The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 272

Everything surrounding the Oscars is a definite rollercoaster of highs and lows. Anyone who thinks that making an exceptionally good film or delivering an outstanding performance means an Oscar statuette will simply fall into their lap will probably be waiting for a lifetime.

Then there was Charlize Theron, whose tragic past Matthew only learned about after reading a news article. It seemed that Charlize's current contradictory nature—tolerating Stuart Townsend while simultaneously wrapping herself in a shell of independence and strength—might be connected to it.

In late January, the Academy announced the Oscar nominations, and Pirates of the Caribbean received five nods: Best Actor, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing.

For the first time in his life, Johnny Depp was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

Matthew called to congratulate him. Depp was happy but sober, understanding that for a character like Captain Jack Sparrow, a nomination was the ceiling. The chances of winning were so slim they were negligible.

Matthew also received some good news: since Pirates of the Caribbean was nominated for five Academy Awards, the organizing committee confirmed that the cast would be given a certain number of seats at the ceremony. As one of the film's main actors, he would be walking the Oscar red carpet.

Knowing that Matthew would be on the red carpet, Sean Daniel immediately approached him to discuss how to leverage the Oscars to promote Dawn of the Dead.

The Oscar campaign season was currently in full swing, and Dawn of the Dead, nearing the end of its post-production, had done little to promote itself beyond capitalizing on the buzz from Matthew's work with Disney.

On its own, Dawn of the Dead was a modest production with an average advertising and marketing budget. Trying to promote it at the height of the Oscar frenzy would be less effective than it was now, as very few would pay attention.

"The Oscars is a massive show watched by tens of millions of people across America and around the world every year," Helen Herman remarked, looking at Sean Daniel. "The show provides a perfect opportunity for publicity. If something happens at the awards ceremony or the after-party, the whole world will know about it in no time."Sean sat down on the sofa and spoke slowly. "That's why I'm here. Can we help Matthew create some news at the awards?"

Matthew cautioned, "There are a lot of big stars at the Oscars, and I'm not nominated. It’s hard to make headlines under those circumstances."

Sean nodded. "That's why we have to come up with a way to draw attention to you."

Helen lifted her chin, clearly contemplating a suitable option.

"What if," Matthew began, thinking of Jessica Alba's impressive performance, "what if I fall while walking the red carpet?"

"No!" Helen immediately vetoed the absurd idea. "That only works for actresses. It would only hurt you, as it would seriously contradict your public image."

Matthew considered it and realized she was right. How could he, with a public persona that was always stoic and powerful, trip and fall on the red carpet?

Sean added, "That really would be inappropriate."

After a moment's thought, he said, "Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure, which you're about to shoot, have already brought some attention to Dawn of the Dead. But the Oscars can generate a short-term publicity storm that can't be matched."

Clearing his throat, Sean continued, "It’s also very important that Dawn of the Dead is being released right around the time of the Oscars. If you can create a buzz at the ceremony, combined with the cast's promotional tour, it will be great publicity."

The Academy Awards were set for the end of February, two weeks before the North American release of Dawn of the Dead. If Matthew could generate a hot news story on the Oscar stage, the subsequent hype and excitement could easily carry over to the film.

The crew had a publicity budget of six million dollars, which wasn't much compared to a top-tier production, but it was enough to get quite a lot done.

Matthew knew Sean was right. It would be good not only for the film but for him as well. The movie and its lead actor were always linked, their success and failure intertwined. If Dawn of the Dead did well at the box office, he could solidify his status as a B-list, or perhaps even an A-list, star and demand more money for his next film.

The question was, how to make news at the Oscars? During the ceremony, the media and the public focus on the biggest stars and the winners. A regular B-list star was just another attendee.

And he had to choose the right way to create news. If he didn't handle it properly, it could turn into a scandal, which would be counterproductive.

Helen remained silent, pondering what to do, until she finally spoke up. "I have an idea."

Hearing her, Matthew and Sean looked over at the same time.

"Let's find a way to get Matthew a ticket to the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party." Helen's tone was even, as if she were discussing something mundane. "There's no shortage of glamorous actresses at that party. Matthew, play to your strengths."

"What do you mean by my strengths?" Matthew was a little taken aback.

Helen said bluntly, "Sleep with one of the actresses there. Not many of the actresses who make it that close to the Oscars are conservative."

Sean understood what Helen was getting at. "Preferably an actress who's currently popular or is a media topic in her own right."

Matthew scratched his head slightly. "That won't necessarily work."

"I have faith in you," Helen said, adjusting her glasses. "And it's full of actresses who are just as eager, don't underestimate them."

She looked at Matthew with a serious expression. "You'd better pick one of them up that night, take her back to a hotel, and Sean and I will contact the relevant journalists to follow the story."

Sean was in complete agreement. "That's perfect."

Matthew didn't say anything right away, but he considered Helen's proposal.

Helen added, "The great thing about this method is that regardless of whether it generates media buzz, it won't turn into a scandal with negative consequences."

Matthew thought about it, and it was true. After he and Jessica Alba had stopped their hotel rendezvous, many tabloids had gossiped that he changed girlfriends faster than he changed clothes.

As long as he wasn't married and didn't have an official girlfriend, his flings with other actresses would just be considered juicy gossip.

"Alright, fine."

Since it wouldn't bring any negative publicity, Matthew didn't hesitate any longer. "I'll do my best."

As far as he knew, male stars weren't the only ones in Hollywood who enjoyed chasing skirts. Many female stars were just as quick to change male partners, so Helen's plan didn't seem too difficult to execute.

Matthew was confident in his looks. While they might not appeal to everyone's aesthetic, they definitely appealed to the general public.

After that, the three of them gathered in Helen's office and discussed the details of the plan until the end of the day, when Sean left, satisfied.

Now that the strategy was set, both the film crew and the Angel Acting Agency would put all their efforts into seeing it through.

For Dawn of the Dead, besides the novelty of it being a remake of a classic zombie film, Matthew was probably the biggest promotional draw. The other talents, like Zack Snyder and Jessica Alba, were far less famous.

"If all goes well, expect some related news," Helen said. "I'll get in touch with Anderson, who's in charge of publicity for National Treasure. I'm sure they'll be working behind the scenes to give the film some impressive preliminary press."

Matthew didn't comment, simply saying, "I'm heading to Washington, D.C., with the crew the day after tomorrow for the shoot."

He would be back in Los Angeles before the Oscars to prepare, and had even set aside a budget of $50,000 for his suit, styling, and transportation for the event.

Helen nodded. "I'll stay in Los Angeles to handle the publicity and your red carpet appearance."

Remembering something, she asked, "Have you found a new assistant yet?"

Matthew shook his head. "Not yet. I'll use the one provided by the film's production."

Without dwelling on the topic, Helen said, "I got confirmation from Michael Bay. He really does want to make a film with profound humanistic themes. We don't need to risk being part of his career transition. After you leave Los Angeles, I'll decline his invitation on the grounds of a scheduling conflict."

"Good," Matthew agreed completely.

...

As 2004 entered its second month, Matthew left Los Angeles. Along with most of the cast and crew, he boarded a charter flight to Washington, D.C., to prepare for the start of filming on National Treasure.