The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 482

Stepping out of a black limousine, briefcase in hand, Giovanni Salvatore entered the Armani boutique on Rodeo Drive. He nodded to the clerk who came forward to greet him and, instead of lingering on the ground floor, ascended the staircase on the left to the third floor, an area reserved for haute couture clients. From there, he turned into a hallway and proceeded to an office at the very end.

David Beckham, one of the main candidates, was not having an easy time at Real Madrid. The manager, Capello—an Italian himself—clearly didn't favor him. It was a messy situation, and Beckham's future looked increasingly complicated.

Giovanni Salvatore placed his briefcase on the desk and sank into the executive chair behind it, mulling over everything he had seen and heard during his trip to Madrid.

Of course, even with his reduced playing time, Beckham remained a commercial superstar.

This was something Giovanni understood perfectly, as David was no longer just a soccer star.

He had an exceptionally savvy wife, and if he and Victoria were to become the faces of Armani's men's and women's underwear lines, starring in advertisements together, the impact would be greater than anyone anticipated.

The main question now was, how far would Beckham's influence extend if he was spending less and less time on the pitch?

Victoria had successfully branded Beckham as a global superstar, but that entire image was ultimately built on a foundation of soccer.

Armani selected its representatives not just for their image, but for the sustained attention they could bring to the brand. They offered long-term contracts, and their ambassadors were expected to have lasting influence.

Beckham was over thirty, and for soccer stars, being past thirty...Giovanni had his reservations. If this were the David Beckham from his Manchester United days, Armani wouldn't be considering anyone else—they would have signed him without a second thought.

Unfortunately, Beckham had gone to Real Madrid.

Besides Beckham's file, there was another folder on the desk. Giovanni opened it, and the first thing he saw was a large photograph of one of Hollywood's leading stars.

Matthew Horner. Even though Giovanni spent most of his time in Italy, he was well aware that Horner was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood at the moment.

Horner wasn't a candidate Armani had initially been considering. His agent had contacted them a few years ago, but his wild, unconventional screen persona clashed with the brand's image, and his lower profile at the time led Armani to select an older model instead.

This year, with the male model's contract expiring, Matthew's agent had reached out once more.

This time, however, things were different. Horner had become a top Hollywood star, a man whose influence and appeal were impossible to ignore. As he had gotten older, he had acquired a more mature presence, a distinct masculinity that complemented his youthful looks.

Armani had added him to their list of candidates as the second choice, right after David Beckham.

Beckham or Horner? As the executive directly in charge of this decision, Giovanni found it difficult to make a final call.

Each candidate had his own distinct advantages.

Giovanni frowned, steeling himself to make a decision, when his old friend Donadoni, the head of the company’s Los Angeles operations, entered with a few newspapers and magazines.

“What is it?”

Donadoni placed an open copy of The Hollywood Reporter on Giovanni Salvatore’s desk. "The latest news," he announced. "It's relevant to your decision."

Giovanni picked up the newspaper and immediately saw the names Tom Cruise and David Beckham printed in a massive, bold headline. He quickly scanned the article, his brow furrowing.

The Hollywood Reporter had recently published an interview with Pat Kingsley, Tom Cruise's former manager, whom he had fired several years prior. In it, she stated that Tom Cruise and David Beckham were excessively close, and that Cruise was constantly trying to draw Beckham into Scientology.

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with being exceptionally close—Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were inseparable, weren't they?

But Giovanni knew perfectly well that such a statement, coming not from some random source but from Tom Cruise's own former manager, would set tongues wagging.

"Pat Kingsley has been publicly speaking out about Tom Cruise's beliefs and unusual behavior for years," Donadoni began. His words, like the reports from the agencies he worked with, were always rooted in fact but delivered with a subtle slant. "And everything she's said has been proven true. This ambiguity is bound to create some trouble now."

Without a word, Giovanni took the other newspapers from Donadoni. They were mostly tabloids, far less restrained than The Hollywood Reporter, and they were running wild with all kinds of insinuations.

"This Pat Kingsley is a clever woman," Giovanni remarked, drawing on his experience overseeing the company's media relations. "She knows how to say things that cause maximum trouble for her former employer without landing herself in any legal jeopardy."

He looked at Donadoni. "Beckham and Tom Cruise..."

Donadoni was too shrewd to be direct. "There have been rumors along those lines," he said cautiously, "but you know how it is in Hollywood. There are always rumors, and it's hard to tell what's true. However, there is something you should know."

Giovanni asked, "What's that?"

"Tom Cruise is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, and he actively recruits other stars," Donadoni said, sticking to the verifiable facts.

"Tom Cruise approached both Matthew Horner and Beckham. After Horner attended one Scientology event, he actively distanced himself from Tom Cruise. Beckham, on the other hand, still visits the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. And a while ago, he bought a mansion in Beverly Hills, right next door to Tom Cruise's home..."

Giovanni propped his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

Donadoni added, "While Scientology is legal here in North America, I’m sure you're aware that it's strictly forbidden in most European countries. In fact, many governments around the world have officially classified it as a cult."

Giovanni was startled by this. If Beckham were to join Scientology, the negative repercussions would be undeniable.

He had heard about Beckham's close friendship with Tom Cruise, and with the two of them being so tight, the possibility couldn't be dismissed.

If David Beckham really was in a relationship with Tom Cruise...

Giovanni let out a frustrated sigh. It wasn't that he had anything against gay men—they were ubiquitous in the upper echelons of Armani.

But to hire a man rumored to be gay to advertise men's underwear was a perilous move. If it were ever confirmed, the negative impact on the brand would be immense.

Armani underwear was a luxury item, meaning its core consumers were mature men. The company's marketing department had conducted extensive demographic research showing that the percentage of gay customers was very low, while the vast majority of their target audience held either an overt or a latent aversion to homosexuality.

Although many of the company's top executives were gay, most were pragmatic enough to know that the market wouldn't bend to the sexual orientation of the fashion design community.

This wasn't just any other piece of clothing; this was men's underwear. More than anything, the brand needed to project an aura of masculine confidence and virility.

Donadoni said little else. As an old friend, he knew Giovanni well enough not to overstep; it wasn't his place to make the decision for him.

That was all that needed to be said.

After a moment of reflection, Giovanni pressed the intercom button on his phone and summoned his assistant. He gestured to the papers on his desk and said, "Make copies of all the articles in these newspapers and magazines about Tom Cruise and David Beckham... and also find everything you can on Scientology. Fax the entire package to headquarters in Milan."

He suddenly recalled the other gossip he had read about Tom Cruise's erratic behavior. While the homosexuality rumors were merely a negative mark against Beckham, having an Armani spokesperson involved in a questionable faith would be an absolute scandal.

Armani was not only an Italian brand but was also expanding into rapidly growing markets around the world, particularly in the East, where the consumer base was exceptionally sensitive to matters of religion and faith.

Compared to the ambiguous and unconfirmed issue of his sexuality, it was the connection to Scientology that posed the real threat.

Giovanni stood and said to Donadoni, "Let's go see for ourselves how the Hollywood entertainment scene compares to the one in Italy."

Donadoni smiled. "I'll give you the grand tour of Hollywood and Burbank."

****

Los Angeles was the same as ever, and Hollywood was unchanged, with one exception: many of the giant billboards in shopping malls and along the roadsides had been replaced by brand-new advertisements featuring a muscular man in a red cape and red briefs...