The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 305

Once filming began, Matthew was in his element, whether it was a firefight or hand-to-hand combat. Charlize, however, had a tougher time. Despite training for a month before the shoot, she wasn't as comfortable on set as he was.

However, just like Matthew, Charlize refused to use a stunt double, performing all the action sequences herself.

After filming the opening scenes in Colombia, the crew relocated to another studio, which had been set up to resemble a home goods store for the final battle scene envisioned in the script.

Inside this studio, the sound of gunfire was the norm. Matthew was perfectly suited for this kind of filming, a result of his years of consistent training.

Bang—bang—bang-!

The crack of gunfire echoed as Charlize dove to the floor, shielding herself with an arm.

The barrage didn't let up; instead, it intensified as cushions on the shelves above her head burst one after another, sending a flurry of white goose feathers into the air.

Charlize was breathing heavily, her expression fraught with tension, as she raised her pistol to return fire before ducking behind another shelf.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine filled the air. Matthew burst through a doorway behind Charlize on an ATV, steering with one hand while raising an MP5 with the other, gunning down her attackers.

"Get on!" he ordered Charlize.Without waiting for the enemy fire to pin her down, Charlize scrambled to her feet and leaped onto the back of the ATV, grabbing a machine gun and opening fire on their assailants.

At the same time, the extras playing the armed assassins on the opposite side returned fire, and Matthew used his body to shield Charlize behind him.

The ATV weaved between displays filled with household goods before coming to a stop in front of the main camera, hitting its mark perfectly.

"Cut!" the director, Doug, yelled, signaling the end of the take. He added with immense satisfaction, "Good! That's a wrap for the scene!"

Unlike many directors, Doug didn't hand off the action sequences to a stunt coordinator; he took the helm and directed them himself.

That marked the end of the workday. Matthew took off his slightly bent teal sunglasses and handed them to a nearby assistant. He rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt to inspect his arm; he'd brushed against a nightstand during the final scene, but it wasn't a serious issue—just a faint bruise starting to form.

This old soundstage at the Warner studio was filled with furniture and household items.

Matthew understood perfectly that the idea of setting the final battle in such an environment was in line with the vision director Doug and screenwriter Simon Kinberg had for the film's core theme.

Doug believed that his and Charlize's performances alone couldn't sustain the dramatic tension between the Smiths. It was essential to use their surroundings to reflect their conflict, which made the home goods store the perfect battleground outside their actual home.

At the end of the day's shoot, Matthew received the latest filming schedule from Doug and gave it a brief once-over before heading to the dressing rooms with Charlize to have their makeup removed. Their individual trailers were right next to each other, and they usually left together after filming.

But today, Charlize left without him. As Matthew turned into the corridor leading to the dressing rooms, he saw her with Stuart, recalling that her boyfriend had stopped by the set to visit that afternoon.

He watched the couple for a moment, a flicker of an idea crossing his mind, and then quickened his pace to catch up with them.

"Hey, Charlie," Matthew called out, catching up to them.

Charlize immediately stopped and turned her head. Beside her, Stuart also paused and looked back.

Matthew took a few steps toward them, addressing Stuart first. "Hey, long time no see."

Stuart's cool expression shifted into a forced, polite smile. "Hello," he replied curtly.

"Is everything okay?" Charlize asked.

"It's the revised shooting schedule from the crew."

Matthew handed a copy of the document to her. "They made a lot of changes, so you should probably take a look."

Charlize took the paper. "Thanks."

As they walked toward the dressing rooms together, Matthew fell into step beside her to discuss work, specifically the interplay and chemistry between their characters' performances.

The preparation for the film and the recent shoots had allowed Matthew and Charlize to build a solid rapport, much like the hero and heroine in the script who were finally breaking out of their respective shells.

As mentioned, their dressing rooms were next to each other, and they soon arrived. Matthew casually said goodbye to Charlize before entering his own.

The makeup artist was already waiting and helped Matthew remove his makeup in just ten minutes, as he had only been wearing a basic layer.

Matthew dismissed the makeup artist and was about to change when he received a call from Helen. She informed him that the Angel Agency had received a letter from Disney that day, requesting Matthew attend one of several teen awards ceremonies in late July or early August. The appearance would coincide with Disney Pictures' pre-production promotional campaign for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.

After cross-referencing the Mr. & Mrs. Smith shooting schedule with the invitation from the teenage girl he'd met at the Wells Gallery, Matthew and Helen briefly conferred. He asked her to inform Disney that his schedule would allow him to attend the Junior Hollywood Awards.

As it happened, on the two days of the awards ceremony, the production schedule was focused mainly on Charlize's scenes, with fewer scenes for the male lead.

Helen would coordinate with the film crew about his schedule, so Matthew didn't need to worry too much about it.

After hanging up and getting changed, Matthew packed his bag and was about to leave the studio. But just as he reached the door, he heard sharp, angry voices coming from Charlize's dressing room next door.