The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 572

His once-long hair was now a short, tangled mess. He wore sunglasses, his face was covered in stubble that looked like the first shoots of grass in early spring, and his gray jacket, unwashed for who knows how long, was filthy and grimy. This was Matthew's appearance on the set.

Charlize Theron, by contrast, looked pristine and beautiful, even in simple loungewear.

Leaving the dressing room and walking with Charlize to the soundstage, Matthew looked her over and quipped, "I must have offended the stylist. He's clearly taking it out on me."

Charlize glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "The look suits you," she said.

When they arrived on set, the crew was already in position. Director Peter Berg approached to give them a few brief notes, and then the cameras started rolling.

It wasn't just Matthew and Charlize who were settling in; the rest of the crew, including director Peter Berg, were also in a period of adjustment.

The next hour was spent adjusting the lighting, repositioning cameras, and reshooting scenes.

By nearly eleven in the morning, the crew had painstakingly set up and finally captured the first long take, but Peter Berg was still unsatisfied. He wanted another one after adjusting the camera position.

"Did you hurt your hand?"

Charlize stood behind the kitchen counter and grabbed Matthew's hand."You're bleeding?"

Matthew looked down at the blood on his hand, surprised.

His character had been fiddling with a knife. "How did that happen?"

A lock of Charlize's blonde hair fell across her face. "It's too late, you have to go."

"Oh, right." Matthew stood opposite her, yet seemed in no hurry to leave. "I should go. Good night."

Her expression didn't change as she watched him, but then Matthew suddenly stepped forward. They both hesitated for a moment, and then, as if an unseen force pushed them from the shadows, they finally kissed.

The kiss was brief. Charlize grabbed Matthew by the collar and shoved him away. Matthew sold the move perfectly, his entire body flying backward into the green screen.

Behind the green screen was a thick foam mat, and he hit it with a dull thud.

Matthew crashed into the green screen, landing on the foam mat just as he heard Peter's voice yell, "Cut!"

A hand appeared, and he took it as Charlize pulled him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Charlize asked with concern.

Matthew straightened up. "I'm fine. I've taken harder falls sparring."

Charlize looked him over one more time, then turned to watch the bustling crew. "Are you still training?" she asked.

Matthew replied, "Not too intensely. It's all on a strict schedule. I don't want to break my body."

He was nowhere near the intensity of a professional athlete, nor was he foolish enough to attempt such rigorous training.

The crew reset the set and cameras, and the two actors went to sit down during the break. Charlize asked curiously, "I heard you're co-financing a new movie with David Ellison?"

"The project's in the early stages of development."

Matthew chose his words carefully. "It's the fourth film in The Fast and the Furious series. The production budget is around 120 million dollars. David and I are each financing half, and I'll be starring as the male lead."

As he said this, an idea suddenly popped into his head.

"This is planned as a trilogy. If it goes well, there will be sequels. Maybe you could join then?"

Charlize didn't refuse Matthew's invitation. "We'll talk about it."

Matthew said, half-joking, "There'll be a role designed just for you... a pretty cool woman who seduces me."

Charlize smiled and retorted, "I'd prefer you design a character where I get to beat the crap out of you."

The crew finished their adjustments, and the two actors returned to the set to resume filming.

***

After the morning shoot, Matthew and Charlize gave an exclusive interview to

Entertainment Weekly, arranged by Goldsman.

The interview was conducted by a middle-aged male journalist, and since it was nearly noon, Goldsman had scheduled it at a restaurant on the Warner Studios lot, where they could talk over a meal.

The four of them sat at a large round table, enjoying their lunch and a fruit platter before the journalist, Efron Bellarabi, began his questions.

He placed a tape recorder in the center of the table, looked at Matthew, and asked, "Mr. Horner, there were rumors that you were going to work with the Wachowski brothers on the film adaptation of Cloud Atlas, but the collaboration fell through. Was that because of Hancock?"

"No."

Matthew shook his head, then took the opportunity to ladle himself some chicken soup. "But it is a shame we couldn't work with the Wachowskis. I loved their adaptation of Cloud Atlas."

He paused briefly before returning to the topic. "The

Hancock project was already under discussion before I met the Wachowskis. Goldsman had spoken to me about it while I was filming I Am Legend."

Goldsman chimed in, "Matthew and I had already agreed back then to continue working together."

"Alright. Shall we talk about the film, then?" Efron had clearly singled out Matthew as his primary target for the interview. Looking at him, he asked, "I heard it's a drama?"

Matthew glanced at Goldsman. "I'll let Mr. Goldsman answer that one. He knows the project better than I do."

Efron turned to Goldsman, who explained, "There's a conventional wisdom that summer releases should be mostly action, while holiday films should be more character and story-driven. So, what if we combine the emotional depth of character and the drama of story with the fire and fury a film like Independence Day should have? Can you imagine what that would be like? Why can't we merge the best of both worlds for the greatest effect?"

"Why did you choose Matthew?" Efron asked.

"This is my third time working with Matthew." Goldsman didn't hold back his praise. "Our first two collaborations proved to me that only one person could handle this role, and Matthew is the perfect actor to play Hancock."

He smiled. "We were determined to make a film that was both cynical and heartfelt. Matthew's ability as a brilliant actor ensured he could deeply understand this complex role and play it to its fullest... In fact, Matthew is the heart of the entire film."

Efron then turned back to Matthew. "Could you tell me what aspects of the character struck you?"

"I was blown away by the prospect of playing a character like Hancock."

Matthew was arguably even better than Goldsman when it came to polished rhetoric. "When I received the script for such an original concept, I saw a fantastic entry point for this type of film—a quirky hero the likes of which we've never seen before. Hancock is an unconventional and surprisingly funny character who shatters every established mold."

Efron asked him again, "Could you briefly describe the character?"

Matthew considered this for a moment, then said without over-dramatizing, "Hancock is a complex character, unlike anything I've ever played. Every day, he's angry at the whole world. He doesn't remember what happened to him, and no one can help him find answers. He always gets into trouble when he acts with the best intentions, and he has major problems connecting with the outside world."

Matthew paused briefly and added, "Let's just say Hancock is like an extremely talented quarterback on a college football team, but he lacks the right mindset."

The questions continued to bounce between Matthew and Goldsman, with Charlize seemingly ignored. It was a reflection of Hollywood itself these days; after the glory of her Oscar and the smash hit of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, she hadn't had any major works in the past two years, let alone favorable press coverage.

Hollywood and its surrounding circles are inherently forgetful.

Perhaps sensing he had overlooked the Oscar-winning actress, Efron finally turned to Charlize, but the question he asked was still closely tied to Matthew.

"Miss Theron, this is your second time starring opposite Matthew as the female lead."

He asked, "Is that what specifically drew you to join the cast?"

Charlize wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Instead, she smiled, glanced at Matthew, and replied, "The main reason I joined the film was to reunite with Matthew. We've always stayed in touch and are good friends and trusted collaborators."

She continued, praising Matthew, "Only when you actually work with him do you notice his genius, his fearlessness, and his honesty. When those three qualities combine, he can play any role. Matthew is brave enough to take on any challenge."

The interview concluded with this exchange of mutual praise. The bulk of the promotional work, however, still fell on Matthew, who had countless action scenes left to film.