The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 492

Even with Paul Walker, someone who had once been on his side, Matthew wouldn't voice his ideas for the Fast and the Furious franchise. They hadn't seen each other in years, and it would be foolish to just give away a business concept.

So he made an excuse.

But upon seeing the female director across the room, Matthew felt a flicker of interest. She was a director, a world apart from the actresses and models he was used to.

“I’m going to go say hello. Did you change your cell number?”

“What about you? If it’s still the same, I’ll call you after the premiere.”

“The number’s the same.” Matthew’s gaze drifted back toward the female director.

There weren’t many famous female directors in Hollywood, and while he’d never dealt with one before, he had been working in the industry long enough to have seen her photo and name in the media. He recognized her.

“I won’t keep you.” Paul quickly made his exit.

Matthew didn’t hesitate either. Seeing that she was alone for the moment, he walked straight over to her.

“Hello... You’re the director Sofia Coppola, right?”Sofia had noticed Matthew approaching and gave a gentle nod. “Hello.”

“I’m Matthew Horner. Just a humble actor.”

“I know who you are. You’re a big star, not a humble actor.”

She tilted her head to look at Matthew. The man before her was tall and striking; his seemingly rugged appearance was tempered by a mature, calm demeanor that somehow made him look even better in person than on screen.

Of course, good looks were good looks, but Sofia was in her thirties and possessed a remarkably mature mind. Without giving Matthew a chance to continue, she asked directly, “Did you need something from me?”

The implication was obvious: if he had no reason to be there, he should leave.

“Actually, I do.” Glancing around and lowering his voice, he murmured, “I want to get into directing, and you, Ms. Coppola, are a paragon of success in this field. I came over to ask for some advice on how to succeed.”

“Oh?” Whether it was a personal habit or just her nature, Sofia’s voice carried a hint of sarcasm. “You want to be a director?”

Matthew nodded. “An actor who doesn’t want to be a director can’t be a good actor.”

Sofia studied Matthew carefully. “Once your acting career has earned public approval, that will be the best time for you to transition.”

Hearing this, Matthew wondered if Sofia was joking, but he still murmured, “I understand.”

“What exactly?”

Matthew thought of Sofia’s famous last name and said deliberately, “The mindset that comes with transitioning into directing.”

“Oh?”

From their limited interaction, Matthew could already tell that Sofia was nothing like the twenty-something actresses with their still-maturing minds and predictable reactions.

He said softly, “Being born into the Coppola family is a privilege, but it also means that any small flaw along the way gets infinitely magnified.”

Sofia’s eyes froze for a moment as she met Matthew’s gaze. His words struck a chord deep within her; others always saw the convenience her famous surname afforded her, but few understood the pressure and burden she carried.

She carried the Coppola name. If she succeeded in film, it was only right and expected. But if she failed, countless people would rush to declare that she had shamed her family’s legacy.

As a Coppola, Sofia had been raised to be hardworking. Yet, if she had to sum up her experience growing up in one of Hollywood’s most prominent families, she could only use one word: “tired.”

Sofia suddenly shook her head and couldn’t help but whisper, “Back then, I just wanted to be a good girl. Because my father wanted me on set, I went on...”

In that moment, she suddenly realized the man in front of her was not a friend, and she immediately cut herself off.

That short phrase gave Matthew an opening, a way to connect with her. “I can imagine your situation. People are inclined to dislike you, because in their eyes, you’re just the spoiled child of a famous family. So, if you don’t want to be seen as a joke, you have to prove them wrong in your own way.”

“And so, you succeeded. You became the first American woman in history to be nominated for Best Director.”

Sofia pressed her lips together. It was the achievement she was most proud of.

Matthew continued to watch Sofia, gradually grasping the way this woman thought. “You didn't just avoid discrediting the Coppola name; you made it even more illustrious.”

Sofia suddenly laughed.

She sized Matthew up again, finding him far more interesting than she had a moment ago. “I’m not even sure this is the first time we’ve met. You talk like an old friend.”

“This is the first time we’ve spoken face-to-face.” Matthew noticed his words had had an effect and smiled back. “But I’ve been studying you for a while.”

Sofia frowned slightly. “Studying me?”

Matthew explained, “I want to transition into directing, and you’re a success story—someone I admire.”

Coming from a major star, the compliment was flattering, even to someone as level-headed as Sofia. “Honestly, I chose directing because I couldn’t succeed as an actress. Even I didn’t expect my first film, which I shot in twenty-seven days, to be a success.”

That was what she said, but Matthew could hear the hidden pride in Sofia’s tone.

The two hit it off, and Sofia’s laughter became more and more frequent.

Near the entrance to the VIP lounge, not far from them, a black man who looked to be in his fifties walked in. He greeted Clint Eastwood by the door and his eyes immediately fell on Matthew and Sofia standing together.

He had known for a while that his friend, Francis Lawrence, had been pushed out of the director's chair on I Am Legend because of Horner.

Worse, Sofia, his ex-wife, was now chatting animatedly with this playboy.

Although two years had passed since their divorce, Spike had never given up trying to reconcile. Sofia had been the one to file for divorce; he had never wanted to let her go—especially not the Coppola family behind her.

But Sofia had caught him cheating several times, took the matter to court, and won.

Spike had come to the premiere tonight because he knew Sofia would be there. He'd been keeping tabs on her for the past six months, shadowing her movements in an attempt to win her back.

Earlier this year, he had directed a film that was well-received upon release, earning widespread acclaim from the press and critics. He had high hopes of making a splash during awards season, and if he could secure the support of the Coppola family, he stood a good chance of getting his hands on that little golden statuette for Best Director at the Academy Awards.

That was why winning Sofia back was so crucial.

His plan was to get her support before the start of awards season and maintain it until the Oscars next year.

As for what happened after the Oscars, if everything went according to plan, Sofia would mean nothing to him anymore.

Spike saw the two of them together, and his brow furrowed as he walked over.

It had taken a great deal of coaxing and even some deceit to win over a young Sofia, who was still naive about the world and full of romantic fantasies. After their marriage, he had leveraged the Coppola family's influence, and his career had soared.

In fact, the Coppola family had played a decisive role in steering some of the projects he'd landed after the wedding.

But Sofia was no longer that naive girl. She was a mature woman now, and women like her were easily charmed by young, handsome men who paid them a few compliments.

And it was clear to him that Sofia had not been single for the past two years.

Just look at the older, more established actresses in their circle—which one of them wasn't seeking out younger, strikingly handsome men as lovers?

He remembered clearly that Sofia and Horner had never met before.

“Hello, Sofia.” Spike called out before he even reached them. “I was looking for you, and here you are.”

Hearing a gruff voice to his right, Matthew turned his head and saw a somewhat familiar face. If he remembered correctly, it was Spike Lee, one of Hollywood's leading mid-tier directors.

It seemed he had a film out earlier this year, and it had been pretty well-received.

“Hello, Mr. Horner.”

The middle-aged man greeted him, and Matthew responded with a polite nod. “Hello.”

The man walked up, positioned himself next to Sofia, and announced, “I’m Spike Lee. Sofia’s husband.”

Matthew was slightly stunned. Sofia was married?

But Sofia took a step away, creating distance between herself and Spike, and said without a trace of sentiment, “Ex-husband. Don't be ambiguous.”

She didn’t bother with Spike any further and said to Matthew, “I'm heading to the screening room. It was nice talking to you. I’ll treat you to tea sometime. Bye.”

With that, she turned and hurried toward the door without waiting for Matthew's reply.

Seeing Sofia leave, Matthew had no interest in continuing a conversation with Spike and prepared to head into the theater himself.

“Mr. Horner,” Spike said unexpectedly. “Can we talk? Just for a few minutes, it won't take long.”