The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 323

December marked the beginning of Hollywood's major awards season. Neither of the two films Matthew had starred in that year—Dawn of the Dead and National Treasure—were contenders. Their genres and content simply didn't qualify them for that kind of recognition.

Still, Matthew commanded a certain degree of influence.

National Treasure continued to be a blockbuster in North America, its box office numbers climbing steadily. Even during awards season, Matthew's leading role and the film itself were not ignored by the press.

The film's third weekend in North America was exceptionally strong, seemingly unaffected by the negative reviews from critics. The box office drop was less than fifty percent, pushing its domestic total to over $140 million.

At this point, no one doubted that National Treasure would ultimately surpass the $200 million mark at the North American box office.

Matthew was busy during this time, too. He made an appearance to support Depp's new film, Finding Neverland, did a few post-screening Q&As for National Treasure, and then attended a high-profile housewarming party for Keanu Reeves.

Last year, on Charlize's advice, Keanu had purchased a four-and-a-half-million-dollar mansion, making him Leonardo DiCaprio's new neighbor.

At the party, Matthew saw Leonardo DiCaprio as well.

"Leo, this is Matthew."

In the spacious and enormous living room, Keanu introduced them. "Matthew, this is Leo."Matthew extended his hand with a welcoming smile. "Hey, Leo."

Leonardo DiCaprio shook it. "Hey, Matthew."

The two exchanged pleasantries, and Matthew took a moment to size up Leonardo DiCaprio. He was still in good shape, not yet heavy enough to sink the Titanic.

"I ran into Kate at the screening for Finding Neverland," Matthew mentioned to Leonardo. "She told me about you. You two have an enviable friendship."

Leonardo smiled. "Kate didn't say anything bad about me, did she?"

It was clear his relationship with Kate Winslet was something special.

Matthew shook his head. "Of course not."

Keanu approached with a couple of beers and interjected, "Leo, I've always wondered, why aren't you and Kate together?"

Leonardo didn't give a straight answer, instead retorting, "And why aren't you and Charlize together?"

Keanu chuckled, handing a can of beer to Leonardo. "We're just friends," he replied.

"So are we," Leonardo said, popping the top on his can.

Having just met Leonardo, Matthew didn't feel it was his place to weigh in. In truth, he suspected the reason Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet weren't together was simply because she didn't fit his aesthetic.

After all, young, beautiful, blonde models were what any normal man would be drawn to.

Unfortunately, because Keanu's sister and her family were also invited, the housewarming party was far tamer than the usual chaotic Hollywood bashes.

Leonardo left not long after, and since Matthew didn't know the other guests well, he ended up getting a tour of the new house from Keanu.

The house was quite large, with the living room alone spanning over a thousand square feet. It boasted five bedrooms, a walk-in closet, a gym, a recreation room, a library, and more. While not as staggeringly immense as some estates, it definitely qualified as a mansion.

They walked down a long hallway and into the garage, where Matthew saw a fascinating collection of heavy motorcycles, most notably a pair of Harleys.

Matthew walked over for a closer look. "Is this your collection?" he asked.

Keanu followed, resting a hand on the Harley's handlebar. "If it weren't for this collection, I wouldn't have bought the house. You know, it's much easier to just stay in a hotel."

He turned to Matthew. "I bought the house on Charlize's suggestion. She told me last year that the motorcycle collection came with it."

Here, Keanu smiled and asked unexpectedly, "Have you spoken to Charlize lately?"

Matthew nodded. "We talked on the phone the other day. She's in South Africa right now and won't be back until after the New Year."

He then changed the subject. "Now that you have a mansion, all that publicity about you will probably die down."

"I don't need it to," Keanu said with a wave of his hand. "It's all just tabloid rumors and hype, nothing more."

Matthew continued the conversation with Keanu while admiring his collection.

The issue he had just mentioned stemmed from the fact that after the Matrix trilogy, Keanu had become so popular that many tabloids, seeking attention, had painted him as some kind of destitute star.

A number of tabloids and websites had previously claimed that Keanu Reeves had been sleeping in motels for nine years, even as an adult. That story, coupled with a widely circulated photo of him sleeping on a motel floor with his dog, was enough to break the heart of anyone who saw it.

Matthew had known Keanu for two years and was quite familiar with the truth. Keanu had indeed lived in a motel for four years before he became a star, and he hadn't bought a house since.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford one; he simply didn't want to, because it was more convenient. Keanu himself had told Matthew and Depp that living in a motel was great—someone else made the bed, cleaned the room, and took care of everything.

And in recent years, he wasn't staying in shabby motels.

Keanu had upgraded to the high-end Chateau Marmont hotel, which likely cost him several thousand dollars a night.

That spring, The Sun had also published a story suggesting Keanu was seen sitting alone on a park bench, bearded and disheveled, silently eating a cupcake with a single birthday candle in it. When a fan approached him to chat, he had supposedly shared his cake with them.

The photos taken by The Sun were widely shared online, and Keanu's particularly devoted fans flooded the internet with support.

In reality, Keanu had been shooting a movie at the time, and the paparazzi from The Sun had broken the unspoken agreement between the film crew and journalists to sneak those photos during filming.

Although Keanu was an oddball among celebrities, he wouldn't let himself get into such a state.

The fact that the stories were so widespread online only improved Keanu's public image and enhanced his reputation, so his team never issued a statement.

It was a tactic Matthew and Helen often used: neither confirming nor denying, always leaving a safety net.

At the time, Matthew had watched the media frenzy and lamented that Hollywood stars all had a persona, a carefully crafted external image. He had his, Jessica Alba had her act as a naive fool, and Keanu Reeves had his image of being crushed by the pressures of the world.

As for why the tabloids hyped him up so much, Matthew could figure it out with his eyes closed. It had to be to attract readers, since stories about Hollywood stars like that were incredibly effective at grabbing public attention.

Of course, Keanu was, to put it mildly, a bit of a tragic figure, but compared to some of the people from the world where Matthew used to live, Keanu was a real find—a truly unconventional person.

Once they were out of the garage, Keanu added, "There are a few empty houses to the south. Don't you want to buy one? We could be neighbors."

Matthew shrugged and said with some regret, "I don't have the money right now."

"Huh?" Keanu was a little surprised. "Didn't you get paid ten million dollars for your role in Mr. & Mrs. Smith? Or are they delaying payment?"

"No," Matthew said, shaking his head. "The movie's been shot, and the production company paid me in full. But I spent it all on stocks."

He had converted most of the money he earned, save for a small amount he kept for himself, into freely traded Apple stock. Steve Jobs was still alive, plus the September 11th attacks, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq had all happened in the last few years, just as he remembered.

It was also highly unlikely that the iPhone would simply vanish into thin air.

He knew nothing about investing and had never been particularly interested in it, but Apple was the safest bet in his memory.

Matthew hadn't calculated how much he could win by buying Apple stock. As long as it could beat inflation and the devaluation of the dollar, it was already a victory.

...

They returned to the living room, where a few more people had arrived at the party. Matthew looked at the unfamiliar faces and guessed they weren't Hollywood stars.

One of them was even a fan of his and came over to ask for an autograph and a photo.

Leonardo DiCaprio had been the first to leave, not long after the party started. He was there more out of courtesy, as a friend of Keanu's.

A few minutes later, Matthew also had to say his goodbyes and leave after getting a call from Helen.

Helen had called to inform him that someone from Mercedes-Benz had unexpectedly arrived in Los Angeles that afternoon. They wanted to meet with him in two days as a potential brand ambassador, and she needed to discuss it with him urgently that night.