Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry. I didn't see where I was…" I stopped mid-sentence when I realized who I had bumped into. It was one of the most beautiful ladies. A woman, who I adored in this life as well as in the last one from what little I could recall. It was none other than the queen of [Friends], Rachel Green herself.

I was stupefied for a moment before regaining my composure and coughing loudly. "Ahem, I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going."

"Oh, that's fine!" Jennifer Aniston just waved off my apologies in all her awesomeness. Then she paused as she took in my appearance. "Hey! I recognize you! [Sex Education] and [The Sixth Sense]. Troy, right?"

Holy shit! Jennifer Aniston knows who I am. I could only nod at her in a daze, but she continued undeterred, "Oh, I loved your performance in both of them."

That brought back a semblance of manners to me as I said, "Thank you! I love your show more than anything, by the way. Especially that one where everyone finds out about Monica and Chandler. That was just awesome." I gushed excitedly.

"I didn't know people your age liked our show as well," she mused.

"Most of them don't," I agreed, "But I'm a special case. After all, my first film says it all." I grinned at the end.

She laughed that beautiful laugh of hers that I could probably melt right then and there. "So who is your favorite character?" She asked.

"Janice," I said with the utmost serious face. She was looking at me with that weird expression before I laughed out loud, "Just messing with you. It's a tie between Rachel and Joey."

"You're not saying that because I asked you, right?" she asked.

"Oh! My! God!" I exclaimed in Janice's style, "How did you find out? Do you even know my social security number? Are you sent by the government to spy on me? I have a valid visa. Please don't deport me!"

She was laughing hard at my outburst before stopping herself, "Wait, you cannot have social security and a visa at the same time. I caught your lie!" she finished dramatically.

"Aww, shoot man. Beauty with brains. What a deadly combo." I shook my head with a flourish, "If you were not this smart, I could've fooled you into marrying me. Alas, not everything goes your way!"

"I would've married you," Jen answered with a serious tone before gaining a devilish smirk, "If I wasn't engaged already."

"What?" I asked in feigned shock, "Who is the imbecile who snatched you away from me?"

"Do you perhaps know Brad Pitt?" she asked.

"The one who didn't even know 'what's in the box'? I don't personally know him, but I don't think he is the right guy for you," I said very seriously to her while at the same time referencing Brad Pitt's 1995 movie [Seven]. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm a wizard. Sometimes, I know things magically."

"Oh really, Mr. Wizard? Why don't you tell that to his face?" She looked behind me with a shit-eating grin on her face.

"He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" I asked in a defeated tone.

"Yup!" she said while popping the P.

Slowly I turned around nervously and came face to face with the man in question, Brad Pitt himself. Oh God! Why can't the Earth swallow me whole right now? That would be so much more convenient than facing the grinning loon in front of me known as Brad Pitt.

To be honest, I don't like Brad too much. I mean, his work is good, but what he did to Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie in the other timeline was inexcusable. I know I wasn't personally there and didn't know exactly what happened, but it was a common perception among people that Brad cheated on Jen with Angelina Jolie.

This hasn't happened yet. My presence here can change the future, and it's possible these two won't ever separate. It's also possible that Brad didn't cheat at all and it was all a publicity stunt. That's what I told myself before waving awkwardly to Brad.

"Hello, Troy Armitage, Mr. Pitt. Huge fan!" Not really, but he doesn't have to know that. Moreover, actors like knowing that you're a 'big fan' than not.

"You are? Weren't you just telling my girl that I'm not good for her?" The very present smirk was right there on his smug face.

"Have you seen her?" I pointed at his fiancée. "No offense, but do you think anyone can be good enough for her? I mean, sure I come close to that, but even I'm not fully there yet."

He laughed out loud at that. "You're funny." Meanwhile Jennifer put a hand around my shoulders, "Brad honey, this English gentleman has wooed me away from you."

"That's too bad," Brad dramatically put a hand on his chest as if it was aching. "How will I live now?"

Within moments, all three of us had dissolved into peals of laughter at the silliness of the entire situation. When the laughter subsided somewhat, I offered Brad Pitt a hand to shake, which he accepted. I said, "Okay, in all seriousness, I love your acting, especially [Seven] and [12 Monkeys]."

There was [Fight Club] as well, but that won't be released for a few months at least.

"Should you even be watching those R-rated movies, though?" Jen asked curiously.

I swear a vein in my forehead was this close to popping. Why does everyone have to say that when I tell them about my movie choices?

"Troy!" Mum's voice called out as she interrupted our conversation. "We were looking for you."

I turned towards her and saw her appraising the couple I was talking to.

So I did the introductions. "Mum, these are Jennifer Aniston and her fiancé Brad Pitt, and this is my mother, Kathy Kloves."

"Ah, of course, I know them," Mum smiled politely at them and they exchanged some pleasantries.

"I think the ceremony is about to begin," Mum remarked. "We should get back to our seats."

"Of course," Jennifer nodded. "It was lovely meeting you, Troy. Kathy. Hope you'll win tonight."

"Thank you," I smiled at her.

With that said, we went our separate ways. Jennifer was fun to talk to, but Brad's presence was making me uncomfortable for some reason. Luckily, Mum came at exactly the right time to rescue me.

"That was some power couple there. The queen of TV and the king of cinema," Mum commented as we sat down in our seats. Dad was already there, talking to that other guy from earlier.

I hummed audibly at Mum's observations.

"Troy," Dad called out, "meet my friend Beau Bridges here. We worked on [The Fabulous Baker Boys] together."

"Hi," I greeted politely while inwardly groaning at the number of people I had to meet at this ceremony. Some of them I don't mind, like Jennifer Aniston, but most people look at me condescendingly because of my age.

And this man was doing the same.

I just gritted my teeth and practiced my secret art of sleeping while seeming to pay attention. My sleep was broken when Dad hugged me.

Wait, what!?

I hugged him back on instinct before realizing that Dad was making his way onto the stage and accepting the trophy. Wait, what!?

I turned to Mum in confusion who was clapping loudly with a big grin on her face and asked, "Which award is that one?"

"Writing," Mum answered nonchalantly. "You should try to hide your boredom at least. Your face will be all over the world, especially when your nominated category comes."

"I dedicate this award to my family," Dad said on the stage while accepting the trophy and holding it high. "My beautiful wife, without whom I'd be nowhere today." He looked in our direction with love. "And of course my little boy Troy who once told me, 'Dad, I don't need the talk. I know about it all.'"

Loud laughter erupted around the hall and I couldn't help but facepalm myself in embarrassment. Did he really have to do it? On live TV, no less?

"So of course I made a movie out of it." More laughter erupted from the audience. "Seriously though, this movie wouldn't have been possible without input from Troy, so thank you for coming into my life and choosing me as your father. I love you, Troy, Kathy."

I couldn't help but have my eyes water as I heard him say that.

Dad just raised his Emmy high once more before being led around by the presenters towards the back exit and the ceremony continued. Dad came back five minutes later and as soon as he did, I hugged him tightly.

"I love you too, Dad," I said softly, "Thank you for choosing me as your son."

He patted my back as we sat back down in our respective seats.

No one besides us cared about our moment, as the ceremony continued. I tried to pay attention this time around. Edie Falco, Dennis Franz, Helen Hunt, Anne Bancroft—so many actors got awards in different categories. Unfortunately, Michelle Williams didn't win for Best Supporting Actress for [Sex Education]. Moreover, where is she? I looked around curiously but couldn't find her. Maybe she skipped the ceremony and would come directly to the after-party?

A beautiful blonde woman came on stage next. I couldn't help but grin at the sight of Jennifer Aniston standing there with the Emmy in her hands.

"A great actor is one who shows us what their character is going through with great subtlety or sometimes great exaggeration." There was some laughter around the hall. "Today, I am proud to present the award for the Best Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Movie," she announced.

Oh boy.

 

"And here are the nominations:

Don Cheadle for [A Lesson Before Dying]

Ian Holm for [King Lear]

Jack Lemmon for [Inherit the Wind]

Stanley Tucci for [Winchell]

Sam Shepherd for [Dash and Lilly]

Troy Armitage for [Sex Education]."

 

There was polite applause as each name was called out. When my name was read, the camera zoomed in on me. I gave a confident smile and waved at it for the home viewers.

"And the Emmy goes to," Jennifer opened the envelope and read the name written before showing a visible surprise on her face, "We have our youngest ever Emmy winner." The realization dawned upon me as Mum shrieked beside me and hugged me tightly. I couldn't hear Jennifer reading my name because Mum was being so loud.

The crowd erupted in applause as I was hugged by Dad next. But I couldn't wait any longer as I had to get on stage. So I separated myself from him and made my way to the stage as elegantly as I could, with a cameraman following my movements.

I was feeling surreal, unreal, amazed, giddy, and a million different things that I can't describe in a single sentence. My first real bonafide award that wasn't as meaningless as a Golden Globe.

"This is Troy Armitage's first Emmy win and nomination. At 10 years of age, Troy is the youngest Primetime Emmy winner ever," a female voice announced.

Jennifer was grinning at me as she bent down to give me a tight hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Congratulations!"

"Don't get too intimate or Brad will get jealous," I whispered in her ear cheekily just before we separated. She just shook her head with a smile and handed me the Emmy before stepping back.

The mic adjusted by itself to come to my height as I spoke, "I want to dedicate this award to my Dad."

Applause came from the audience.

"One day, I told him I wanted to become an actor. So he made a short film for me to teach me how to act. Thank you to everyone at HBO and our crew for taking that short film and making it the [Sex Education] we know today. My fellow cast members, Michelle, James, Linda, Annie, and so many more people who worked on this film. Next, I want to thank my Mum, who encouraged me continuously to work harder and give my best at everything I do. Last but not least, thank you to the Television Academy and all its members for this great honor." I raised my award high to another huge round of applause before being led through the back exit.

"That was a great speech," Jennifer commented as we walked silently.

"Thank you. I meant it."

"So how does it feel getting the Emmy?" she asked with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, that's a bad question. You know how it feels."

"No, I don't. I didn't get the Emmy. I didn't even get nominated." She said in a matter-of-fact tone. That made me stop in my steps for a moment before looking at her and realizing that [Friends] is still ongoing. She must be getting the award in one of the coming years then.

"It's only a matter of time," I said honestly. "Your work is very good. I'll vote for you."

As an Emmy winner now, I'd be inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) from next year onwards, and then I can cast my vote in the acting categories. Quite similar to the Oscars.

"Aww, aren't you a sweetheart?" Jen pulled on my cheek lightly.

"Hey! Get off!" I pushed her hands away. "You'll ruin my look."

"Hahaha, you're cute." Jen continued giggling as we made our way back to the sitting area. Thankfully, I didn't have to give press interviews right this moment, unlike the Golden Globes. That would've been a chore.

I showed my shining gold trophy to my Mum, "So, do you think we should get a better display case for the trophies?"

"It seems prudent to do so, yes," Mum commented drily. This wasn't the only award I had received. There were numerous award ceremonies held throughout the nation. From different critics groups to not-for-profit organizations to different media houses. There are so many award shows in the US that if you attend every one of them, you will not have the time to do your next project. I was in a unique position where I had received so many of these awards this last year that I had lost count.

No. I hadn't. There were 16 awards. 17 now, that I would have to accommodate somewhere in the house. Each award that I received was an acknowledgment of sorts from a particular group that they liked my work enough to consider it better than other actors in the same category. The worst part was that I couldn't even take all these awards back to London because that would be so cumbersome as an entire bag would be full of these worthless trophies. After some deliberation, I decided that I'll bring my Golden Globe and Emmy along, but nothing else.

The ceremony continued and more and more people were getting their prizes, but my eyes were only open to the categories where [Sex Education] was nominated. Of them, there were just two more left. Best Director for Dad and Best TV Movie for both Mum and Dad.

"And the Emmy for Best Director for a TV Movie or Miniseries goes to… Allan Arkush for [The Temptations]."

I deflated in defeat. It would be so cool if we could clean-sweep our nominations. Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen now that we've already lost 2 out of our 5.

Without building much suspense, let me tell you we didn't win the Best TV Movie either. That honor went to another HBO movie, [A Lesson Before Dying].

Such is life, you win some, you lose some. Still, the fact that we won two major awards for writing and acting would generate a lot of home sales for us over the years to come. Then there was the fact that my involvement in [The Sixth Sense] and [Harry Potter] had elevated my profile a lot which would be beneficial for [Sex Education] as well.

Let me explain it to you with an example. Anyone who is a decent enough Leonardo DiCaprio fan must know about his movie [What's Eating Gilbert Grape]. Even decades after it flopped at the box office, people go back to that movie to see why Leo got an Oscar nod for that film. Some 20-25 years after its release, the movie had more than made up for the losses it incurred during its initial theatrical days. Mostly because of Leo's enchanting performance and to curse the Academy for not giving him the Oscar that year.

Now, I'm not saying I'll be as successful as Leo. But with Harry Potter in my pocket and two awesome movies like [The Sixth Sense] and [Billy Elliot] which were favored by the Academy and the people alike, I can guarantee that I won't fade into obscurity for the next 30 years at the very least.

And that's if I stop acting after Harry Potter, which I don't intend to do because I love working on a film set from my limited experience.

"Come, Troy," Mum called out, "The awards are over. Let's get to the afterparty."

I groaned at the thought of a party. Maybe in 10 years, I won't be repulsed by the idea, but right now I couldn't help but detest the very notion of going to a mostly adult party. Not like I want to go to a kids' party either. I'd stick out like a sore thumb in either of those.

Its moments like these which made me miss a friend like Evan. I had gotten so busy in the shooting process, and my new friendship with Jamie, that I had almost forgotten about him for the last few months. But when I thought about the song, Evan was all I could think of to dedicate the song to. I won't say it out loud to anyone, but I felt a little hurt when Evan didn't so much as call me after I apologized to him on his favorite talk show. I guess I could only wait for him to come around. Some things you just don't have any control over.

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