The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 186

Stage 2 had long since been transformed. The area to the left of the entrance had become a 17th-century seaside town, dotted with the interiors and exteriors of various buildings. To the right, a more spacious section was designed to look like an island cavern, the setting for the grand battle at the end of the script. The cavern was still dry and devoid of any golden treasures, as no scenes had been filmed there yet.

Inside a partially enclosed, antique-looking blacksmith's forge on the left side of the stage, Gore Verbinski stood before a rather dilapidated door, beckoning to Matthew and Johnny Depp, who were ready for the shoot.

Johnny was wearing heavy, smoky eye makeup.

Matthew, in contrast, wore only a thin layer of foundation to enhance the texture of his features. His long, dark brown hair was styled in loose curls behind his head, and his exquisitely tailored costume accentuated the lines of his body, highlighting a powerful, untamed beauty.

Back in mid-July, the crew had informed him that they would be making adjustments to Will Turner's appearance, scenes, and action choreography to better align the character with his personal temperament, making him more like a blacksmith who both hammered iron and trained with a sword.

Perhaps some slender, almost effeminate blacksmiths existed somewhere in the world, but the vast majority of people imagined them as strong, muscular men.

The raw masculinity that the crew's designs for Matthew emphasized was something no skinny actor could embody.

"Matthew, the scene starts when you walk in." Gore Verbinski, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stood by the slightly worn wooden door. He pointed to a basin of water near the entrance and said, "It's the hot season, and you're wearing formal, restrictive clothing. Take it off, wash your face, and wipe away the sweat."

"Alright," Matthew replied.

Gore Verbinski continued, "As you're washing your face, don't forget to 'accidentally' splash water onto your chest muscles."Matthew understood. A wet torso sometimes made muscles appear more defined.

"While you're washing up, you'll notice something's off. Go and check it out," Gore Verbinski instructed, then turned to Johnny Depp.

"When Matthew gets closer, you emerge from your hiding spot and point your sword at him. Then, the fight scene begins."

Depp said nothing.

Gore Verbinski glanced at him to make sure he'd heard, then left the set and returned to his director's monitor.

The cameras started rolling.

Keira Knightley, having already filmed a few scenes and finished for the day, hadn't left. She stood with her assistant behind the camera, out of the way, watching from the sidelines.

On set, Matthew pushed open the wooden door and walked in. He removed his tight-fitting overgarment, hung it on a hook by the door, and approached the washbasin. He scooped up water to wash his face, then took a towel, soaked it, wrung it out, and wiped the sweat from his body.

From the side, the camera operator zoomed in for a close-up, focusing on Matthew's bare torso. Droplets of water trickled down his skin, fully accentuating his musculature.

Matthew noticed something was amiss. He looked around the forge—some tools had clearly been moved, the hammer was in the wrong place, and the donkey seemed agitated. The old blacksmith, however, was still passed out drunk, completely unchanged.

Matthew glanced at the donkey, then walked toward the anvil. Suddenly, a figure appeared. Johnny Depp stepped out from behind a wooden post, the pirate cutlass in his hand aimed directly at Matthew's bare chest.

The camera operator immediately adjusted the shot, panning back and forth between the sword in Johnny Depp's hand and Matthew's chest.

Depp advanced, and Matthew slowly retreated. It was the first time both actors were in the same frame.

Gore Verbinski stared at the monitor and exclaimed, "What a stark contrast! Perfect!"

"Pirate," Matthew said, his British accent clear as he looked at Johnny Depp.

"You look familiar," Depp drawled, his accent a polar opposite to Matthew's. "Have I threatened you before?"

Matthew's expression hardened. "I don't think so. I hate pirates."

Without waiting for Depp to reply, he took a swift, sharp step to the right. He reached out, grabbed a sword hanging from a pillar, and leveled it at Depp.

"You think this is wise?" Depp responded with a smirk.

Matthew didn't hesitate. "You threatened Miss Swann."

"Only a little."

As Depp finished speaking, he lunged. Matthew, following the choreography, brought his sword down and then up with practiced skill. He advanced with confidence, his movements fluid and precise. He caught Depp's blade with his own, sending the pirate's cutlass flying from Johnny's grasp.

"Cut!" Gore Verbinski stopped the take.

Johnny shook his hand.

Seeing this, Matthew spread his hands helplessly. "Come on, I'm not that strong."

Gore Verbinski's voice came from the side. "We'll resume after a short break."

Depp raised his hand and told the director, "I'm requesting a stunt double."

He looked at Matthew. "It's too terrifying to cross swords with this guy."

With that, he walked off the set.

Johnny Depp's stunt double, already in full makeup, was waiting just off-set, ready to step in at a moment's notice. And unlike Matthew, who wore only a thin layer of foundation, Depp's double had on makeup so thick that he was a 90% match for Johnny.

In a still shot, audiences would certainly spot the difference, but in fast-moving fight scenes that rarely showed a character's face up close, it changed everything.

In truth, not just Matthew, but most of the crew knew that Johnny Depp's years of wild living had taken a toll on his body. He had arranged for stunt doubles well in advance, and except for a few necessary shots, his action scenes were typically handled by them.

With a more professional stunt performer, Matthew found the action scenes easier to film. Otherwise, he would have to hold back so much that his movements would look flimsy on camera. What kind of fight would that be?

As before, Matthew preferred action scenes to dialogue. For scenes that were really about showcasing his body and muscles, he didn't need to do much acting.

While Matthew was taking the action portion of the film very seriously, Johnny Depp would have to outshine him with his performance. To make his own character pop, Matthew had to excel in a way that was the complete opposite of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp would dominate the screen with his acting, so Matthew aimed to counter him with his sculpted physique and magnificent agility.

When Gore Verbinski was casting, he had spoken with the main actors individually. Matthew had shared some of his ideas for the role, and the director had been supportive.

The two characters complemented each other's strengths, an outcome that he, as the director, was delighted to see.

The action sequences in Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed in a completely different style from The Scorpion King. There were no long takes; everything was shot in fragments and then pieced together in post-production. The longest continuous action shot was no more than five seconds.

Matthew fought with Johnny Depp's stunt double, filming as many as twenty action sequences in a single morning.

Between takes, Matthew walked over to the rest area. Mira immediately draped a blanket over his bare back and handed him a cup of water.

Matthew took a few sips as his designated makeup artist came over to touch up his makeup. After a brief ten-minute break, filming resumed, and the sound of clashing steel once again filled the set.

...

For the next two days, Gore Verbinski focused on filming the scenes of Will Turner dueling with Captain Jack Sparrow. Thanks to Matthew, the crew had high hopes for the action sequences and shot them over and over, determined to capture the most effective and spectacular footage.

Matthew wasn't worn down by the demanding action scenes; on the contrary, his mental and physical state only improved. By the third day of shooting, Gore Verbinski saw that Matthew had hit his peak and decided to reshoot many of the previously filmed scenes.

In three days, the crew shot hundreds of takes for this one action sequence alone.

Afterward, Matthew was given a short break while Gore Verbinski began shooting a mishmash of scenes on a nearby set depicting medieval civilian life.

They were filming people and objects meant to look dirty.

In fact, most of the characters appearing in the film didn't look particularly clean. Captain Jack Sparrow, for instance, was so stylized that he looked no better than a beggar.

Compared to Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner's appearance was a bit cleaner, but he was still a far cry from a fresh-faced youth.

And that was to say nothing of the background actors.

To achieve the desired "grimy" look on screen, Gore Verbinski employed a special trick that had the group of extras groaning in despair.