The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 267

"Lee, this is Matthew."

In the office of the Angel Acting Agency, Helen introduced a middle-aged man to Matthew. "Matthew, this is Ang Lee, an Oscar-winning director."

"Mr. Lee, a pleasure to meet you." Matthew stepped forward and offered his hand. Lee shook it and replied, "Hello. It's a pleasure."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries as Matthew quietly observed the director. He had heard of Lee's reputation and, out of curiosity, had watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon back when the media was hailing him as the most outstanding Chinese director.

In terms of Academy Awards, at least, Lee had certainly earned such praise.

Lee turned to Helen. "Miss Herman, may I have a moment alone with Matthew?"

Helen knew why Lee was here and, knowing Matthew well, wasn't the least bit worried he'd be persuaded. Unless Lee offered over twenty million dollars for the film, Matthew would never risk his future or his money on it.

But could Lee offer twenty million dollars for a film like this?

"Of course," Helen replied and turned to leave.

Matthew watched Lee with curiosity. The director was currently at a low point in his career; the box office failure of Hulk had been a heavy blow, to say the least. So, Matthew was curious about what he had to offer."Mr. Lee," Matthew asked, "are you looking to cast me in your project?"

"Yes." Lee was direct. "I'm currently planning a film adaptation of a novel with Focus Features, and I'd like to offer you the male lead."

As he spoke, he opened his briefcase and took out a script and a short story collection. He handed them to Matthew, saying, "I hope you'll take a look at this before you consider the offer."

Matthew took the documents, placed the book on the coffee table, and opened the script to read.

Lee said nothing, simply waiting in silence.

After flipping through fewer than thirty pages, Matthew saw that it depicted a romance between two men, and he immediately closed the script.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lee." He politely declined without a second thought. "This isn't the right kind of role for me."

Lee was surprised by the swift rejection. "Matthew, could you just hear me out?"

"There's no need." Matthew truly had no desire to star in a film like this. "Mr. Lee, I'm not right for this kind of movie."

Regardless of Lee's recent failures, Matthew respected him.

Respect, however, didn't mean he had to star in one of his films.

Matthew said, "I've seen your Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—it's an excellent film. If you ever make another martial arts film in that style, I'd be happy to help in any way I can."

He politely handed the script and the book back to Lee. "This literary genre just doesn't align with my career path."

"Alright." Lee took the documents, saw that Matthew's mind was made up, and instead of trying to persuade him further, he said, "That's a shame."

Hoping to borrow some of the buzz from Pirates of the Caribbean, Matthew had been his first choice, but not his only one.

As for the martial arts film the young man had mentioned, that wasn't an option at all. He had no plans to direct in that genre anytime soon. And even if he did, would he cast a white man in the lead role? How many of these American actors in Hollywood could possibly understand the spirit and significance of Chinese martial arts?

Seeing there was no point in pushing it, he stood up and said his goodbyes. Matthew showed him out of the room and walked him to the agency's exit.

Although he had recently had an unsuccessful audition for National Treasure, his career was going well. There was no need to take a different path, one that would most likely lead to a dead end for him.

His decision wasn't going to change just because Ang Lee himself had come knocking.

...

Helen watched Matthew return and asked, "You turned him down?"

Matthew paused by the reception desk where she was standing and answered, "He's a brilliant director, but his project is completely wrong for my image."

"Brilliant? He's just trying to ride your coattails and the success of Pirates of the Caribbean." Helen clearly disliked Lee. "After the failure of Hulk, if his next film doesn't do well, he won't be able to stay in Hollywood."

Matthew knew Helen was right. Hollywood would always put profits first. Whether you were an actor or a director, as long as you could generate revenue, you were respected. If you couldn't, you were finished.

And in this respect, just like on the other side of the Pacific, there was a geographical bias. Directors and actors from the US were, more or less, given preferential treatment, while outsiders had fewer opportunities, especially those from outside the UK and the US.

The general atmosphere of the industry was such that one person couldn't change it, and the reason for this climate was rooted in the preferences of the North American market.

In this industry, it was obvious that the market determined the output. For one person, or even one company, to try and overturn the aesthetics and demands of the entire North American market was tantamount to foolishness.

Matthew didn't pursue this line of conversation with Helen; there was no point.

Instead, he asked, "How are the negotiations going?"

"We've almost reached an agreement." Helen answered calmly. "There's no need to rush. The project is only starting pre-production in early November, so filming won't begin until February at the earliest."

Matthew didn't ask any more questions. Things were different now; whenever there was concrete news, Helen would take the initiative to tell him.

Helen moved closer, standing beside him as she said, "Some good news—your final payment for Dawn of the Dead has come in."

Matthew nodded. "That is good news."

With the arrival of this money, after Helen's commission and the actors' union dues, he was left with a large sum from his five-million-dollar base salary for Dawn of the Dead.

As for tax matters, there were professionals to handle that, and since he could manage the tax burden through investments and expenses, he was ready to invest most of this money.

In late November or early December, Matthew spoke with Amanda about it on the phone. She recommended a reliable stockbroker who handled some of her personal investments. He went to meet with him and decided to buy some stocks.

Drawing on knowledge from his previous life, he wasn't an expert on stocks and didn't know which companies would skyrocket, with one exception: he knew that one day, people would become so fanatical they would sell their own kidneys to buy a smartphone, a trend that would cement Apple's legendary status.

At first, Apple smartphones were synonymous with high-end luxury, but then they became more and more common, to the point where even construction workers were gradually starting to use them.

He didn't know much about anything else, but Apple's smartphones were so successful that the company's stock was bound to be worth a fortune. Therefore, he gave the stockbroker a single instruction: use the millions of dollars he was investing to buy up all available Apple stock.

Matthew didn't consider any of the other stocks the broker recommended, as he knew nothing about them.

Of course, this was a matter of buying shares on the stock market, not a so-called direct investment in Apple. Matthew wasn't that foolish. Would Apple really accept an investment from a Hollywood star?

After arriving here, he had read a news article about how Steve Jobs, upon returning to lead Apple after the huge success of Pixar Studios, had needed to raise funds. Countless investors came forward, but Steve Jobs chose a harsh investment from his arch-rival, Bill Gates, over the much gentler terms offered by others.

The reason was simple: what Bill Gates could bring to the table for Apple was something no ordinary person could offer.

Even if Matthew hadn't known better, his years in Hollywood had taught him that investing in a company was never as simple as just throwing money at it.

And so, his stockbroker acquired all the available Apple shares circulating on the market.

Besides, with the amount of money Matthew had, what more could he hope to do than simply buy shares of Apple stock?

In truth, Matthew hadn't given it too much thought. Besides, his understanding of industries outside Hollywood was limited. He was very cautious about his investments and similar matters; for example, he would never relax his oversight of the stockbroker just because he was an acquaintance of Amanda's. His goal in buying Apple stock was simple: the dollar had been devaluing too quickly over the past two years, and even if Apple's stock didn't grow, with fanatical people willing to sell their kidneys for a smartphone, preserving its value shouldn't be a problem.

Just as Matthew and Helen were talking, the glass door to the agency was pushed open from the outside, and Alexandra walked in.