The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 187

To achieve the effect of grimy, weather-beaten characters on screen, the extras scheduled for Matthew’s scenes were sent by Gore Verbinski to spend three days on a massive outdoor gravel lot at the Disney studio, where they were ordered to stay out in the sun.

It was only late August, and the Los Angeles sun was still scorching.

The entire ordeal stemmed from Gore Verbinski’s dissatisfaction with the costumes prepared by the wardrobe department. They were tattered, yes, but they completely lacked the authentic, lived-in filth he had seen in the test shoots.

Gore Verbinski's demands for the extras were precise: they were to wear their designated costumes under the blazing sun for three straight days during the hottest part of the afternoon. No one was allowed to take them off or wash them, and all the actors were forbidden from showering for the duration.

Of course, for this commitment, the production offered the extras triple their usual pay.

The effect was undeniable. After three days under a sun that periodically kicked up clouds of dust, their costumes were utterly saturated with sweat and dirt, their bodies were grimy, their hair was matted, and their foul, filthy medieval-commoner aesthetic was perfectly recreated.

It wasn't just the extras. Apart from the actors playing English lords, none of the costumes on set were new. They were all artificially aged, with stains and signs of wear so convincing that they felt like genuine blemishes, not temporary effects.

Matthew understood perfectly well what kind of effect the film was aiming for. In a first-rate period production like this—one that, despite its fantasy elements, was a far cry from a typical Disney fairytale—both the director-producer and the production company were striving to create an atmosphere true to the era.

During the height of Caribbean piracy, who would expect a band of swashbuckling marauders to have gleaming white teeth, clean hair, and immaculate clothes?

This philosophy extended beyond the clothing to their physical appearance.In their case, makeup wasn't about concealing facial flaws but about emphasizing rough, harsh lines and projecting a sense of masculine wildness.

The reason Hollywood films leaned in this direction, Matthew had learned, was that it mirrored the broader aesthetic of Western society. While studying his craft, he had read in a well-known book on film stylistics that Western aesthetics still largely worshiped a kind of raw glamour—a total, untamed wildness born from the atmosphere of the industrial age.

In other words, the mainstream still preferred the brawny beauty of "tough guys."

You could see it just by looking at the top stars in Hollywood, both male and female. The rugged, "coarse" types were overwhelmingly dominant, while the delicately beautiful were a relative rarity.

The Walt Disney Group's willingness to invest so heavily in such a film was a clear sign of their optimism about its prospects, and the studio’s resources were prioritized for the cast and crew.

In addition to the enormous Studio 2, which was used to build a cave and a dilapidated medieval town, Studio 3 served as the production's office and training facility, and the adjacent Studio 4 was also put at the crew’s disposal.

The interior of the governor's mansion was constructed primarily there.

A week after filming began, the crew moved from Studio 2 to Studio 4 to shoot the scenes that took place before the pirates infiltrated the governor's residence.

It was here that Matthew and Keira Knightley appeared in a scene together for the first time.

On set, Will Turner had just finished a scene where he presents a sword to the governor. Immediately after, the crew began setting up for the next shot.

Keira Knightley, dressed as an elegant English lady, stood at the top of a makeshift wooden staircase and descended as soon as the director called for action.

As the sound of her footsteps echoed, Matthew looked up, as did the governor opposite him, who said, "Elizabeth, you look lovely."

"Will!" Keira Knightley, however, only had eyes for Matthew. "I'm so glad to see you!"

She quickened her pace as she came down the stairs.

Matthew stared at Keira as if she were his goddess, the girl of his dreams.

As if not even noticing her father, Keira walked straight up to Matthew and said eagerly, "I dreamt of you last night."

"You did?" Matthew’s British accent sounded every bit as authentic as Keira Knightley’s.

"Elizabeth," her father said with a note of reproach.

Keira Knightley paid him no mind, turning back to Matthew. "Do you remember the day we met?"

"How could I forget?" Matthew’s eyes were fixed only on Keira Knightley. "That day will forever be etched in my memory, Miss Swann."

Keira stepped closer to Matthew, though it seemed impossible to get any nearer. "How many times have I asked you to call me Elizabeth?"

The two of them gazed deeply into each other's eyes, and it seemed as if nothing else in the world existed.

The scene ended there. Gore Verbinski, watching on the monitor, shook his head and yelled, "Cut! Let's go again from the top!"

The departments quickly reset, and filming resumed. But this time they didn't even make it to the end; halfway through, Gore Verbinski called a stop to the shoot.

He walked into the middle of the set and said bluntly, "Matthew, Keira, the feeling! Where is the feeling? I need you to be emotionally invested!"

Matthew glanced at Keira Knightley, who happened to be looking at him as well. They met each other's eyes for a moment before turning to the director in unison.

"There! That's what I want!" Gore Verbinski had clearly noticed their small, synchronized gesture. "I need that unity!"

He seemed to think that was enough and left the set, shouting, "Again!"

But the moment Keira Knightley started down the stairs, he yelled "cut" again. Then they started over, and again he yelled "cut." After three consecutive failed takes, shooting was temporarily halted.

Gore Verbinski returned to the set, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and said patiently this time, "Matthew, Will Turner is in love with Elizabeth."

Then he turned to Keira. "And Elizabeth is in love with Will. They both have feelings for each other, and they both know it. They're a pair of lovers who deliberately refuse to confess. Do you two have that effect? Because I'm not seeing it."

Matthew remained silent, while Keira bit her lip.

"You have to be emotionally engaged and capture your characters' emotions," Gore Verbinski continued. Watching the take, he had only one thought: the two of them were looking at each other like they were staring at a log on set. He pointed at Matthew, then at Keira. "You adore her, and she adores you. It's that simple."

He concluded, "Matthew, Keira, I'm giving you ten minutes. Talk it over. By then, I hope you'll have something for me."

Hearing this, the actor playing the governor immediately followed Gore Verbinski off the set.

"Have you ever filmed a love scene before?" Matthew asked Keira.

"Yes," Keira replied, then asked rhetorically, "Have you?"

"I have," Matthew whispered. "I've faked sex with the lead actress, kissed her, gotten intimate, and it all went fine."

He shrugged. "But I've never actually had to play a guy in love."

Keira smiled, her expression turning more pointed. "It’s the opposite for me. I've played the lovesick fool before. The problem is, you're not my type."

She had gotten to know Matthew well enough, and considering his youth, she spoke frankly. "You're too muscular, and you're too tall."

"Hey, Keira, you've got it all wrong," Matthew retorted, a little annoyed. He'd always considered his physique his greatest asset and wasn't pleased to hear it dismissed. "Actually, you're not my type either."

Keira grumbled, "Of course not."

She seemed to think she was quite the catch. "You're good at fight scenes and bad at acting. Isn't that proof enough?"

The two of them were speaking in low voices, and since the set was now empty, they didn't have to worry about being overheard. Any onlooker would have just assumed they were discussing their roles.

Matthew grimaced. "You're so narcissistic. I can see all your flaws, which is why you don't attract me."

"Flaws?" Keira stepped forward and challenged, "What flaws? You think I have more flaws than you?"

"Of course," Matthew said, mimicking her British accent. "I don't like square faces."

Keira instinctively started to touch her face, then remembered her makeup and pulled her hand back.

"And?" she asked, raising an eyebrow provocatively.

"Alright, never mind," Matthew waved his hand. "Let's not talk about this. We need to work on the scene."

Their discussion had long since gone off the rails.

Keira backed down as well. "You're an average actor, if not worse."

It was a bit harsh, but Matthew knew it was true and didn't want to get into a squabble with a girl who wasn't even eighteen yet.

"I'll teach you the simplest way," Keira offered, intrigued by the idea of coaching an older actor. "I assume you've been in love before? Think of me as your girlfriend. Remember how you felt when you were first courting her, and channel that feeling into the scene. It'll be much better."

Matthew listened and fell into thought.

Seeing Matthew’s lack of reaction, Keira asked with some disbelief, "You've never been in a relationship?"

"I have," Matthew replied. "I can give it a try."

"Excellent." Keira took a step back.

Ten minutes passed in a flash. As filming began, Matthew tried to substitute his feelings, treating Keira Knightley as an object of adoration. She was an attractive girl, and despite her middling acting skills, she had her strengths and managed to stir some emotion in him.

The scene was shot twice more and was finally approved.