had immediately offered a verbal agreement, explaining that Adam was perfect for the role. Though surprised by how quickly everything had moved, she let Adam decide.

He didn't hesitate for even a second: he accepted.

"While it's great to celebrate," his mother added, "they specifically told me not to spread the news until we've signed the contract for you and it's been made official by a judge"

"Okay yeah, sure, I won't tell anyone," he promised. He was very good at keeping things to himself. After all, this didn't even come close to the weight of hiding an entire magical world and a second identity.

Afterward, Adam had a rather serious conversation with his mother, during which she made sure he was fully willing to commit to two or three whole months of acting. She explained that it was extremely important for him to be absolutely sure since, as his legal guardian, she would be signing the contracts on his behalf.

It seemed that producers, when working with child actors on medium- and large-budget films, took certain precautions because if an actor dropped out halfway through filming, it could cause significant financial damage. And since minors couldn't legally sign contracts, the guardian of the child actor would sign the contract, making it equivalent to a binding agreement, which would then be presented before a judge.

Adam would have to be physically present in court, of course, and the judge would ensure that the terms were fair and protected the minor.

There were even limits on what a minor could be asked to do. Minors couldn't be forced to participate in scenes deemed inappropriate or dangerous to their physical or emotional well-being. Violent or adult-content scenes were usually carefully negotiated with the guardians, and in some cases, body doubles were used.

Additionally, minors were not legally required to participate in promotional tours, though most did, as it contributed to the movie's success.

Some studios included specific agreements with guardians to cover media appearances, though always on a voluntary basis.

Finally, minors were subject to strict limits on how many hours they could work per day, depending on their age.

Ages 6 to 16: A maximum of 8 hours a day, with additional restrictions on time spent on set and mandatory school tutoring hours.Rest time and education requirements: By law, studios had to hire teachers to provide education to child actors while they were in production. Each minor was required to receive at least 3 hours of education per day."One more thing," Sylvia continued with a serious tone. "Listen, son, I know you have talent… I saw it today when you acted, and I was amazed"

"But even if you got the role on your own merit, don't let it go to your head. Okay?"

"I don't know much about this industry, but I do know nothing is ever set in stone," she added. "So, until we've signed the contract, it's always best not to assume the role is officially yours. Anything can happen at the last minute. Sometimes, even after the contract is signed. I've read newsand stories about cases like that"

"Yes, yes, I understand, Mom," Adam replied not worried at all.