The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 395

As the new year approached, a blizzard swept through New York City, blanketing Manhattan in white. But not even a snowstorm could halt the relentless rhythm of the world's financial heart. Most companies in Manhattan carried on as usual, and employees were still expected to report to work on time.

A young woman with short blonde hair walked into her father's financial trading firm, ready to start her day.

"Hi, Amanda."

The receptionist at the company's front desk offered a polite greeting. "You're in early today."

Amanda smiled. "The weather's bad, so I left a little earlier."

She swiped her keycard and was about to head to her desk when a strikingly familiar magazine cover on the rack in the reception area caught her eye. Her curiosity piqued, she hurried over. "Huh, that guy... he's on the cover of Time magazine."

"Annie," Amanda said, pulling a copy of Time from the rack. She turned to the receptionist. "Do you mind if I borrow this to read?"

The receptionist quickly replied, "Of course."

"Thanks."

Amanda thanked her, took the magazine, and walked over to her desk, laying it out before her.The man on the cover was her old friend, Matthew Horner, sitting on sun-scorched grass with a group of black children running behind him.

"He's in Africa?" Amanda wondered aloud.

She saw the headline beneath his picture: "Helping Refugee Children: Matthew Horner's Path to Philanthropy!"

In addition to the main headline, there was a smaller text box next to his photo.

"Matthew Horner: 'It breaks my heart to see the children in the refugee camps!'"

It dawned on Amanda that Matthew had apparently gone to Africa to do charity work.

'When I first met Matthew, he was just another actor at the Angel Agency,' she thought. 'Now he's a big name on the cover of Time.'

How many people back then could have imagined this? Even her cousin, who had always been the most optimistic, never dreamed he would become a major Hollywood star.

Amanda shook her head with a smile and opened the magazine. Just inside, she found the feature interview with the man on the cover.

"In December 2005, Matthew Horner was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR. He then traveled as a UN representative to refugee camps on the border of Kenya and Somalia to see firsthand how African refugees survive.

The experience had a profound impact on Matthew. He says it was the most genuine place he had ever been, where the people were 'so generous and open, kind and unmaterialistic.'

Before this trip, he had no idea that children there were still stepping on landmines every day. Matthew felt a deep compassion for the terrible plight of the African people and knew he had to put those feelings into action as soon as he returned to the United States.

Matthew told the UNHCR representatives that if there was anything he could do, he was ready to do it. He was also wise enough to understand that his status as a movie star would undoubtedly help him accomplish things that would be difficult for an ordinary person.

'If I use my fame in a positive way, it might mean I can influence young people to get involved, and that's worth it,' he says."

Having come from a poor background and endured years of poverty, confusion, and uncertainty, Matthew began to realize during his trip to Africa that the hardships he had faced were nothing compared to those of the African people.

He stated, "I used to spend too much time in my own little world of self-pity, without waking up to see how much I truly have."

Reading this, Amanda scratched her head. The Matthew she knew had always been cheerful and positive—what self-pity was he talking about?

Of course, she also knew that interviews like this were bound to be embellished a little.

Amanda continued reading.

"Matthew doesn't go on these trips to play the part of a big star doing good deeds, but to listen, see, and understand. He encounters terrifying situations and scenes he has never witnessed before. During the interview, he showed us every emotion he felt, every tear he shed, every person he connected with.

He lists the statistics that tell us why he's doing this: there are over 40 million refugees in the world today. One-sixth of the planet's population lives on less than $1 a day, 1.1 billion people lack clean drinking water, and a third of the world has no electricity. More than 100 million out-of-school children worldwide are in Africa, and one in six children there dies before the age of five.

'I am grateful to have chosen this path in life,' he said in a personal interview. 'I thank God for allowing me to meet such amazing people and have such incredible experiences.'

At first, Matthew wanted to hide the fact that he was an actor, fearing his chosen profession would seem useless and superficial.

'I had a job that was very strange to them,' Matthew admitted. But he soon realized that these people had no concept of his fame or wealth, nor did they understand his status as an actor. If they looked excited to see him, it was because he arrived in a UN vehicle, not because he was a major Hollywood star.

One little girl even asked the Hollywood star for his address, and at first, Matthew was hesitant to give out such personal information.

'I thought about hiding it for a moment, because that’s what I’ve always been told to do in America,' Matthew added. 'But she shared her information with me, so I shared mine with her.'

The refugees didn't care who he was or what movies he had been in; all that mattered to them was that he was trying to help!

At the end of the interview, Matthew revealed that he planned to establish two charitable foundations, one dedicated to helping refugees in Africa, and the other to providing better healthcare and education for refugee children."

Amanda paused, closing the magazine and resting her chin on her hand in thought.

Matthew was starting two charitable foundations? Her cousin Helen was an agent; she probably didn't have much expertise in financial matters like this. But Amanda was different. She had specialized in finance and business in the UK and had even helped manage her father's charitable foundation.

At her father's company, she didn't have much opportunity to make a real impact. Her status as the boss's daughter brought comforts, but it also tied her hands.

Unlike Amanda, Helen had more freedom and room to maneuver. She and Helen were close cousins, and they had both been friends with Matthew for years. An organization like a charitable foundation needed to be entrusted to someone they felt completely comfortable with.

Amanda suddenly smiled. After years of professional training and practical experience, she had become a confident young woman who believed she would have no trouble at all managing two charitable foundations.

"I just wonder what Matthew and Helen would think..." Amanda mused for a moment. "There shouldn't be any problem from my father's side; he wants me to get more experience, too."

Amanda glanced around the office. Seeing no one nearby, she hastily pulled out her cell phone and dialed Helen.

Helen sounded groggy, her voice clearly annoyed, but her mood quickly brightened when she heard the reason for the call. They spoke for a few minutes before hanging up.

Helen's message was clear: the charitable organization was still in the planning stages, and she would be delighted if Amanda could join. But it ultimately depended on Matthew. If he agreed, then there would be no problem.

Amanda was a woman of action; when she had an idea, she tried to make it happen. She dialed Matthew's personal number, but there was no answer.

She called twice in a row, but both calls went unanswered.

Amanda glanced at the time. There was a time difference between New York and Los Angeles, and she guessed Matthew was probably still asleep with his phone on silent.

Periodically, she would pick up her phone to check it.

She waited until noon, when her phone finally vibrated. Amanda picked it up and saw Matthew's number.

She walked into an empty conference room at the company and answered the call.

"Sorry, Amanda," Matthew explained from the other end. "I left my phone in my assistant's car."

"It's okay," Amanda said, getting straight to the point. "I just read the Time article and saw you're setting up two charitable foundations?"

On the other end, Matthew stood just inside the gates of Warner Studios. He could see a crowd of reporters gathered outside, so he lowered his voice slightly and replied, "The preparations have already started. Helen's in charge of everything."

"Do you need me to recommend a specialist?"

Amanda's words made Matthew recall that she came from a very good family. He smiled. "Yes, I need a professional."

Amanda's clear voice came through the phone. "What do you think of me?"

"You?" Matthew was a little surprised, but he asked, "You want to work in Los Angeles? Would your father agree to that?"

"Of course, he'd agree," Amanda replied, just as directly as before. "I worked at my father's charitable foundation for a long time after I graduated the year before last."

Matthew thought for a couple of seconds, then said, "If you have time, come out to Los Angeles and we can talk in person."

After hearing her agreement, Matthew ended the call.

More than twenty reporters immediately swarmed him, and Matthew realized this was the effect of his Time magazine cover.

A male reporter was the first to shout a question: "Matthew Horner, if you're so passionate about charity, why don't you quit acting and dedicate yourself to it full-time?"