The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 620

On the studio set, Matthew stood beside a specially crafted glass window with another stunt actor, listening to the final instructions from the director, Justin Lin, before filming began.

"Matthew, the main goal of this scene is to convey that your character, Sean, has a forceful personality," Justin explained, gesturing with his hands. "You've found your target, but he has a bodyguard you need to take out before you can press him for information about Dominic Toretto's death. You're a man with a criminal past, so use the simplest, most effective method to throw him out that window."

Matthew nodded.

They had rehearsed these scenes extensively during the nearly two months of preparation leading up to filming.

Justin then turned to the stuntman, who was taller and visibly stronger than Matthew. "You work with him," he instructed. "No mistakes."

The stuntman, a veteran in the business, replied, "Of course."

"Take your positions." Justin returned to his director's chair, received confirmation that all departments were ready, and told his assistant, "Let's begin."

The assistant director held the clapperboard before the camera lens and called out, "Fast & Furious 4, Act 1, Scene 1, starts now!"

As the clapperboard snapped shut, Matthew instantly slipped into character.

He burst out from behind a set of prop doors and immediately spotted two men, one tall and one short. The shorter man, his eyes burning with intensity, was his target; the taller one was his bodyguard.Matthew's gaze was unerringly sharp as he locked onto them, his cold expression unreadable, like a solid piece of granite.

In this film, he played a character named Sean, a mercenary and an exceptionally tough man who had once been a member of Delta Force. After several missions in Africa, he decided to leave the army over government injustices, eventually crossing paths with Dominic Toretto, who became both an enemy and a friend.

After Dominic's death, Brian O'Conner had approached him to investigate Toretto's murder.

The moment he saw the pair, Matthew lunged forward, slamming into the tall, lanky stuntman. Thanks to their many rehearsals, the stuntman's movements were perfectly timed with Matthew's as they made contact, and he was sent flying backward, straight through the breakaway plexiglass window.

A sharp crack echoed as the stuntman crashed through the glass pane.

Simultaneously, Matthew pivoted and closed in on the shorter actor. The man had only just begun to react, reaching to draw a pistol, but before he could aim, Matthew seized his wrist and twisted sharply. The gun clattered to the floor.

"Good!" Justin called out, looking pleased. "Great work, Matthew! Keep it up!"

Matthew released the actor's wrist and asked, "Are you all right?"

The action scenes in this shoot weren't flashy, but grounded in the realism he always aimed for, so he'd had to use a bit of force during filming.

"Yeah," the actor replied, rubbing his wrist with a smile.

The stuntmen who had worked with Matthew before knew he never put on the airs of a big star and always treated the crew well.

After a short adjustment, filming resumed.

The two actors took their previous positions. Matthew grabbed the short man's wrist with one hand and choked him with the other, pinning him against the window. With cold severity, he said, "I ask a question, you answer. If you don't, I'll throw you out of here."

His hand was so tight that the veins on his arm bulged. "Who was Dominic Toretto working for last?"

The short man looked terrified and hastily said, "Braga! It was all Braga!"

Matthew pressed on, "Where's Braga?"

"No one's ever seen him!" The short man didn't dare hesitate. "He always gives his orders through Fenix!"

Matthew nodded, grabbing the short man's head and slamming it against the wall.

Just as the man's head was about to hit the resin wall, Matthew expertly pulled back on his force, allowing the actor to collide harmlessly with the prop.

Afterward, the short man "lost consciousness" and slumped to the floor.

From the director's chair, Justin yelled, "Cut!"

Hearing this, Matthew dropped character, extended a hand to the actor on the floor, and helped him to his feet.

The short actor rubbed his head and said, "The wall's too soft. I can't feel a thing when I hit it."

Matthew couldn't help but reply, "Next time, we'll design one especially for you out of steel."

Justin's voice rang out again, "Moving on to the second location! You've got twenty minutes!"

Set number two was right next door. The set decorators and prop team came to pack up the scenery, rolling away the resin walls with their windows and revealing the next set, which was dressed as the corner of a bar.

The three actors—Paul Walker, Daniel, and Gal Gadot—were already in the center of the second set.

A makeup artist came over to touch up their makeup, a costumer changed someone's jacket to a light gray one, and a few minutes later, Matthew walked onto set number two.

"I thought that would take a while," Paul Walker said, greeting him. "I didn't expect you to be so quick."

Matthew smiled and replied, "I love shooting action scenes."

He greeted the other two. "Hey, Daniel. Hi, Gadot."

They returned his greeting. They had all gotten to know each other during the pre-shoot training and rehearsals they'd attended together.

Later, the villain, Benicio Del Toro, arrived on set. He was one of the most famous Latino actors in Hollywood, known for his understated, alternative style, often playing eccentric characters and possessing a unique villainous quality.

The production team had chosen the actor because his image fit the character and because he'd been recommended by Guillermo del Toro.

A popcorn movie doesn't necessarily need a great villain, and it's impossible for every one of them to be an unforgettable classic like the Joker, but it's essential to have an actor with enough presence to carry the role.

The actors gathered together, and while the crew was still adjusting the lights and cameras, they briefly went over their blocking. When the twenty minutes were up, filming began on time.

Music started to play as Matthew followed Gal Gadot up to the camera and stopped in front of a long sofa where Benicio Del Toro was sitting. Paul Walker, Daniel, and a few other actors stood nearby.

Matthew cast a subtle glance at Paul Walker and the others, his cold face expressionless.

"This is him," Gal Gadot said. "He's Sean, the best driver I've ever seen."

Benicio Del Toro looked up, then exhaled a ring of smoke as he studied Matthew.

A heavyset, tattooed man standing on the other side of him said with a smirk, "There are too many guys these days who think they can seduce girls with a cool car. Gisele, you didn't fall for that, did you?"

Gal Gadot's eyes instantly sharpened as she looked at the tattooed man, but she didn't say a word.

Benicio Del Toro, meanwhile, poured himself a glass of wine. "Braga needs people who can leave everything behind, not guys who drive sports cars by the book."

The camera moved constantly between Matthew, Paul Walker, Daniel, and Gal Gadot, emphasizing the importance of their roles within the shot.

Benicio Del Toro stood up with his wine glass and, walking around him, added, "He wants drivers who dare to go where no one else dares."

Matthew asked, "What are we transporting for Braga? And where to?"

Benicio Del Toro watched him intently. "Braga pays, you transport the goods. You don't need to know the rest."

"You said you needed real drivers," Matthew replied. "Real drivers know what's in their cars."

Gal Gadot smiled as the tattooed bruiser walked over and stared menacingly at Matthew. "Are you trying to say you're a real driver?"

And so, the long take was filmed, but director Justin Lin wasn't satisfied. He broke it down into several single shots and reshot them until lunchtime, when the scene was finally approved.

Lunch was served at the Disney studio, and though they didn't get a chance to eat together, Paul Walker came over to find Matthew with a puzzled question.