The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 627

Since the night the drug dealers were apprehended, the film crew had significantly tightened its security. A professional security company was flown in from Los Angeles to bolster their ranks, and a thorough internal investigation proved that the handyman's collusion with the dealer was a personal matter, unconnected to any other member of the crew.

Furthermore, a police detail was stationed on set to guard against any potential retaliation from the traffickers.

Everyone knew that Mexican drug traffickers were as bold as they were merciless.

Filming continued smoothly, and two days later, as shooting for the scenes on the US-Mexico border drew to a close, the police made an explosive announcement.

The police had extracted a wealth of crucial information from the two traffickers they'd caught that night. The very next day, they launched a joint operation with their Mexican counterparts to dismantle a major drug den.

This in itself wasn't surprising—after all, drug seizures were a daily occurrence on the U.S.-Mexico border—but the truly explosive part of the story was the method the traffickers were using.

Mexican traffickers used all sorts of methods to cross the border, but this particular group had dug a tunnel that ran from Tijuana. The entrance was near an air force base in Tijuana, Mexico, while the exit emerged just north of the border wall, remarkably close to the film set.

The tunnel, just wide enough for two people but very solidly built, had unfortunately been used only a few times before it was discovered and filled with debris.

Jack Beard, for his part, left the set to speak with the police. He argued that with so many witnesses to that night's events, keeping the story under wraps was impossible. Therefore, the production team was eager to capitalize on the situation and proposed a joint press conference with the department.

Arranging all that would take time. For now, the crew's top priority was filming the major action sequences, particularly the car chases.Out in the badlands, not far from where the cast and crew were housed, another car chase was in full swing.

Matthew and the rest of the main cast, however, had turned the reins over to the stunt drivers for this part. Their only involvement would be filming close-ups in post-production to be edited into the sequence.

Bang! Bang!

Gunshots echoed as several cars bore down on a Mercedes E63 AMG, their occupants firing relentlessly at the vehicle.

Suddenly, a motorcycle shot out from behind a dirt mound. The rider, clad in a black helmet and leather jacket, steered with one hand while firing a pistol with the other.

It was Gal Gadot's stunt double, showcasing the pinpoint accuracy of a firearms expert.

Each shot found its mark, taking down one of the pursuing traffickers just as choreographed.

Meanwhile, Daniel's stunt double, driving a Dodge, peeled out and rammed a pickup truck, sending it flipping through the air.

"Cut!" Justin's voice boomed through the megaphone. "That's a wrap for this shot."

The take lasted only a few seconds, but it was the result of meticulous planning, and the stunt performers had executed it perfectly.

Justin's voice crackled over the speaker again. "Alright, moving on to the next shot."

A skeleton crew was left behind to clear the set while the majority of the production team moved to another nearby patch of flat, open ground. Matthew, Paul, Gal Gadot, Daniel, and Benicio Del Toro were already there, waiting.

Once the director arrived with the camera crew and other departments, filming commenced.

They started with the stunt work: Gal Gadot and Daniel taking on the traffickers with guns drawn, apprehending most of them, while Matthew's and Paul's stunt doubles drove their car straight into the main villain.

Standing at the edge of the set, watching the cars tear across the dirt, Paul Walker remarked wistfully, "They should've let me do that stunt myself."

Matthew just shook his head at that.

The two of them had completely different philosophies when it came to cars. To Matthew, a vehicle was simply a mode of transport; no matter how luxurious or high-performance, it was ultimately just a tool.

Paul, on the other hand, genuinely loved cars. He saw them as partners, as friends, and was obsessed with drag racing down to his very bones.

"My hands are itching to get behind the wheel," Paul said again.

"There are plenty of ways to get your fix of speed and adrenaline," Matthew cautioned. "It doesn't have to involve dangerous street racing."

Paul just smiled and didn't say anything else.

The stunt sequences were soon finished. After another take of Gal Gadot and Daniel in a gunfight with the traffickers, it was time for Matthew and Paul to step onto the set and prepare for their scenes.

"Fast and Furious 4!" The assistant director held the clapperboard in front of the lens. "Scene one twenty-two, take eleven!"

The board clapped shut, and filming began.

The Mercedes door swung open, and Matthew climbed out. He spared a glance for the downed Benicio Del Toro before spotting Paul and rushing to his side. He helped the wounded Paul to his feet, propped him up against the car, and began checking his injuries.

"I'm alright!" Paul pressed a hand to his lower back. "I'm not gonna die."

Matthew quickly checked him over, saw the wound wasn't life-threatening, and instructed, "Keep pressure on it. Don't let it bleed too much! You'll be fine!"

"Let me ask you something." Paul kept one hand pressed to his side while using the other to wipe a smear of blood from his face. "That race back there... I would've won, right?"

Matthew paused, then replied, "Sounds like you must have hit your head pretty hard."

Paul couldn't help but laugh, but the movement made him wince in pain.

"Damn it!"

Matthew, meanwhile, got to his feet and walked around to the front of the car. He grabbed the mortally wounded Benicio Del Toro and hauled him over the hood.

He stared down at Benicio Del Toro. "Dominic Toretto is dead because of you. He was my friend, and my rival. I didn't want to kill you, but then you tried to kill my friend!"

Just then, Gal Gadot and Daniel ran up, pistols in hand.

Matthew glanced at them, and Daniel gave him a nod.

"All the traffickers have retreated back to Mexico," Gal Gadot announced, holstering her pistol as she looked over at Paul.

"What are you doing here?" Matthew asked.

Gadot replied, "I told you I'd see you alive."

Her tone turned sharp. "And my bike is wrecked. You're paying for it."

Matthew smiled, and following the script, pulled Gal Gadot into a long kiss.

Paul shouted, "You need to get out of here! The cops will be here any minute! Sean, you killed Braga—they're not gonna let you walk away from this!"

Matthew broke the kiss and looked at Daniel. "Let's go."

He added, "I did this. Pin it all on me."

From his director's chair, Justin rose to his feet. "And that's a wrap!"

Then he announced, "Principal photography on Fast & Furious 4 is officially complete!"

The announcement was met with a roar of cheers from the entire crew. It meant that their weeks of living in the middle of nowhere were finally over. They could return to the vibrant chaos of Los Angeles and enjoy civilization again.

Matthew helped Paul up, pulling him into a firm hug. "It's been one hell of a ride working with you," he said.

He hugged Gal Gadot next. "It was a pleasure working with you."

Benicio Del Toro and Justin Lin stood nearby, both of them smiling.

***

While the cast and crew celebrated the wrap, David Ellison escorted a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter onto the set for an exclusive interview.

Matthew, being the most talked-about figure among the cast and crew, was the first to be interviewed.

"This film has been a fascinating experience for me," Matthew began. "It doesn't have the same kind of intense, physical fight scenes that I've done in the past. Ironically, my least physically demanding scenes were also the most dangerous—the ones where I'm just sitting in the driver's seat of a car hurtling along at incredible speeds. The entire crew had to meticulously evaluate every possible risk before each take, and I was incredibly impressed by that level of dedication and professionalism."

Paul was also interviewed. "Working with Matthew has been incredible," he said. "I've been waiting for a new installment in this series, and I love that I get to continue Brian O'Connor's story. I've always felt that the characters in these films have real soul, and that their stories weren't over. Anyone who's seen the first two films probably felt there was more to tell. I think when audiences see this one, they'll be just as thrilled as I am. We're going to give them a rush they've never felt before."

After the reporter finished interviewing the rest of the cast and crew, the production packed up. The following morning, they departed for Los Angeles to begin the post-production process.