The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 537

Inside a laboratory set at Warner Studios, filming for "I Am Legend" was in full swing. Director Guillermo del Toro sat behind the monitors, his eyes fixed on the footage being transmitted live from the cameras.

"Female, approximately eighteen to twenty years of age. Subject required a six-fold dose of Dilaudid to be sedated. Body temperature is 106 degrees Fahrenheit, pulse is 200 beats per minute, respiration is rapid..."

Matthew took out a penlight and shone it into the actress's eye. "Pupils are fully dilated, non-responsive to light."

***

"If an actor like Matthew can be nominated for 'Worst Actor,' then eighty percent of the actors in Hollywood should be thrown on the scrap heap," Guillermo del Toro thought to himself.

When you thought about it, it was easy to see why. Matthew starred in films that made a lot of money, had a huge impact, and earned impressive box office numbers, yet he didn't care for the traditional method of quietly studying the craft of acting.

So, unable to suppress him at the box office or commercially, some people resorted to using the Golden Raspberry Awards.

But from their time together, Guillermo del Toro could easily tell that Matthew was in good spirits and didn't seem to care much about awards, including the Golden Raspberries or even the Oscars.

Guillermo del Toro believed this was an important mindset for an actor to have, allowing them to maintain their equilibrium without losing themselves.

"Thirty-minute break!" Guillermo del Toro called out.The short but intense long take had drained a lot of energy from both the actors and the crew behind the scenes.

Matthew walked off the set and let out a long breath. He took a sip of water from the glass Bella handed him, removed his white lab coat, and gave it to the makeup artist. Then he stretched, feeling the tension from a scene that was almost entirely a solo performance. Such scenes demanded his utmost concentration, sometimes even to the point of overacting.

Long action sequences never intimidated Matthew, but a lengthy, dialogue-heavy scene like the one they had just shot in a single take was a rare and demanding challenge for him.

Just then, Guillermo del Toro appeared, and Matthew walked over to him.

"That was a good performance," the director remarked. "Long takes are demanding on actors. The slightest mistake requires a reshoot, and we only needed a few."

"That's only because you snapped me back into character at the right moment," Matthew replied, then shifted the topic. "What do you think is the most important production element for a film like ours, a commercial blockbuster grounded in the real world?"

"Many things," Guillermo del Toro said. "The right actors, an experienced director, a fitting soundtrack, skillful editing—they're all important... And, of course, the script can be considered one of the most crucial factors for success."

Matthew had asked the question because of the "Fast and the Furious" series, and Guillermo del Toro's answer wasn't quite what he was looking for.

"Gil, you may have heard that I co-purchased the rights to the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise and plan to invest in its continuation." Matthew decided to stop beating around the bush and asked directly, "I'll be producing the film, so what I want to know is, from a director's perspective, what should I pay attention to in a commercial blockbuster of this kind?"

Guillermo del Toro considered this for a moment before saying, "Every film is different. I can only offer my opinion in the context of 'I Am Legend.' I can't guarantee whether it will be helpful or not."

"I'll take any insight I can get."

Guillermo del Toro mulled it over for half a minute before speaking.

"When I took over 'I Am Legend,' I convinced Akiva to follow my idea for a commercial production that would blend fictional sci-fi elements with the real world, making the entire film both entertaining and aesthetically engaging. In a commercial film that isn't detached from reality, the relationship between the fictional and the real must be handled well."

Matthew listened intently. Even if Guillermo del Toro was talking about "I Am Legend," he hoped to glean something useful from his words.

The "Fast and the Furious" franchise would be his first true foray into producing, the first time he would hold the power of life and death over a film—a power that felt immense.

Del Toro added, "That said, I've always believed that the success of a commercial blockbuster can't be achieved just through the spectacle of a large production and flashy special effects, but also through the proper handling of its fictional and realistic components."

He saw that Matthew was lost in thought and slowed his pace.

"Making a film, especially a big commercial one, is never simple. It's ten times more difficult than shooting an independent art-house film. You have to discover the subtleties of the movie that will resonate with the audience and present them on screen."

Matthew nodded slowly. Guillermo del Toro was right.

"In the case of 'I Am Legend,' the creative process was the same for me and Akiva. There are undoubtedly many fictional elements in the film, but the creation of those elements is largely inspired by real life. Cinema, like fiction, is derived from reality but also transcends it. While it uses fictional techniques, it can't be completely divorced from reality. With your character, the film tells the story of Robert's life; he fights alone, accompanied only by his dog. The film essentially shows how a person spends his life, filled with numerous stories and personal moments. This approach allows the film to be connected to life while still having a plot that captivates the audience."

Hearing this, Matthew frowned. Guillermo del Toro's words had given him a lot to think about, but for a moment, he couldn't quite grasp the core idea. A thought kept flickering at the edge of his mind, just out of reach.

Del Toro paused, knowing that commercial films have both similarities and differences.

Slowly, Matthew latched onto the thought in his head. What Guillermo del Toro had just described could be summed up in one word: grounded.

A commercial film like "The Fast and the Furious," built on a real-world foundation, had to feel grounded!

It needed to make the average viewer sitting in front of the screen find a reflection of themselves in it.

"Thank you, Gil."

Suddenly, Matthew thought of another brilliant way to be grounded in a social structure like North America.