The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 183

Having been on set for pre-production training for over ten days, Matthew had yet to lay eyes on the film's director, Gore Verbinski. It was a rare occurrence even in the producer-centric world of Hollywood, leading him to suspect that Verbinski wasn't particularly involved in the on-set work beyond the actual filming.

From the very first day, Matthew bypassed basic training. Bob Anderson, after consulting with Jerry Bruckheimer and the fight choreographer, George Raggi, had designed more complex and suitable exercises for him, aiming to elevate the excitement of the film’s future fight sequences.

To facilitate Matthew’s training, Bob Anderson specifically assigned Mark Ivy, who had been training the other pirate actors, to spar exclusively with him.

The choreography was, of course, adjusted, but the essence of fantastical sword fighting remained the same—it still had to look beautiful.

Matthew was already well-coordinated and incredibly light on his feet. With more than two weeks of intensive training under his belt, he could now execute several highly complex sword fighting techniques.

Johnny Depp, on the other hand, had completed his basic sword training and, under Bob Anderson’s guidance, had begun rehearsing some of the sparring scenes.

Unlike Matthew's fluid sparring sessions with Mark Ivy, the rehearsals with Johnny Depp—much like the eventual filming would be—were broken down into countless tiny fragments. Each move lasted no more than three seconds at best, as Depp was completely unable to keep up with Matthew's rhythm.

Although they didn't interact much outside of rehearsals, Matthew could tell that Johnny Depp was a relatively simple person, albeit a bit strange.

Johnny was somewhat spontaneous, prone to doing whatever crossed his mind, which reminded Matthew a little of Vin Diesel. However, aside from occasionally being late because he overslept, there was a fundamental difference between them. If someone asked a favor of him, Depp rarely said no.

Moreover, Depp was so generous that sometimes, when he craved something specific for lunch, he would order takeout, and everyone on the team would get a share.Some might see it as a way to win people over, but in Matthew’s opinion, Johnny Depp simply didn't seem to care much about money and was accustomed to spending it freely and lavishly.

Overall, Depp wasn't difficult to get along with, apart from his spontaneous and unpredictable nature.

Even Keira Knightley, who was British, came from a good family, and could have easily come across as arrogant, got along wonderfully with everyone in the cast.

It went without saying for Matthew, who loved making friends.

Needless to say, after a month of training, Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, his two co-stars, both considered him a pretty good guy.

The training was grueling and exhausting, but Matthew relished it. When a person focuses intensely on one thing, they naturally forget everything else, and a month of this intense work helped him permanently shake off the depression from his lost love.

Some things, once they pass, are simply forgotten.

...

"John, get a better grip on that sword!"

Matthew called out to Johnny Depp from across the training hall. "Don't drop it again!"

He pointed his saber at Depp, who was holding a pirate's cutlass and seemed to be channeling Jack Sparrow already. "Then go easier on me," Depp retorted.

Matthew lunged forward, not too fast or with much force. Depp swung his own sword to block, and the blades met with a metallic clang.

The cutlass in Depp's hand immediately flew upward, but Matthew was already pulling his momentum. Fortunately, after days of practice, he stopped just in time, the aluminum alloy saber halting a foot from Depp's face.

"Listen," Depp said, pushing the blade away with his finger. "I drank too much last night, and I'm still not all here. Why don't we call it a day?"

Matthew shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Depp stretched, placed his cutlass on the weapon rack, and announced, "I'm going to take a nap."

He squinted at Matthew. "Call me if the director shows up."

"Go on," Matthew said with a wave of his hand. It wasn't the first time.

That was just Johnny Depp—free-spirited and determined to be unrestrained.

With Depp gone and Mark Ivy now training Keira Knightley on her physical coordination, Matthew found himself without a sparring partner. He wandered over to the rest area on the far left, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat down. Sipping his drink, he watched as Bob Anderson drilled a group of pirates with deliberately grimy faces.

After observing for a while, Matthew's thoughts turned to the shoot that would soon begin. Johnny Depp, though free-spirited, mostly presented himself as Captain Jack Sparrow on the training ground, acting crazy and contorting in a rather hilarious manner.

He could see that Johnny Depp's acting style was completely different from his own. Judging whether acting is good or bad is subjective, and their approaches were, to say the least, worlds apart.

From an acting standpoint, Jack Sparrow was a far more dynamic role than Will Turner. If it weren't for the potential he saw in Will, he wouldn't have fought so hard for the part.

Johnny Depp was a better actor than he was, with a bigger name and higher status. Coupled with the character's captivating, wild personality, he was naturally positioned to shine brightest in the eyes of the audience.

He thought of Orlando Bloom, who was ostensibly a co-lead but ended up being overshadowed, reduced to a supporting role. Next to Captain Sparrow, he was just a handsome face.

Matthew had no intention of being so thoroughly upstaged by Johnny Depp, so he had been thinking hard.

How could he make Will Turner shine just as brightly in the shadow of Captain Jack Sparrow?

This was the question that had been consuming Matthew's thoughts lately.

To be honest, he had deliberately gotten close to Johnny Depp, trying to study him and find something that would benefit his own performance during filming.

And he had found something.

Depp had been drinking for years, and combined with his past drug use, it had clearly taken a toll on his health. He had a somewhat girlish, effeminate air about him—partly an act, and partly genuine.

Perhaps it was a side effect of starring in too many Tim Burton films.

Depp lacked the kind of masculinity that had been idealized in Hollywood during the '80s and '90s.

So, after much deliberation, Matthew had settled on a strategy: he would do the exact opposite. He would try his best to portray the masculine, tough side of Will Turner.

By now, he was very clear about his own features on camera. With his rugged face and powerful physique, combined with being significantly taller and more physically imposing than Depp, he could easily create a stark contrast to the effeminate pirate.

In his mind, such a contrast would be complementary, creating a dynamic that would ultimately benefit the film.

While Matthew was lost in thought, the two men who had been standing at the entrance to the training hall walked out together, discussing what they had just seen as they headed for the studio exit.

"Depp is known for his eccentric personality," Jerry Bruckheimer remarked to the director beside him, Gore Verbinski. "You'll need to coordinate with him during the shoot."

Gore nodded. "I understand, but he can't be as frivolous as he is now once filming begins."

"He won't be," Jerry Bruckheimer said, having already taken precautions. Since Depp was only a B-list star, he had both the actor and his agent firmly in hand. "The contract the studio signed with him has a clause about it, unless he's willing to give up part of his salary."

"Excellent." Gore Verbinski hadn't been on set for a few days and had a limited grasp of the situation. "I've reviewed Matthew Horner's audition tapes. Horner is strong and seems to be in great shape."

Jerry Bruckheimer said, "He's been training in fencing for over six months, and he's spent the last two years filming military and action movies, so his physical conditioning has been continuous. He's a good action actor."

"Jerry," Gore Verbinski began hesitantly as the conversation turned to Matthew, "could we make some adjustments to Will Turner's scenes to better suit Horner's physique?"

"That's exactly what Terry and I were discussing." The man Jerry Bruckheimer mentioned was the film's lead screenwriter. "Let's not even talk about the characters for a moment, just the actors. Matthew is so different from Depp, it's like they're positive and negative polarities."

Gore Verbinski agreed with this assessment. "Yes, you're right."

Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to hear his thoughts first. "Tell me what you're thinking," he prompted.

Gore Verbinski immediately replied, "Could we position the pirate and the blacksmith as two characters with completely opposite temperaments? The pirate is effeminate, the blacksmith is masculine. With two characters whose personalities are so complementary, there could be some wonderful chemistry between them."

"Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking," Jerry Bruckheimer said sincerely. "If I wasn't waiting to hear your opinion as the director, I would have already told Terry to make the changes."

Encouraged by the comment, Gore Verbinski added, "Watching Horner's sword fight with Depp gave me another idea. Sparrow's fighting style should be more treacherous, focused on trickery. The blacksmith, on the other hand, is a much stronger and more powerful fighter, which aligns perfectly with Horner's physical attributes."

"Gore, hiring you as director was definitely the best decision I ever made," Jerry Bruckheimer laughed. "We're on the same page."