The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 258

As Matthew's on-set assistant, Sophia had just rounded a corner, work bag in hand, when she spotted Matthew and the leading lady, Jessica Alba, ducking into a nearby home furnishings store. She couldn't help but stop in her tracks; this wasn't her first time on a Hollywood set, and she knew what this meant.

Suddenly, Matthew popped out of the store. Noticing her, he waved, gesturing toward the work bag she was holding.

Being a resourceful person, Sophia immediately remembered the small box of condoms inside the bag. She hurried over, pulled them out, and handed them to Matthew, glancing past him just long enough to catch the faint silhouette of a naked woman inside.

Before she could get a better look, Matthew impatiently stepped back inside and shut the mahogany door, sealing them off from prying eyes.

"They're..." Sophia muttered. "Right here..."

Though she hadn't seen what happened during filming, a single glance was enough to guess that the pair must have developed feelings for each other during the passionate scenes and couldn't wait to find a place to have sex once filming wrapped.

Sophia had been working in Hollywood for six years and had been on several film sets. She was used to actors and actresses having sex at the drop of a hat.

It wasn't just the young and impulsive actors, either. There were people in the industry with sterling reputations who frequently slept with whomever they pleased. A prime example was Meryl Streep who, despite being married, developed feelings for Jack Nicholson during a shoot and ran off with him to a dressing trailer at the first opportunity.

As she was mulling this over, two crew members walked past. Just then, one of Jessica's moans echoed from the furniture store. Both men immediately turned their heads toward the door, saw Sophia, and pieced together what was happening. They gave the store a curious look but kept walking without a hint of surprise.

Sophia blushed with embarrassment, hitched the bag onto her shoulder, and hurried toward the dressing rooms.Before leaving the corridor, she glanced back one last time. Even from that distance, she could still hear Jessica's cries; the woman seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

With moans that loud, it probably wouldn't take long for word of their tryst to spread among the crew.

But clearly, neither Matthew Horner nor Jessica Alba cared, and Sophia suspected no one else on set would care either, just as it had been with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson back in the day.

Reaching the makeup store that was serving as a dressing room, Sophia sat down on a chair and rubbed her face. A thought suddenly struck her: if she stayed in this circle long enough, would she become as shameless as all these celebrities, engaging in casual flings?

The thought that she had dated more guys over the years than she could count on one hand immediately confirmed that it had definitely already influenced her.

Sophia sat there lost in thought. After waiting for half an hour and seeing no sign of the pair returning, she sighed, bewildered by how wild these Hollywood stars were. Matthew Horner didn't just look strong and athletic; he was apparently very formidable in "real combat" as well.

A few minutes later, Sophia saw Matthew return with Jessica, who acted as self-assured as if nothing had happened.

Having only applied a thin layer of base makeup, they went to the dressing room, emerged after changing, and were ready to call it a day.

"Back to the hotel?" Jessica asked, paying no mind to Sophia as she came up and hugged Matthew from behind.

Matthew shook his head. "My agent went to meet Sean on the first floor. I need to talk to her."

Jessica looked a little disappointed. Her recent experience in that home goods store had left her with powerful "memories" of Matthew, and she couldn't help but ask, "You know my room number, right?"

Matthew turned and pinched her cheek. "I think I'll be done by ten tonight."

Jessica flashed a sweet smile. "I'll be waiting for you."

She gathered her things and left. Matthew found his phone and sat down on a chair, scrolling through his messages. There was an unread text from Helen, suggesting they meet for dinner after he finished filming.

Matthew put his phone away, leaned back in the chair, and closed his eyes, unable to stop thinking about the earlier madness. He knew it would inevitably get out, that it might even leak beyond the set and into the tabloids, but he didn't care. He wasn't married, nor did he have a girlfriend, so he wouldn't be betraying or cheating on anyone.

Every Hollywood star is surrounded by a ton of similar scandals.

As for whether the media and the public would find it unethical, that was an even less important issue.

Matthew had learned this firsthand over the years, especially after the series of fake publicity stunts with Keira Knightley.

The entertainment industry in North America is far more "interesting" than the one where he used to live. Almost every star here is a mix of controversy and scandal, with drug use, addiction, and promiscuity considered merely entry-level "dirt," not even a real scandal.

This might be due to the social environment they live in.

You see, companies would rather have a star with a messy personal life and questionable morals but good business sense and a track record of quality work, than a star with a pristine character who can't act.

Essentially, things that would destroy a career in media in other countries—like infidelity, deception, fraud, drug use, and drunk driving—are not major problems for Hollywood stars in the US.

It’s not just the American public that knows how wild Hollywood stars can be; the whole world knows.

Stars like Jessica Alba, who play dumb and cultivate a sweet-girl persona, are not strange here at all; they're normal.

...

Ten minutes later, Helen arrived. Matthew left the shopping center with her, let her get into his car, and they drove back to the hotel together.

In the car, Matthew asked Helen, "What did you and Sean talk about?"

Helen took off her glasses, pulled out a cloth, and slowly wiped the lenses. "Acting," she said. "We mostly discussed you and Alexandra."

Matthew was intrigued. "Oh?"

Helen impassively polished her glasses. "Sean thinks your acting has improved a bit since The Scorpion King."

"Looks like it's time for me to celebrate," Matthew remarked. His self-practice was ongoing, but his progress had been minimal. "My acting seems adequate for this type of film."

Helen never expected Matthew to become a Daniel Day-Lewis or a Tom Hanks—that would be unrealistic. She said casually, "Even if you lack acting skills, you can get by with action scenes."

Matthew shrugged.

In truth, he was well aware that his acting skills weren't great, but they weren't bad either—just an average, moderate level, more than enough for action films.

Of course, he wasn't complacent and would continue to hone his craft, just as he had never lowered his expectations for himself.

After a moment of silence, Helen put her glasses back on. "Sean and Zack were happy with your performance on set. Any minor dissatisfaction was directed mainly at Alexandra."

Matthew nodded. This was only Alexandra's second time in a film, so naturally, her acting and everything else wouldn't be much better.

"They considered Alexandra mediocre, except for her chest," Helen stated bluntly.

Matthew understood what she was getting at. "Is Sean unhappy that I recommended Alexandra to the production?"

"To put it mildly, he's not thrilled, but you are the leading man, after all." Helen glanced at him. "But he'll definitely have an opinion about her."

That opinion was directly reflected in the filming. Afterward, Zack clearly cut down Alexandra's scenes, and when the camera did pan over her, it focused primarily on her chest.

But otherwise, the shoot went quickly. The crew arrived in Toronto at the end of August, completed all filming in just forty-two days, and then returned to Los Angeles.