The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 424

While the battle over the lead role in I Am Legend was a thing of the past, the casting of the film's supporting actress had ignited a new, unavoidable conflict.

Francis Lawrence was adamant about casting his girlfriend, actress Paula Patton, and refused to budge on the matter.

Matthew, on the other hand, had recommended Alexandra. While the role wasn't essential for her career, he had no intention of backing down either.

Given Francis's past behavior and attitude, Matthew knew that if he yielded now, the director would undoubtedly see it as a victory and press his advantage.

At Matthew's current level in the industry, it wasn't just about the salary; it was about influence within the cast and crew. Much like negotiating pay, once you take that first step back, you open the door for others to push you into taking a second.

Of course, there was another reason—one Matthew had never voiced aloud.

He disliked working with black actors and preferred to avoid situations that brought him into close contact with them.

In truth, he could have been tolerant of black actors and actresses, willing to look the other way, if they didn't seem so quick to cry racism at every turn.

But his past encounter with a certain black actress had been so repellent that it left him wary of working with any minority actors, fearing he might inadvertently be dragged into another scandal over such a volatile issue.

He wasn't foolish enough to openly challenge Hollywood's political correctness, but he refused to treat it as gospel.A staunch liberal like Francis Lawrence could treat black actors like family and do as he pleased on other productions. As long as it didn't interfere with Matthew's own interests, he could ignore it. But when it did, it was an entirely different story.

Matthew's gaze settled on Lawrence, who was seated across the table, making sure the director understood the unspoken challenge in his eyes.

Instinctively, Francis shot up from his chair, his face a mask of fury. But after a moment of locking eyes with Matthew, he slowly sank back down.

He decided to bide his time.

Francis's gaze shifted to the producer, Goldsman, who was chatting with David after shaking Matthew’s hand. Neither of them, it seemed, had noticed Matthew's provocative challenge.

Clearly, this wasn't the time to cause a scene.

Francis leaned back in his chair, his expression growing sharper, colder.

For a blockbuster of this scale, he had always believed a black actor like Will Smith was better suited for the lead. And if not the lead, then a black actor was essential for a key supporting role.

More importantly, the moment he was brought on as director and handed the script, he had promised Paula Patton he would do everything in his power to help her land the supporting role.

A diverse cast, he reasoned, would also help draw in audiences from various ethnic backgrounds.

In fact, he had always believed that the failure of Constantine wasn't due to the script or his direction, but because the cast lacked a prominent black character. To him, this oversight was out of step with the current social climate and was the film's ultimate downfall.

Had the roles played by Keanu Reeves or Rachel Weisz gone to black actors, it would have drawn a larger minority audience and boosted the film's box office.

Matthew may have a producer credit, but he, Francis, was the director, and that put him in the dominant position on set.

"The main purpose of this meeting is for everyone to get acquainted," Goldsman began smoothly. "The team is already assembled, and the project is officially moving forward."

Goldsman cleared his throat softly. "There are a few points I'd like to cover."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Shooting is scheduled to begin this August. I've been in communication with the city of New York to ensure we can film all our scenes on location there."

Francis remained silent; Goldsman had mentioned this before.

The corners of Matthew's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Years of self-discipline and countless hours on set had given him masterful control over his facial muscles, making even the slightest flicker of emotion difficult to detect.

The news that they would be shooting as much as possible in New York was undoubtedly to his advantage.

Goldsman continued, "Auditions for the other key supporting roles will begin next week. The production needs to finalize the principal cast by June to give the actors adequate time to prepare."

Matthew cut straight to the point. "Which day are the auditions for the female supporting role?"

"Next Tuesday."

Matthew nodded, saying nothing more. The question itself had been enough to make his position clear to Goldsman.

Francis, his arms crossed over his chest, remained silent, but he had already resolved to be there on Tuesday.

Just as Matthew wasn't backing down, neither was he.

"And one last thing," Goldsman added. "Work on the screenplay is nearly complete."

David produced two scripts, each about a hundred pages thick, and handed one to Matthew and the other to Francis. "Take these with you, read them over, and get back to me with any notes."

Goldsman was a relatively flexible producer and writer, the kind who was open to ideas and willing to make changes during filming, as had been the case with the script for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

He looked from Matthew to Lawrence. "Any issues with that?"

Matthew slowly shook his head. "None."

"No problems from me," Lawrence said.

"Good, then." Goldsman, who like most producers of his caliber, wasn't one for long-winded meetings, brought things to a close. "That's all for today. Let's stay in touch."

Matthew rose, said his goodbyes to David and Goldsman, and walked out of the office, leaving the studio behind.

As if to avoid running into him, Francis deliberately waited a few minutes before exiting the office himself.

David stared at the closed office door for a moment, then turned to Goldsman. "Did you notice that? Seems to be some tension between Matthew and Francis Lawrence."

Goldsman, who was already reviewing the latest report from the props department, didn't look up. "As long as they do their jobs, I couldn't care less about their personal dynamic."

Though Matthew had a reputation for being professional and was always praised by the crew for his work ethic, he was under no illusion that a single film automatically turned colleagues into friends.

"We used Will Smith as leverage to drive down the price," David mused aloud. "And Francis did everything he could to back Smith and push Matthew out. I'm guessing word of that got back to Matthew..."

"Oh?" That got Goldsman's attention. "If it starts interfering with the work, that's a problem."

After a few seconds of thought, he decided, "I'll find a way to handle this."

As the lead producer, however, Goldsman didn't dwell on it. He had far too much on his plate.

****

Matthew left the office, but instead of leaving the Warner lot entirely, he headed over to the soundstage where 300 was being filmed.

Time had flown by, and the shoot was nearing its end. The coming week was dedicated to scenes that didn't involve Leonidas, so Matthew wasn't needed on set just yet.

Zack Snyder was planning to save one of the most emotional scenes for the final two days of the shoot.

His visit today had been planned in advance. James and Michael were officially wrapping their roles this afternoon, and Matthew wanted to be there to see them off.

Upon entering the soundstage, Matthew positioned himself just off-set, careful not to interfere with Zack Snyder's directing. He waited patiently until he finally heard Snyder call, "Cut! That's a wrap!"

It was customary on a major Hollywood production for the principal actors to receive a gift when they finished filming.

Their parting gifts were the prop weapons they had used on set: James chose a shield, and Michael asked for his Spartan sword.

Matthew stepped forward only after the two men had emerged from the bustle of the crew.

"Matthew!" James exclaimed, walking over to him. "I didn't think you were going to make it!"

Matthew opened his arms to embrace him, then pulled Michael in for a hug as well. "You guys are leaving," he said. "Of course I had to be here."

He asked, "Any plans now that you've wrapped?"

Michael nodded. "We're heading to Hawaii for a vacation next month. You should come."

Matthew considered it. "I'm not sure yet, but if I can find the time, I'll join you."