The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 112

The sun was relentless, the heat blistering. Morocco in January was anything but cool, yet filming continued without a break. The movie was scheduled for release at the end of the year, and production was already behind schedule. Ridley Scott had tightened the timeline, making the days especially grueling, and overtime was gradually becoming the new normal.

Matthew, his makeup complete, picked up his CAR-15 rifle and carried his helmet to the set. He could feel his uniform soaking through with sweat after walking just a few dozen yards.

He had just returned from cool Los Angeles, where he had spent New Year's 2001 with Britney in the City of Angels, only to be summoned back to Morocco by a call from the production team just a week later.

Before he knew it, 2001 had arrived. He had been in this world for two years now.

Lost in thought, Matthew walked onto the set, navigating around a pile of broken bricks to reach the front of a downed Black Hawk helicopter.

Of course, the U.S. Army hadn't actually provided a real helicopter; it was an meticulously crafted prop.

An assistant director guided Matthew to his mark. A few minutes later, a crowd of actors playing American soldiers arrived at the crash site.

Filming began immediately, the air filled with the crack of gunfire and the occasional boom of an explosion.

Unlike the shoots before Christmas, these sessions went smoothly, perhaps because Ridley Scott had reduced the number of local extras in the scenes. Most takes were successful on the first try, and as evening approached, the scene was nearing its conclusion.

"Matthew! Matthew Horner!" Jack’s voice called out. "Over here! By the helicopter."Handing his water bottle back to an assistant, Matthew hurried over to Jack, who was standing in front of the Black Hawk prop with several other actors.

Seeing Matthew approach, Jack began to give instructions. "During the take, after Matthew throws the prop grenade, all of you need to run. The pyrotechnics team just planted a charge that's more powerful than the ones we used before, understand?"

The actors nodded in unison.

With everything in place, the crew cleared the set, leaving only the actors involved in the shot near the helicopter, with Matthew positioned closest to it.

"Action!" Ridley Scott himself yelled, signaling the start of the take.

"Look out!" Matthew shouted, running toward the Black Hawk. He pulled out a grenade, yanked the pin, and hurled it before spinning around to run after the others, yelling, "Grenade! Take cover!"

Like a real soldier fleeing a live grenade, he sprinted, his powerful strides carrying him past the actor who had been in front of him in just a few steps.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted behind them, a wave of bright flames shooting toward the sky.

Matthew felt a surge of heat wash over his back and instinctively ducked his head, pushing himself to run even faster.

Fortunately, while the explosion looked powerful, the gunpowder was primarily for pyrotechnic effect.

"Cut!" Ridley shouted, stopping the scene. He then announced, "That's a wrap for today."

After removing his makeup and washing off the grime and sweat, Matthew returned to the hotel and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, he was back on set before six in the morning to continue filming. The first scene of the day was Orlando Bloom’s last.

Orlando Bloom played the role of Todd Blackburn, a rookie who falls during a fast-rope descent and is seriously injured, triggering a chain reaction of events.

The shoot went off without a hitch, with Bloom successfully tumbling from a three-foot-high platform onto a soft cushion.

"Today, Matthew," Orlando Bloom said with theatrical bravado as he passed by, getting ready to remove his makeup, "today I am free. No more spitting out this damn sand."

Matthew smiled. "Congratulations."

Bloom laughed happily. "My next stop is the City of Angels, where cool weather and beautiful girls are waiting for me."

He leaned in closer and whispered a warning. "I heard Miller cursing you out this morning. Be careful, he might be planning something."

Matthew knew his run-in with Jonny Lee Miller had long since spread among the actors from their training days; it was hard to keep such things secret when there were witnesses. But he felt confident. "He wouldn't dare do anything."

"Who knows," Bloom said. "James and Ben are gone. You're on your own here."

Matthew nodded cautiously. Despite the short time they had spent together, the handsome actor had left a good impression on him; by all accounts, he was an enthusiastic and cheerful young man.

"Alright," Bloom said, moving on. "Good luck with Miller."

After finishing the helicopter crash sequence, the production moved to the edge of a street set to film a few scenes inside the U.S. Army barracks.

However, the upcoming scenes were mostly dialogue-heavy, which proved to be a weakness for Matthew. He especially struggled with a scene at the end of the script where his character, Sergeant Hoot, has a conversation with the lead actor, Josh Hartnett.

This scene was tied to the entire theme of the film, and Matthew found it difficult to perform.

"Are you going back out there?" Josh Hartnett asked, stepping into the tent as the camera rolled.

Matthew held a plate, looking every bit the authentic soldier, ignoring the bloodstains on his hands and face as he ate. "There are still people in the combat zone—"

"Cut!" Ridley Scott’s voice boomed, halting the take.

Matthew pushed his plate away as Ridley Scott continued, "Matthew, your expression is off. The script says you're worried about your comrades, but I don't see any of that concern."

He ordered his crew, "Reset for another take."

Matthew quickly adjusted, recalling the techniques he had practiced in his simulation system. Having modeled himself after many master actors over the past year, he soon found a suitable approach for the scene.

In a way, it was a purely technical performance—soulless, as his instructor at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, David Astor, would have called it.

But it was enough. After all, Ridley Scott wasn't demanding an incredible acting display, just a competent, average performance.

Of course, Josh Hartnett, his scene partner, was no better than Matthew. In some ways, Matthew thought, they were quite similar.

To be precise, the two had somewhat comparable styles: both were tall, athletic, and strikingly handsome young actors with average acting abilities.

Usually, actors with similar styles clash when cast together, but Matthew and Josh got along perfectly well. This was partly due to the difference in their roles' status, and partly because Josh himself was reserved and modest, not one to pick fights.

After more than a dozen takes, Matthew finally captured the feeling the character needed.

"Every time I go home, they ask me," Matthew said, not only adjusting his expression but also making full use of subtle gestures, like glancing from side to side. "They say, 'Hey Hoot, why do you do it, man? Why? You some kind of war junkie? You like killing?'"

Matthew met Josh's eyes. "I don't say a thing. Why should I? They wouldn't understand. They don't get that it's about the guy standing next to you. That's all it is."

After a long pause, Matthew added, "It's as simple as that."

With those words, he set down his dinner plate, picked up his magazines and weapon, and turned to exit the tent, followed by the "gaze" of the camera.

With that line delivered, the scene was finally in the can.

Matthew went to get his makeup removed while Ridley Scott replayed the footage he had just shot. The bearded Jack stood behind him.

Ridley suddenly remarked, "Helen's client is competent in terms of dedication, diligence, looks, and intelligence."

He stood up and glanced in the direction Matthew had gone. "But his acting still needs a lot of work."

The bearded Jack added, "A role that’s too complex is beyond him for now. Helen is positioning him as an action actor at the moment."

Matthew's filming in Morocco became more sporadic, with two breaks in between, though neither trip was long, lasting no more than a week. By early February, Sergeant Hoot's scenes were finally completed. He returned to Los Angeles and, two days later, flew to France to prepare for the premiere of "Band of Brothers." It was then that Jonny Lee Miller, who had also finished his scenes, contacted him.