The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 273

Washington, D.C., outside the National Archives.

A long barrier cordoned off the road from the sidewalk where Brianna Bentner stood among a crowd of onlookers. She gazed across the street at a temporary dolly track where several crew members were mounting cameras, a clear sign that a movie or TV show was in production.

The National Archives, along with the nearby Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, were famous national landmarks—common backdrops for film scenes. Brianna had seen film crews in the city often enough that the sight no longer surprised her.

However, being a young woman who had recently developed an interest in celebrities, Brianna didn't walk away. Instead, she stood and watched, curious.

She watched several people bustle back and forth across the set on the other side of the road. Soon, a tall man emerged from a large trailer, his back to Brianna, and began talking to a shorter man in a baseball cap. The man in the cap, who looked like the director, continued to bark orders at the crew even as he conversed with the tall man.

For some reason, the man's back looked familiar to Brianna, reminding her of an actor she really liked.

But since she couldn't see his face, she couldn't be certain.

The film crew seemed to work with practiced efficiency. Before long, filming began, and Brianna knew that closing down a major road in front of the National Archives was something they couldn't do for very long.

On the director's signal, the tall man jumped out of the back of a large van, carrying a cylindrical case, and made his way to the front. From her vantage point, Brianna could now clearly see the actor's profile.

Brianna's eyes flew wide, a look of pure excitement washing over her face. Noticing a camera nearby, however, she hastily clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling the cry of delight that threatened to burst out.A crew member approached the crowd, politely asking everyone to keep quiet while they were rolling.

Most people in Washington were used to seeing film crews on the streets. While curious, they rarely shouted or did anything to interfere with the production.

Brianna's gaze was fixed on the man on set, now absolutely certain it was Matthew Horner. She'd been obsessed with him ever since seeing Pirates of the Caribbean the year before.

"I can't believe I'm seeing him here," she muttered under her breath. "I wonder if I can get an autograph?"

As she murmured to herself, Brianna watched Matthew approach the large van. He glanced around cautiously, then pulled out a rolled-up document and stood beside the vehicle.

The director called a halt to the scene and walked over to exchange a few words with Matthew, who stood without moving. Once the director stepped away, filming resumed.

Brianna paid no attention to anything else, her gaze locked on Matthew Horner. Even just standing still, he radiated a raw masculinity that she found incredibly attractive.

"He must be playing another cool character," Brianna murmured.

She stole another glance at Matthew. He was wearing just a simple jacket, but that powerful, masculine presence was a style all its own.

Suddenly, a blonde woman in a striking dress entered the frame. She was gorgeous, with distinctly Nordic or Germanic features. Brianna couldn't tell if it was the dress or the woman's skillful acting, but she projected an intriguing mix of modesty, nobility, glamour, and sensuality.

There was no doubt about it: she was a stunning blonde.

Brianna wondered, "Is that the lead actress?"

It certainly seemed so. The blonde woman began arguing with Matthew, then moved to snatch the rolled-up document from his hands.

Once again, the scene was cut. The director approached, exchanged a few words, and the actress walked off. Filming then resumed.

When the crew took a break and many of the onlookers dispersed, Brianna pulled out her phone and dialed her roommate's number. "Alice, you'll never guess who I just saw!" she said excitedly.

She gesticulated without realizing it as she spoke, all the excitement she'd been suppressing finally erupting.

"Matthew! It's Matthew Horner!" Brianna's voice trembled with delight. "My favorite actor!"

She glanced back toward the set, where Matthew was still standing—handsome and impossibly cool.

"He's even more handsome and cooler in person than he is in the movies!" Brianna said into the phone, her voice rising. "I have to get his autograph! I absolutely have to! What? You want one, too? Oh, you can't make it? Stuck at work? Alright, I'll see if I can get him to sign two!"

Brianna hung up, taking a moment to compose herself as filming resumed on the set.

She gradually noticed more and more young people gathering along the barricade. Matthew Horner's name floated through their conversations—it seemed they were all here for him.

Some had even scrawled "I love you, Matthew!" on pieces of paper, holding them up high.

Half an hour or so later, the crew wrapped the scene. As a staff member began taking down the barrier, Brianna rushed across the street, making a beeline for Matthew.

She wasn't the only one; a crowd of young people surged toward him.

"Matthew!"

"Sign this, Matthew!"

A chaotic chorus of shouts erupted as security personnel intercepted Brianna and the rest of the fans.

But the commotion had clearly caught the crew's attention. Brianna watched as Matthew descended from his trailer, exchanged a brief look with a member of the staff, and started walking toward them.

"Matthew! Matthew!"

The cries grew more frantic, the chaos escalating. "Matthew!"

And someone else shouted, "Will Turner! I want Will Turner's autograph!"

Caught in the middle of the crowd, Brianna waited expectantly, hoping Matthew would give an autograph to a loyal fan like her.

"Quiet down! Everybody, calm down!" a security guard yelled in a booming voice. "If you don't get organized, Matthew's going to leave!"

As if by magic, silence fell around Brianna, and Matthew approached the crowd to sign autographs.

...

Ten minutes later, Brianna had two autographs, just as she'd hoped, and had even posed for a picture with Matthew. She would have to wait for the actual photo, but an assistant at Matthew's side took her phone number and promised to get in touch and mail it to her.

"He's so charming!" Brianna said, completely satisfied. She clutched the signed poster to her chest and walked away with a happy sigh. "And so sweet!"

After signing a few more autographs, Matthew returned to his car and headed off with the rest of the crew to the next location. They had been in Washington for over two weeks, and the shoot had been a whirlwind of constant movement. This was, after all, the political center of the United States; even with support from the local government, they couldn't shut down any area for long.

Jerry Bruckheimer had chosen several historical locations for the film, but shooting in such areas in a post-9/11 era was no easy task.

The production had previously secured permission to film inside the Lincoln Memorial, but the National Park Service was adamant that the shoot not interfere with public access. Consequently, the crew had to get creative and film the scene in sections.

Yesterday's shoot at the National Archives had been even more restrictive, as very few people were allowed to enter the archives with a movie camera, let alone an entire film crew.

The crew had only one day to shoot inside the National Archives. They managed to capture the essential, difficult-to-replicate shots, but the rest would have to be filmed on a soundstage at the Disney studios back in Los Angeles.

For reasons of preservation and security, they weren't permitted to film the actual Declaration of Independence. Instead, the production had commissioned a highly detailed replica created by specialists.

Since the film was meant to tell a realistic story about a wildly improbable treasure hunt, it was crucial to lend the quest a sense of authenticity and believability.

To that end, the production paid a hefty fee to hire a real-life treasure hunter to serve as Matthew's on-set advisor for the treasure-hunting sequences, in much the same way an action director coordinates stunt scenes.

To ensure maximum authenticity, Jerry Bruckheimer not only hired a real treasure hunter for his leading man, but also brought in a code-breaking expert as a temporary consultant to help Matthew work through the many cryptographic puzzles in the script.

For an actor like Matthew, this was more challenging than any action sequence.

After finishing the scenes outside the National Archives, Matthew and the crew moved to the FBI Academy in Quantico to film the sequence where his character steals the Declaration of Independence.

Hollywood has always maintained close ties with the U.S. government, and Jerry Bruckheimer was known for his strong working relationships with agencies like the Pentagon and the FBI. During pre-production, he had hired a criminal expert from the Bureau to help devise a plausible heist plan for the Declaration of Independence.

The actual Declaration of Independence is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., under the highest level of state-of-the-art security. The production team consulted with security experts to learn how such a heavily fortified building could theoretically be breached. They then adapted their sets accordingly, using a training facility at the FBI Academy as the stand-in for the Archives during the filming of the heist.

The shoot was successful; Matthew managed to steal the Declaration of Independence exactly as the experts had envisioned.

At the end of the day, back at the Washington DC Hilton where he was staying, Matthew took the initiative and invited a few of the principal actors and key crew members to join him for a drink at the hotel bar.