Chapter 18:

Chapter 18:

….

-April 14, 1996

Adam took a deep breath as he stood in front of the grand entrance to Universal Studios, where the final audition for Leave It to Beaver was about to take place.

Beside him, his brother Andrew... once again assuming his role as tutor... patted him on the back with a smirk.

"Well, little prodigy, this is the big moment," Andrew said teasingly, though there was a genuine note of pride in his voice.

Adam rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't jinx it," he replied, adjusting the strap of his backpack.

"You don't need anyone to jinx anything, Adam. You're going to do great. As always," Estelle Gable, his manager, chimed in from his other side, dressed impeccably as usual. "Just go in there, dazzle them, and leave all the boring details to me afterward."

Adam nodded, though he felt a slight flutter of nerves in his stomach.

Not just because he was one of the finalists for a leading role in a studio film....

But because this was his first major test after his debut in Bogus.

This time, the competition was tough.

He had been selected from thousands of kids, and now it was down to just a handful of final candidates.

Today, they would choose the actor who would play Beaver Cleaver.

"Just remember, they're looking for someone who captures Beaver's natural innocence, like the original," Estelle reminded him before leading them inside.

A production assistant greeted them and escorted them to a waiting room filled with other kids and their guardians.

Adam glanced at the other finalists.

Most of them looked nervous—muttering lines to themselves or flipping through their scripts.

A few were simply fidgeting, pretending not to care.

Adam, on the other hand, just sat back, arms crossed.

"I have Perfect Acting. I know I'll do well."

He had already proven that during the filming of Bogus.

Next to him, Andrew took note of his relaxed posture and smirked.

"You're insufferably confident, you know that?" he muttered.

Adam shot him an amused look.

"And why shouldn't I be?"

Before Andrew could respond, the production assistant returned.

"Adam White, you're up."

Adam stood up calmly and followed the assistant....

Leaving Andrew and Estelle behind.

....

The audition room was spacious, with a large table where the director, Andy Cadiff, the producer, Robert Simonds, several Universal Studios executives, and the casting director sat.

All of them turned to watch as Adam walked in.

Cadiff—known for his work in family comedies—was the first to speak.

"Welcome, Adam. I'm Andy Cadiff, the director, but you can just call me Andy," he said with a friendly smile, clearly used to working with young actors.

"Thank you for having me," Adam replied politely.

The director nodded, then turned to the screenwriter, who was flipping through pages of the script.

"Alright, Adam, shall we begin?"

Adam simply nodded.

"Perfect. We'll run through a few scenes. First, we'd like you to perform the conversation between Beaver and his brother, Wally. It's one of the most important moments in the film. If you can capture the emotion and natural charm we're looking for, you'll be in a very strong position for the role."

Adam nodded and took a deep breath.

The moment they gave him the cue—

His Perfect Acting ability took over.

And just like that.... He became Beaver Cleaver. Every line, every expression, every pause, every gesture was executed flawlessly.

His voice carried exactly the right mix of innocence, curiosity, and childlike mischief.

He wasn't just a kid acting.... He was Beaver Cleaver.

He nailed the first scene, and then proceeded through the rest with the same effortless naturality.

As soon as the first scene ended, the judges exchanged stunned glances.

Some of them were already smiling—just seconds after the scene wrapped.

When Adam finally finished, there was a brief silence....

"...."

Before the director leaned forward, clearly thrilled.

"Well… that was incredible, kid. Exactly what we were looking for," he said. "Honestly, I don't think we need to see more."

Producer Robert Simonds nodded in agreement.

"I second that. We've seen a lot of talented kids.... many who could potentially fit the role...."

"But you? You completely captured Beaver's spirit. A little bit mischievous, but with a good heart."

"Yes, Adam, you're exactly what we're looking for," Andy added, smiling approvingly.

Meanwhile, the casting director glanced at his list of remaining candidates—

Then sighed.

"Well… we do still have more auditions scheduled… but if we're being honest…"

The director grinned.

"It seems like we've already found our Beaver."

Adam blinked, surprised by how quickly they'd made a decision.

Was that it? Had he already secured the role?

It wasn't until the lead producer stood up and extended his hand toward him....

That Adam fully realized what had just happened.

"Welcome to Leave It to Beaver, Adam"

Adam shook the producer's hand with a wide grin.

....

After the audition, Adam walked out of the room with a satisfied expression.

Andrew and Estelle were waiting outside.

Seeing his face, Estelle raised a brow.

"Well?"

"Yup, I got the part"

Andrew froze for a second....

Before breaking into a wide grin.

"Wait—seriously?! That was fast."

"Guess they couldn't resist my charm," Adam joked.

Estelle chuckled.

"That, or your performance was simply too good to ignore. Either way... fantastic job, darling."

From there, Estelle took over the negotiations with the studio.

That same day, they secured a preliminary offer from Universal.

Initially, the studio offered him $150,000 for the role.... Which, for Adam (and probably his entire family), was already a fortune. They would've accepted it immediately.

But Estelle? She never accepted the first offer. And there was a reason she was Adam's manager. She pushed for more, and secured an increase to $215,000, arguing that Adam already had an upcoming film (Bogus) alongside renowned actors, which could attract additional viewers. Not to mention... his talent was undeniable, and he deserved more than the minimum.

The studio agreed without much resistance. It was a reasonable figure, and they really wanted Adam for the role.

Universal was well aware that the success of the movie hinged on finding the perfect Beaver Cleaver.

Then came the next step....

Adam had to unionize.

Since the film operated under SAG-AFTRA contracts, Adam had to join the union before officially signing.

Estelle handled the process....

And within hours, Adam was officially a union actor.

Finally, his parents were called in to co-sign the contract with him.

And the most surprising part?

The contract included a clause binding Adam to two potential sequels... Planned to be filmed between 1998 and 2000.

That's right, Adam wasn't just signing for one movie. If the film was successful, the studio had already secured the cast for a franchise.

And the best part? If the sequels happened, Adam's salary would increase significantly.

Universal, optimistic after the success of The Little Rascals, hoped to create a long-running series.

What they didn't know was... The movie would ultimately gross just $10.9 million, a huge flop that would cancel any sequels.…Or would it? Could one person truly change the fate of an entire film?

.....

.....

A week after his final audition for Leave It to Beaver, Adam was jolted awake by the insistent ringing of the phone in his house.

Still groggy, he rubbed his eyes and looked around. The sun was barely rising, which meant someone was very eager to speak with his family.

From the hallway, he could hear his mother's voice answering the call.

"Yes? … I'm sorry, what?"

There was a pause, followed by a sharp gasp.

Adam frowned and quickly got out of bed. He had barely stepped out of his room when his mother, Sylvia White, appeared in the doorway—her face a mix of shock and excitement.

"Adam, sweetheart, you're everywhere!"

He blinked in confusion.

"What?"

Sylvia was holding a newspaper in one hand, still clutching the phone with the other.

"The news, the papers… everyone's talking about you! The production of Leave It to Beaver officially announced that you got the lead role, and now your name is all over the place."

Before Adam could react, Andrew appeared behind their mother, holding up another newspaper.

"Congratulations, little brother," he said with a wide grin, lifting the paper. "You're officially the new Beaver Cleaver… and now everyone knows it."

Adam took the newspaper and stared at the bold headline on the entertainment section's front page:

"Universal Studios Announces Adam White as the New Beaver Cleaver: Over 5,000 Kids Auditioned, but Only One Got the Role."

Just below, there was a photo of him at the audition, smiling as he spoke with director Andy Cadiff.

"This is insane," Adam murmured as he flipped through the article.

The piece explained that the movie was an attempt to revive the classic 1950s television series and highlighted how extremely competitive the casting process had been, with over 5,000 kids auditioning for the role.

But in the end, the production team had been "blown away by the talent of Adam White, who perfectly captured the essence of the character."

Adam swallowed hard.

5,000 kids… and I was the one they picked.

It wasn't that he doubted his talent—he knew that with Perfect Acting, he could stand out in any audition.

But seeing those numbers printed in black and white made him fully grasp how big this was.

"Am I in more papers?" he finally asked, looking at his mother.

Sylvia nodded quickly and handed him another newspaper.

{ New Beaver!

Boy Gets 'Beaver' Title Role

Adam White, 9, beat out 5,000 other boys to play the title role in Universal Pictures' upcoming Leave It to Beaver movie. A video audition secured the role of Theodore Cleaver for Adam.

Shooting starts May 12 in Los Angeles. Jerry Mathers was the star of the original sitcom, which ran from 1957 to 1963. }

[Image: Jerry Mathers, the original Beaver]

"And there's more… The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Variety… They even mentioned it on Entertainment Tonight last night! Estelle called a few minutes ago saying that interview requests have skyrocketed since the announcement."

Adam placed the newspaper down on the table, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

He had filmed Bogus without being a known name, but now—

The whole world would know who he was before the movie even came out.

That same day…

Andrew turned on the TV to the entertainment news channel.

Just as his mother had said, the news of his casting had spread like wildfire.

"After an extensive search involving more than 5,000 children across the United States, Universal Studios has finally found their Beaver Cleaver for the upcoming film adaptation of Leave It to Beaver"

"The role has been given to Adam White, a previously unknown child actor who stunned director Andy Cadiff and producers with his incredible portrayal of the iconic character."

The presenter smiled before continuing.

"According to sources close to the production, Adam White captivated everyone in his final audition, leaving no room for competition. The young actor, who recently starred in the film Bogus alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Gérard Depardieu, is shaping up to be one of Hollywood's rising stars."

Adam sank into the couch, watching in silence as his name appeared on the screen.... Alongside photos from his audition.

"Wow," he murmured.

Andrew, sitting next to him, nudged him with an elbow.

"That's right, movie star," he teased. "You're getting famous before people have even seen a single one of your films."

Adam huffed, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

His name was everywhere.