The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 407

Advice for newcomers? There were countless answers, of course, but in a situation like this, a clear one was needed.

Matthew quickly found his answer and said seriously, "For any actor, the craft of acting—shaping a character and bringing their image to life—is a complex art. And to become a good actor, especially somewhere like Hollywood, being good on camera simply isn't enough."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, then added, "To put it simply: take every opportunity and don't be afraid to be in bad movies."

"Why is that?" one of the reporters asked.

"Newcomers shouldn't worry about a bad film affecting their careers; there's really no need," Matthew explained. "For someone just starting out, any role is worth taking. Even if it goes nowhere, at the very least you gain experience and a paycheck. I have a friend—I won't name him—who's always waiting for the perfect movie. He'll say, ‘I can’t take this role, it’s a terrible script.’”

He smiled and continued, "This friend of mine is always waiting for great films, for great roles to just fall into his lap. But it doesn't work that way. Work is a necessary discipline. Two years ago, a director finally cast him in a decent role, and he thought it was his big break. But when it was time to start shooting, he just stood in front of the camera and completely froze."

Then Matthew pointed to a middle-aged female reporter sitting on the lawn.

The reporter stood up and asked, "Matthew, your films are always so full of violence. Do you like violence?"

Instead of giving a direct answer, Matthew said, "Violence is a crucial element in cinema. War films, cop and gangster movies, kung fu action flicks—many genres contain violence."

He chuckled. "I'm an actor, but I'm also just a regular moviegoer—a twenty-five-year-old moviegoer."As Matthew spoke, it dawned on many of the journalists that the Hollywood star sitting before them had been born in 1980.

"I'm sure you all know what genres most audiences in that age group enjoy and what elements they like to see in their films."

A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd; many of the journalists recognized the truth in his words, remembering their own youth and similar tastes.

Suddenly, he no longer seemed like some distant, masked Hollywood star, but someone genuine and relatable.

Having been in the business for several years, Matthew was at ease. "I don't mind violence in movies, because it's cinema, not real life. I've spent a large part of my life watching action films; for me, it's a form of relaxation. I also read novels with violence—spy thrillers, suspense, crime, horror—I've loved them all since I was a kid."

After some time, Matthew and Keira Knightley met again, and naturally, the press asked if they had reunited. But both Matthew and Knightley denied it, stating they were just good friends, as they had always been.

And so, after returning from the Dominican Republic, Matthew and Knightley had put an end to their physical relationship for good and went back to being best friends.

When the picnic was over, Matthew and Knightley got into the same car to head back to the hotel.

The film crew had arranged for Matthew and Knightley to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan, not far from Central Park and the UN headquarters. They were approaching the hotel when they hit a massive traffic jam.

The car they were in was gridlocked on First Avenue.

"Mr. Horner, Ms. Knightley." The driver turned around and warned them, "Please don't get out of the car. I'm rolling up the windows."

Knightley immediately nodded.

Matthew looked ahead through the windshield and asked curiously, "What's going on?"

The driver glanced at the traffic. "I think a crowd of protestors is blocking the road near the UN building."

"Is the UN holding another session?" Knightley asked.

"I don't know," the driver replied, shaking his head.

He reminded them again, "The protestors always march along First Avenue, so please don't leave the car."

Matthew nodded cautiously. "Safety first."

Since the car was stuck, there was no way to move for a while, so Matthew and Knightley waited patiently.

"Are you heading back to Los Angeles tomorrow?" Knightley asked.

Matthew replied, "I think I'll stay here for a couple of days."

Knightley turned to him. "Do you want to go to Long Island with me tomorrow? I'll introduce you to a beautiful woman."

"Tomorrow?" Matthew had other plans. "Who is it?"

"Have you seen the 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy?" Knightley saw Matthew nod and continued, "Padmé Amidala. I was her body double."

It dawned on Matthew. "You're talking about Natalie Portman?"

He remembered something. "Didn't you two compete for the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle endorsement last year? You're not talking about that Natalie Portman, are you?"

"Yes, that's her," Knightley said, her tone laced with irritation. "I didn't get the endorsement. I lost to her."

"So you're going to see her?" From what Matthew knew of Knightley, she wasn't exactly a magnanimous person. He remembered how much she had grumbled under her breath when he'd mentioned Padmé Amidala earlier. "Don't tell me you two are still good friends."

"Her?" Knightley scoffed. "Never."

Then she added, "Natalie knew I was coming to New York for this event and specifically called to meet up, probably just to gloat."

Matthew asked curiously, "So why do you want me to come with you?"

Knightley was refreshingly direct. "If she starts mocking me, you can help me get back at her."

Matthew didn't want to waste time on such nonsense. "I don't have to go with you. I'll just give you a brilliant idea."

Knightley, knowing Matthew had outmaneuvered many rivals along his path, immediately leaned in with anticipation. "What is it? Tell me, quickly."

"It's very simple and very effective." Matthew leaned closer to Knightley and whispered, "If Natalie brings up the Chanel endorsement, just slap her."

Knightley's eyes widened. "You call that a good idea?"

Matthew spread his hands. "Is there anything else that would make you feel better?"

"That's a stupid idea," Knightley muttered, then added after a moment of thought, "As much as I'd love to slap Natalie, the cameras would catch everything."

Matthew offered another stupid idea. "Move the meeting somewhere the press can't film it, like a private meeting room at the Ritz-Carlton or a private club that values its members' privacy."

"How about this," Knightley reached out and grabbed Matthew's arm. "You come with me to meet Natalie and help me out."

"Me?" Matthew pointed a finger at himself. "Keira, are you out of your mind?"

Knightley held his arm tight. "You're my best friend. Aren't you going to help me?"

Matthew shook his head firmly. "I'm a man, and for a man to hit a woman is in poor taste, to put it mildly."

"No, you won't do that." Knightley clearly had faith in him. "You can drive her crazy with words alone."

Matthew still shook his head. "I'm not going."

"Unfair!" Knightley pulled her hand away. "Coward."

"Say what you will," Matthew didn't rise to her provocation. "I'm not going, no matter what you say."

He would never do something as outrageous as hitting a woman.

And besides, he had no reason to get involved with Natalie Portman. She was known to be shrewd. Who knew if she had close ties to the Jewish power players in Hollywood?

Helen had once told him that there were several red lines in Hollywood that one should never cross. For instance, open discrimination against black actors and other minorities, and you could never get into a public confrontation with Jewish bigwigs.

The consequences of violating either of those two rules could be severe, so much so that even crisis PR might not be able to save you.

The influence of Jewish people in Hollywood was so deeply intertwined that if you looked closely, you could easily see that a significant percentage of the executives at the "Big Six" studios were Jewish.

Natalie Portman might certainly use her heritage to gain some leverage in the industry, but it was also possible she had no special connections to the industry's power players.

Still, it was better not to get dragged into a squabble between two actresses.

Besides, he had things to do tomorrow. He had plenty of time in New York, so he could take things at his own pace.

Matthew was planning to get in touch with Alexandra Daddario.