“Actually, I don’t,” she said, and he was surprised. “I want to be a screenwriter. I’ve wanted to do that since I was seven or eight, and since meeting Hamish, I’d like to direct too, the way he does. Hamish wants me to be an actress, and I’ve only agreed to do this one picture, because it’s important to him.” She sounded very sweet as she said it, and very naive, but she appeared to know her mind, and expressed herself well.
“And is it important to you to do this picture?” he asked, curious about this elfin creature who had bewitched Hamish Quist, who was a man of the world and not easily captivated as he was with her, and was usually of sound mind. He had dated many beautiful and famous women, and none like her. She was entirely natural, quiet, and direct. She was shy, but not giddy, and appeared to have her feet on the ground, and she was obviously in love with Hamish, if she was willing to do a film with him, which wasn’t on her career path or an important goal to her.
“I don’t know yet if the film is important to me,” she answered honestly. “It might be later, but it isn’t right now, except so that I can be with him, and work together.”
“Whatever happens, you’ll learn a lot from him. He is one of the great directors of our time, and he has an incredible eye for the right script.” Fred admired him immensely and liked him as a human being too.
“I’d love to write a screenplay that he could produce one day,” she said softly. Fred smiled at the thought, and relit his cigar while they talked. He felt remarkably comfortable with her, which was unusual for him with someone her age, and she had none of the character traits of actresses. There was an amazing humility about her. She was clearly not a narcissist, which most actresses were. “Hamish thinks I need an agent,” she said simply. “Do you?”
He didn’t hesitate with the answer. “Yes, I do. The movie industry is complicated and there are a lot of sharks in it. Not Hamish, but a lot of others. Whether you act or write or direct, you’ll need an agent to protect you. There are always contracts involved, and I’m an attorney too, which doesn’t hurt.” She nodded, it made sense to her, and she knew Hamish had a lot of faith in him. “There can be some very arduous negotiations at times. You can’t fight those battles yourself. You should take care of the creative end, and I would do the rest.”
“That’s what Hamish said,” she confirmed.
“He’s right about that. You don’t have to hire me, but you do need an agent, even working with Hamish on this film.”
“He thinks so too. Would you take me on as a client, Mr. Warner?” she asked with wide blue eyes and he smiled. He loved her innocence and her openness. He could see why Hamish had fallen in love with her. She was totally transparent, and utterly beguiling. She made you want to put your arms around her and hug her like a child, but she was a woman too.
“I’d like that very much,” he responded. “And call me Fred.” They chatted for a little longer and shook hands. She was dwarfed by his size when he stood up, and as he walked her to the door of his office, she seemed even smaller next to him. And yet she was very much a woman, and extremely bright. Hamish had found an absolute gem, in his opinion, and Fred was delighted to represent her. He had a feeling that it was going to be fun, and she’d go far. Hamish had always had an eye for unusual talent, and he had done it again. This was no mistake for any of them. He didn’t know yet if she would write, act, or direct, or all three, but whichever avenue she chose, he was absolutely sure she would be a star, and a very major one, one day.
* * *
—
Hamish was pleased when she told him how much she liked Fred Warner. She said they had mutually agreed that he would be her agent.
“You can’t go wrong with Fred, Antonia. He’s an honest man, and the best agent I know.” Fred called Hamish himself the next day and raved about her.
“She’s smart as a whip, but gentle and polite, and a sweet person. You’ve hit the jackpot there,” he complimented him, and Hamish smiled on the phone.
“I think so too. She’s very discreet and modest and self-effacing.”
“But I think she knows her mind too,” Fred added. “She’s not convinced that acting is the direction for her long-term. She’s very determined to be a screenwriter, and direct like you. You make it look easy, Hamish, although I don’t think Antonia is looking for the easy road, but she finds it more interesting than being on-screen. There’s nothing narcissistic about her.”