The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 151

Los Angeles. In front of the Pasadena Theater, Matthew stood in a line with the rest of the cast, allowing the numerous journalists across the street to photograph them. A dozen actors stood shoulder to shoulder, a living embodiment of the film's promotional posters—comrades in arms, bound by life and death, who would never surrender.

In the line, lead actor Josh Hartnett occupied the center, flanked by Jonny Lee Miller and William Fichtner. The entire cast was arranged according to the significance of their roles in the film.

Matthew stood next to William Fichtner, facing the barrage of cameras with a practiced, friendly smile fixed on his face.

Once the photoshoot concluded, the press swarmed Josh Hartnett. His leading role in Pearl Harbor had been released over the summer, and while the film had garnered a torrent of negative reviews from critics and fans alike, it had performed quite well at the box office. As a result, Josh Hartnett had, for all intents and purposes, become a star.

Josh was a far more appealing subject for the journalists than veteran actors like William Fichtner and Jonny Lee Miller, whose careers were clearly on the decline.

Seeing that no reporters were approaching him for an interview, Matthew headed inside the theater. Near the entrance, he spotted the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, holding court in the center of a throng of reporters, looking every bit the superstar.

And when it came to commercial blockbusters, Jerry Bruckheimer was indeed no less a superstar than any A-lister.

Matthew didn't head straight for the screening room. It was still early, so he decided to find the restroom first. He’d had two cups of tea at the Angel Agency before coming, and the need to relieve himself was becoming urgent. Considering the film was likely to be quite long, it was best to take care of business beforehand.

The restroom was empty. After flushing, Matthew moved to the sinks to wash his hands. Just then, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from the hallway. He turned his head just in time to see Jonny Lee Miller stride in.

Upon seeing Matthew, Miller wasted no time and stated his purpose in a single, clipped sentence."Matthew, you bastard. We can finally talk," he snarled, his eyes fixed on Matthew.

Matthew remained utterly unfazed, even managing a smile. "Long time no see, Miller. I was just looking for you, actually."

Miller took a step forward, his voice tight with tension. "Where's the tape? Why have you been avoiding me?"

Matthew's expression remained relaxed, as if Miller's words meant nothing to him. In truth, he had been prepared for this confrontation for a long time.

Miller's voice was low, but seething with anger. "The tape doesn't exist, does it?"

Matthew blinked. "Do you want the truth?"

"Just tell me the truth! Enough of your lies!" Miller snapped, his frustration boiling over.

"Look," Matthew said, dropping the pretense. "You've already figured it out. Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

"How dare you..." Miller surged forward again. "How dare you lie to me? Play me for a fool?!"

Forcing Tom Hardy to leave the cast had left his agent displeased with him.

Seeing his fury, Matthew stated the obvious. "There's no videotape. No recording. So don't worry, Miller. No porn video of you is going to leak."

Unwilling to engage with Miller any further, Matthew moved to walk past him. "As far as I'm concerned, the matter of the tape is closed," he said.

"The hell it is!" Miller roughly blocked Matthew's path. "This isn't over!"

Matthew shoved his hands away. "Act like a man and stop being so hysterical."

The comment nearly made Miller see red. "Why, you—"

"Miller!" Matthew cut him off, not giving him a chance to finish. "If you really think this isn't over, then fine! After the screening, meet me in the alley behind the theater. We can settle this one-on-one, like men, without all this goddamn shouting."

Recalling Matthew's physical performance during the shoot, Miller hesitated.

Matthew just shook his head and walked away without a backward glance.

Miller stared at his retreating back and had a sudden, stark realization: the guy was an absolute bastard. A vile, deceitful, manipulative bastard.

...

Matthew headed straight for the screening room, which was already filled with film critics, press reporters, and numerous industry colleagues. As enraged as Miller was, he wasn't foolish enough to follow him in there and continue the argument.

It was the best way he could think of to defuse the situation.

Matthew had previously asked James McAvoy to look into Miller's career. The man hadn't managed to reclaim his status as a successful star in recent years. In Matthew's estimation, Miller would soon return to the UK, and this whole farce would finally be over.

The only lingering concern was Miller's clique of British actor friends.

But Matthew just shook his head at the thought. In the grimy world of show business, who would stick their neck out for someone unless there was something in it for them?

Not everyone was like Vin Diesel, after all—a man who thought he was the center of the universe and treated everyone else with contempt.

Besides, once he became truly famous, they wouldn't dare to have any second thoughts.

Entering the screening room, Matthew found his seat in the front row. Neither James McAvoy nor Ben Foster, whom he'd often spent time with during the shoot, had been invited, so he'd been on his own so far. But shortly after he sat down, a familiar face took the seat beside him.

"Hey, Orlando," Matthew greeted Orlando Bloom.

Bloom smiled. "Heard you landed a lead role. Congratulations."

"It's a mid-budget flick," Matthew said, chatting casually with Bloom. "Nothing compared to that project you're on. The Lord of the Rings isn't even out yet, just a few trailers have dropped, and you're already famous. And the things the papers are writing..."

He paused for a moment before adding, "What was it they said? 'The most handsome and charismatic elf prince in the world?'"

Bloom's smile widened considerably, his expression radiating pure self-satisfaction.

Just then, Matthew noticed Jerry Bruckheimer approaching. The producer's seat was in the center of the front row, so he would have to pass right by them.

He continued speaking to the delighted Bloom, but kept one eye on Bruckheimer's approach.

"Legolas!"

Waiting until Bruckheimer was just a few feet away, Matthew leaned in and recited in a low voice, affecting a recently practiced London accent: "Through mountains cold and misty, to caverns deep and ancient stone... where the pines whistle on the heights, the night wind moans like a broken heart, where scarlet flames burn endlessly, and trees like torches light the slopes."

It was a line from the voiceover in the trailer he'd seen a while back, and truth be told, he didn't remember it perfectly.

He capped it off with his own addition: "Aragorn is always with you!"

Jerry Bruckheimer walked past Matthew, catching the end of his recitation. He turned his head, his gaze falling on the two actors. He recognized them: the slender, handsome British actor set to play Legolas in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings, and the tan, solidly built American—that particularly driven young man Ridley Scott had recommended for the cast. Matthew Horner, that was his name.

Bruckheimer gave Matthew an extra glance, thinking to himself, Excellent British accent.

Bloom was still chatting cheerfully when Matthew cut in, "When's the premiere for The Lord of the Rings? Think I could get an invitation?"

His goal was simple: get himself to the premiere of The Lord of the Rings and make an appearance.

"Soon," Bloom replied, then thought for a moment. "I can ask for you, but don't get your hopes up."

Matthew made a phone gesture with his hand. "Let me know if you can swing it. My number hasn't changed."

They exchanged a few more words before noticing that Jerry Bruckheimer, accompanied by a press attaché, had walked up to a small stage below the screen. He looked like he was about to address the audience.

Black Hawk Down had already faced a great deal of pressure and pointed questions from outlets like CNN, and Jerry Bruckheimer was clearly preparing to address that controversy.

"A lot of people have been asking why we made this film," he began. "And the purpose of a ninety-million-dollar movie, I assure you, is not simply to recreate a historical event!"

It was well-known that Bruckheimer worked closely with the U.S. military; the Pentagon's influence could be seen in all of his films, from The Rock and Armageddon to Pearl Harbor. This sentiment was clear in his words. "This film will unequivocally show that America must never be an isolationist nation, and it will open the eyes of those who only know about this event from what they've seen on CNN!"

His words were short and powerful, and coming not long after the events of September 11th, they resonated deeply with the current social climate.

Then, the film began to roll, depicting the Battle of Mogadishu in a gritty, hyper-realistic style.

It had been the longest sustained ground battle involving U.S. forces since the Vietnam War, and one with devastating losses. But the film’s focus wasn’t on that; it was on the core principle of the soldiers: "Leave no man behind."