The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 307

On the last weekend of July, just as the sun began to set, Matthew drove to the Wilton Theatre in Los Angeles for the 2004 Young Hollywood Awards. According to the arrangements Helen had made with the organizers, he was slated to be one of the first stars to walk the red carpet.

As with most red carpet ceremonies, the stars who walked first tended to be the bigger names.

It was a purely commercial, teen-focused awards show, so there were no A-list superstars in attendance. However, a legitimate B-list star like Matthew was certainly considered one of the biggest names at the ceremony.

As one of the biggest names at the event, the organizers had promised Matthew a major award when they confirmed his attendance.

Unlike established institutions like the Academy Awards, which dated back to 1929, this event had to rely on the fame and drawing power of its celebrity guests to expand its reach.

Matthew was the third to walk the red carpet in front of the Wilton Theatre. He moved with the practiced ease of a movie premiere, posing for press photos, interacting with the fans lining both sides, and then proceeded to the interview area at the end of the carpet.

Not many reporters approached Matthew for an interview, since most of them were still swarming Anne Hathaway, who had walked the carpet just ahead of him.

Matthew glanced over at Anne Hathaway and recalled seeing a large billboard for "The Princess Diaries 2," with her face front and center, on his drive over.

Standing in the interview area, Matthew fielded the usual questions about the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, "National Treasure," and the ongoing production of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Afterwards, an event organizer escorted him to the junior press section.

Since this was the Young Hollywood Awards, the primary audience was, naturally, teenagers and young adults.Before long, Matthew spotted Lily Collins in a crowd of young journalists. She was waving eagerly, and he immediately singled her out for an interview.

Lily approached Matthew, her expression one of pure excitement. She blinked her bright eyes and declared, "Matthew, I have so many questions for you!"

"I hope they aren't too difficult," Matthew teased. "It would be embarrassing if I couldn't answer them."

A sudden cheer erupted from further down the red carpet. Matthew turned to see three blonde girls heading toward the theater entrance, all of whom looked remarkably similar.

Lily glanced in the same direction. "That's the Olsen twins," she explained. "The younger one is their sister, Elizabeth Olsen."

Matthew nodded. Though he didn't know the Olsens personally, he was aware of their fame—they were the most well-known twin sisters in the American entertainment industry.

"Let's begin," Lily said, her eyes momentarily drifting back to the spectacle of the red carpet. The day she had been anticipating for so long had finally arrived.

Matthew turned his attention back to her and nodded.

Lily pulled out a pen and a small notepad, flipped to a fresh page, and posed her first question. "Matthew, how old were you when you first fell in love?"

Matthew hadn't expected the first question to be so gossipy, but looking at Lily—a girl not yet sixteen—he simply answered, "Let me think."

He lifted his chin, pretending to ponder for a moment before replying, "Nineteen, I believe."

"Nineteen?" Lily looked genuinely surprised. "Are you serious? You didn't fall in love for the first time until you were nineteen?"

Matthew tilted his head, looking at her quizzically. "Is it so strange to fall in love for the first time at nineteen? Lily, have you ever been in love?"

"Er..." Lily stammered, scratching her head as Matthew turned the tables on her. "Not yet. I was just curious."

Then she protested good-naturedly, "Hey, I'm the one conducting the interview! Why are you asking me questions?"

Matthew could see that Lily was completely new to interviewing, so he just smiled and said, "Go on, ask your next question."

Lily continued, "There are a lot of rumors about you in the media. Are any of them true?"

"Some of it is true," Matthew replied casually. "And some of it is false."

"So, does that mean you've had a few girlfriends already?" Lily asked, her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

Matthew nodded. "I have."

Lily asked her next question. "What's your idea of the perfect girlfriend?"

The perfect girlfriend? Matthew himself had no idea.

But he looked down at Lily and began to describe her. "She'd have delicate features, a gentle face, and a shy, innocent look in her eyes..."

Lily dutifully jotted down his words in her notebook, though she couldn't help but feel that the person Matthew was describing sounded vaguely familiar.

To finish, Matthew added with emphasis, "And she would also have to have thick, long, brown hair."

With that, he gave Lily a nod. "Is that all? I should be heading inside."

Lily unconsciously touched her own hair. "Oh... okay, Matthew. I'll email you the rest of the questions."

Matthew smiled, then turned and headed into the theater.

Watching Matthew walk away, Lily blinked several times, one hand gently stroking her own thick hair. A smile spread across her face without her realizing it.

She looked down at her notepad. Now she had plenty of material for her column in Elle.Girl.

...

Matthew entered the theater a while before the red carpet finished and was guided by staff to the VIP lounge on the second floor, where a small crowd had already gathered.

He recognized Anne Hathaway, who had walked the carpet just before him; the three Olsen sisters; and Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" prequels, among others.

The common denominator among the stars in the room was their youth; most were archetypal teen idols. Matthew seemed to be the only one who had bypassed the teen-idol phase and transitioned directly into a career as an adult actor.

Perhaps Hayden Christensen could be considered an exception, but while "Star Wars" had made him a household name, his performance as Anakin Skywalker had been widely panned for its poor acting by everyone from the press and critics to casual moviegoers.

The prevailing consensus was that if Christensen didn't deliver a phenomenal performance in the upcoming "Revenge of the Sith," his Hollywood career would be over once the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy concluded.

Matthew, however, held a slightly different view. He had seen "Attack of the Clones" in theaters two years prior, and while the overly melodramatic film wasn't to his taste, he had watched it closely. In his assessment, Hayden Christensen was one of the few actors who actually fit the look of Anakin Skywalker. For a franchise with a universe as expansive as "Star Wars," the right look was far more crucial for a role than raw acting talent.

In any case, he still couldn't quite grasp how this peculiar film series had become such a cornerstone of American pop culture.

More people filed into the VIP lounge, though stars over thirty were a distinct rarity. Matthew had never really been part of the teen-idol scene, so while he had heard of most of the people there, he didn't know them personally.

"Hi, Matthew!"

A friendly voice called out from his left. Matthew turned to see Rachel McAdams approaching. He smiled and pulled her into a light hug. "Hey, Rachel."

As they stepped back, Matthew said, "Sorry I couldn't make it to your premiere the other night."

"It's alright," Rachel said, her charming dimples appearing as she smiled. "You were busy with work."

Just as they were speaking, another young woman walked up to them. She looked at Matthew with curious eyes and turned to her friend. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Rachel?"

She was slightly shorter than Rachel and had lustrous blonde hair.

Rachel quickly made the introduction. "Matthew, this is Amanda Seyfried, a friend I made while filming 'Mean Girls.' Amanda, this is my friend, Matthew Horner."

Matthew immediately extended his hand and shook hers lightly. "Hello, Amanda."

She responded graciously, "Hi, Matthew. Rachel's told me about you. You're a huge star."

Matthew just smiled. "She exaggerates."

Soon, a staff member approached to lead them to their seats, and the three of them headed into the main auditorium together.