The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 142: I'm the Star!

"Cut!"

Chuck's shout on set was immediately followed by another command. "Let's keep it natural! Matthew, make it feel real, alright?"

Matthew propped himself up with the half-drawn sheepskin blanket as Kelly sat up beside him, whispering, "You're too tense."

It was the fourth take, and Matthew felt a flush of embarrassment. "Sorry," he said. "This is my first time shooting a scene like this."

Filming R-rated scenes was never easy. The director, Chuck, waved his hand and announced, "We'll go again in fifteen minutes!"

Two costumers hurried over to help Matthew and Kelly back into the clothes that had just been torn off during the take. Ripping them off was easy, but putting them back on was a tedious process, especially Kelly's costume. Though it looked like little more than a few scraps of fabric, it was surprisingly difficult for anyone but a professional to put on correctly.

Matthew noticed Kelly watching him and quickly apologized again, "I'm sorry, Kelly."

In his mind, it was always the actress who suffered most in scenes like this. After all, every new take meant he had to rip her clothes off all over again.

Not to mention the other intimate "moments" between them.

But Kelly, a veteran with over a decade in the business, didn't seem to mind such things."You're just too nervous," she replied with a reassuring smile. "Relax, it's not like we're actually doing it."

Matthew nodded and took a few quick, deep breaths. If she, the woman in the scene, wasn't bothered, why was he so worked up?

During the most intense parts of the scene, he was wearing at least a pair of tight boxer briefs, while Kelly had nothing on but a pair of impossibly thin panties.

And she hadn't even asked for a closed set.

Far from being shy, Kelly now stood in the middle of the set in her underwear, letting the costumer dress her, seemingly unconcerned about displaying her magnificent body for everyone to see.

And, of course, Kelly really did have a beautiful body.

The shoot resumed shortly after, and this time, probably because his mind was more at ease, everything went smoothly. After a passionate kiss with Kelly, Matthew successfully pinned her beneath him.

"Good!" Chuck declared, looking largely satisfied. "That's a wrap for today!"

Matthew rose from on top of Kelly, who immediately covered herself with a blanket brought by her assistant. Her gaze, however, suddenly flickered down to the noticeable bulge in Matthew's boxer briefs.

During filming, physical contact was inevitable...

...

After filming that scene, Matthew felt a profound sense of relief. On the surface, it might have seemed like a dream scenario for any man, but the reality was completely different.

There was nothing remotely arousing about it.

With cameras rolling, a large crew watching, actors who were little more than colleagues performing together, and a director scrutinizing every caress and kiss, Matthew could now appreciate that filming a love scene was the polar opposite of a hot and sexy experience. It was awkward, tense, and deeply uncomfortable.

Of course, audiences would love watching it, especially the men who would eagerly put themselves in his shoes.

Some male viewers, for instance, might fantasize about being Matthew, making love to Kelly.

In fact, Stephen's script had contained specific descriptions for this scene; perhaps because he was a director by trade, he sometimes wrote his screenplays with something akin to a shooting guide.

But Chuck didn't follow it to the letter. The passion scene they had just filmed, for example, was more a product of his on-the-spot direction.

Matthew knew that Stephen was observing from the periphery of the set, but the fact that he hadn't interrupted the shoot proved that he wasn't overly concerned with the changes.

Thinking about it, he realized there was a vast difference between a passion scene on the page and one performed on set. A screenwriter could provide detailed instructions, but on the day of the actual shoot, countless things could change, because such a scene was incredibly delicate and unpredictable for the actors involved.

Regardless, Matthew wasn't thrilled about the experience. It was a completely different world from being with Britney.

Since the main cast was scheduled to shoot promotional posters in a few minutes, filming for the day was officially over. Matthew headed for the dressing room, and Kelly followed close behind.

They chatted about the scene they had just filmed as they walked.

"How did you manage to stay so relaxed?" Matthew asked, genuinely curious.

He was certain he would face many more scenes like this in the future.

"I'm just not a shy person," Kelly answered easily. "Being naked in front of a camera doesn't scare me, so it's never really been a problem."

She suddenly laughed. "The crew is the real problem. Scenes like this can actually be fun. I don't care, and we both kept ourselves in check, but some of those guys... not so much. Matthew, did you see the way they were looking at me? Like a pack of wolves. You know, it's not a great feeling to be stared at like that, as if they're all a bunch of ravenous predators."

Matthew chuckled but said nothing. Kelly was truly a strong woman, inside and out.

They turned into the corridor where the dressing rooms were located just as the film's publicist and Sean Daniels approached them. They exchanged pleasantries before Matthew and Kelly went to their respective rooms.

The publicist glanced back over his shoulder and remarked, "Matthew and Kelly seem to be on good terms."

"It looks like they've gotten to know each other well," Sean added. "Matthew has a knack for getting along with people."

"An idea just occurred to me," the publicist said, falling into step with Sean. "Our production is lacking some heavyweight news for the promotion, especially for the crucial phase right before the release next year. We haven't found the right angle yet."

Sean, a seasoned producer, immediately understood what he was implying. "We'll have to consult the actors on matters like that," he said. "Here's what I'll do: I'll inform both of their agents and start negotiations."

The publicist nodded first, then added, "Sean, please handle it quickly."

Sean nodded again, then a thought struck him. "Matthew's hands could also be a great promotional point," he said, "especially for online marketing."

He instructed the publicist, "Make sure you tell the photographer to get several close-ups of Matthew's hands specifically, and post them on the official 'Scorpion King' website."

The publicist was puzzled. "Matthew's hands? Why?"

Sean didn't explain directly. "You'll understand when you see it."

Back in his dressing room, Matthew had his makeup touched up, changed into a fresh set of leather armor and weapons, and was then led by a crew member back to the studio. He was taken to a specially prepared photo room with a green screen, where he posed for preliminary promotional shots under the photographer's direction.

Just as he expected, the poster shots for the main actors were being done individually, to be composited together later in post-production.

Matthew fully cooperated with the photographer, striking whatever pose he was instructed to. The man was part of the film's crew and knew exactly what style of photoshoot would suit the project.

Although he couldn't see the photos being taken, Matthew could guess from the various poses he was asked to hold that they were aiming for a series of images that projected toughness and masculinity.

He was surprised, however, when toward the end of the thirty-minute session, the photographer asked to take pictures of both his hands. The production's publicist came over to explain that they planned to use his hands in a promotional stunt.

Matthew went along with it and let the photographer take close-ups of both hands, knowing that any publicity for the film would ultimately benefit his own career.

He finished his shoot just in time to see Duff, Clark, and Steven, who also had roles in the film, arriving to have their own promotional pictures taken.

Matthew paid special attention to Clark and Steven. He wasn't sure if it was just his own prejudice, but he felt a distinct hostility in the way they looked at him.

But he didn't linger or let it show, simply pretending not to notice them. He returned to his dressing room, removed his makeup, changed back into his own clothes, and left Warner Studios.

Not wanting to go home and cook, Matthew drove around Burbank until he found a restaurant for dinner.

Once home, he first called Britney, who had gone to Irvine to shoot a music video for another song and was extremely busy. Then he spoke with Helen on the phone about the crew's preparations for the promotional campaign. After a shower, he remembered the close-up photos of his hands and decided to turn on his computer and check the official website for The Scorpion King.

The official site had links on various major websites, including Yahoo Entertainment, and Matthew's personal blog was also linked to it.

The recent spike in his blog's traffic was directly related to the promotion of The Scorpion King's official website.

On the site's homepage, Matthew found a newly published story with an eye-catching headline: "The Strongest Man in 'The Scorpion King'!"

He clicked on the news page, and the first thing he saw was a close-up shot of his muscular, toned body.

Below that were two high-resolution close-ups of his palms, which looked particularly rough and calloused.

A caption accompanied the two pictures of his hands.

"Matthew Horner's hands are covered in calluses—the result of his insane training in the gym and on the set. He's the strongest man in the cast I know!"

Seeing the article put Matthew in a great mood, and his good mood only improved when he saw it reprinted in several other newspapers the next day.

That morning, as filming wrapped up for lunch, Matthew received a call from Helen. She told him not to leave at the end of the day, as the production team wanted to hold a meeting to discuss something related to the film's promotion.