The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 283

"We have a tightly-knit team, and that’s why we were able to create such an outstanding film."

At the hotel entrance near the theater, before heading inside, Matthew stopped to speak with the press, praising his colleagues lavishly. "Sean Daniel's talent is undeniable, and even though this was his first time at the helm, director Zack Snyder did an excellent job."

As the most recognizable member of the cast, he was speaking on behalf of the entire ensemble, and the words of praise came easily.

After the brief interview, Matthew, flanked by security, tried to head into the hotel for the after-party, but the press corps wouldn't let him go, hounding him with more questions.

Matthew had no intention of answering any more questions and was about to enter the hotel when he heard a sharp cry from near the entrance. He quickly turned and saw Jessica Alba, who was walking over from the theater, seemingly trip over the red carpet and tumble onto the thick rug. A perfectly timed, muffled shriek escaped her lips.

The reporters' attention instantly shifted from Matthew. They swarmed toward her, cameras flashing. Within ten seconds, seven or eight of them were crowded around Jessica.

Matthew shook his head and smiled as he walked into the hotel.

He reflected that the "accidental fall" was a surprisingly effective trick for actresses.

He vaguely recalled a prominent Hollywood actress from the post-90s generation who was fond of the same trick—falling on the red carpet after the Oscars, at premieres, during interviews, even while greeting fans. Anyone with a discerning eye knew it was intentional, but plenty of people still believed in her supposed clumsiness.

It was all about a star's public image.Some stars crafted a blunt persona, others played the fool. Some were the kind-hearted type, others were dark and brooding, and some were just plain eccentric.

These were personas, just as carefully crafted as Matthew’s own "sunny" and "charitable" image that he instinctively projected for the cameras.

A hotel employee escorted Matthew to the elevator bank. He had to wait a moment, as all the cars were on the upper floors. Before one could arrive, Jessica showed up.

"Hey, Matthew," Jessica said, walking right over to him.

"Hey, Jess," Matthew returned the greeting.

Jessica lowered her voice. "Why didn't you bring Scarlett Johansson to the premiere?"

Matthew answered without hesitation, "She's not my girlfriend."

"So, you’re just a temporary item, like we were," Jessica concluded.

Just then, an elevator arrived. As the doors slid open, Matthew stepped inside, with Jessica right behind him.

Matthew pressed the button for the top floor. "Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.

"Nope," Jessica said with a grin.

She was slowly building her name through hype and media attention, and her image as a cute, clumsy girl was gradually taking hold with the public.

Once they were alone in the elevator, Matthew remarked, "That falling trick can backfire if you use it too often."

"I can't help it," Jessica countered. "I'm a C-list star. No one usually pays any attention to me, so I have to find a way to get the press interested."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Matthew. "If you'd just let me be your official girlfriend, I wouldn't have to pull all these little stunts."

Matthew paid her words no mind.

She rolled her eyes. "How about this? Matthew, let me be your girlfriend for a while, and I can... well... you can be as 'casual' with me as you want."

Matthew wasn't foolish enough to agree. "I'm interested in pursuing someone else," he said.

"It's not..." Jessica asked hesitantly. "It isn't Alexandra Daddario, is it?"

Matthew, who had only said that to turn Jessica down, shook his head. "No."

In many ways, Jessica was charming—pretty, outgoing, and playful. But he could see clearly that she had no real feelings for him; she just wanted to ride the coattails of his rising fame.

Seeing that Matthew was completely uninterested, Jessica dropped the subject.

...

When the elevator reached the top floor, Matthew stepped out first and headed into the banquet hall. Since he had been giving interviews on behalf of the cast, the rest of the team was already there. Sean greeted him, whispered a few words in his ear, and then guided him through the ballroom, making a point to stop and chat with the film critics who were present.

The film had a modest budget, which didn't leave much for schmoozing, so the guest list was mostly comprised of local Los Angeles critics and columnists rather than major names like Roger Ebert or Richard Roeper.

Film criticism in North America had long been a business, an entire industry unto itself. Some people joked that "for the right price, a critic can turn a piece of crap into a masterpiece." Even so, Matthew was polite enough to exchange pleasantries. It cost him nothing to say a few kind words, and it might even win him some support. All in all, it was a worthwhile trade.

Of course, if someone asked for more, Matthew would refuse.

While speaking with an influential female critic, she suggested they go downstairs and find a room for a "private chat" to discuss how she should "approach the review."

Matthew had heard from Helen that some women in and around Hollywood had a habit of "collecting" male stars, so he politely declined the critic's offer.

Whether she would write a scathing review in retaliation was out of his hands. Besides, a single critic's opinion rarely had much impact on a commercial film's success.

After making the rounds, Matthew felt his face ache from smiling. He found Helen and saw that Doug was standing with her.

"Hello." He greeted them politely.

Doug extended his hand. "Wonderful film. I was very impressed with your performance."

"Thank you," Matthew replied. "But that's mainly thanks to director Zack's excellent portrayal of the zombie apocalypse."

"Your action scenes were superb," Doug said, and he seemed sincere. "But the film's editing didn't do your performance justice."

Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. "You're too kind."

Truth be told, Zack Snyder wasn't happy with the final cut either. But he hadn't been involved in post-production and only had the right to make suggestions, not to edit. The editor had cut the film exactly to Sean's specifications.

Sean Daniel was a veteran producer with established ideas; of course he wasn't going to embrace all of Zack's novel concepts. But sometimes experience leads to conservatism. The filming and post-production of Dawn of the Dead, particularly the editing, stuck strictly to the standard Hollywood formula.

Matthew had seen the final cut of Dawn of the Dead and found no trace of the signature style that would later define films like 300 or Batman v Superman.

To put it simply, the Zack Snyder of today was a newcomer with very little clout or recognition, but he was brimming with interesting ideas.

Just then, Doug asked, "In the film, your hand-to-hand combat and the way you handle your weapons look like you've had professional training."

Matthew smiled. "I've been training consistently for a few years now. When I'm not on set, I do free sparring at least twice a week."

"Really?" Doug was intrigued. "No wonder you look so professional on camera."

"As for firearms, I went through special training for Band of Brothers and Black Hawk Down."

Matthew appeared modest, but he was subtly highlighting his strengths. "I'm currently a member of the Normington gun club and have a firearms license. I usually get to the range a couple of times a month."

Doug nodded, a look of understanding on his face.

An actor like that could save a film crew so much trouble on an action film. He remembered the headaches Matt Damon had caused while shooting the action and gunfight scenes for The Bourne Identity.

Doug didn't press the matter, however. Goldsman had already decided they should wait until Dawn of the Dead was released before making any decisions.

The lead, Matthew Horner, certainly shined in the film, but that didn't always translate into audience appeal.

He stayed to talk with Matthew, and after a short conversation, he excused himself and left the ballroom.

"Not a bad first step," Helen murmured to Matthew, watching Doug disappear through the ballroom doors. "I spoke with him and Goldsman after the screening. They were both very impressed with you."

Matthew nodded cautiously.

"I'll stay in contact with them," Helen added, "to make sure you remain their top choice."

Her gaze shifted. "Now, we just have to wait for the box office numbers for Dawn of the Dead and for the script from that Summit Entertainment project."

Matthew knew that a successful run for Dawn of the Dead would give them a significant advantage.

"Helen," Matthew asked, "When will we get the script?"

"I don't know," Helen said after a moment's thought. "Even though my father is friends with Goldsman, he can't just ask him for the script. But if Dawn of the Dead does well at the box office, Goldsman might be inclined to move things along more quickly."

Matthew trusted Helen's capabilities, so he didn't press the issue. He went back to mingling at the party. Right now, everything hinged on Dawn of the Dead. If the film bombed, his hopes of landing a leading role in another major production would be slim to none.