The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 721

Waking up the next morning, Alma Alamuddin left the Hilton Hotel as if nothing had happened. Matthew had specifically arranged for someone to visit the Chanel store in London, ordering several of the latest Chanel outfits as a gift for her.

During their first meeting a few days prior, Matthew had noticed that Alma wore Chanel, and she had been wearing the brand the previous evening as well.

The lawyer's exotic allure and personality brought Matthew a kind of pleasure different from what he was used to.

Although Alma hadn't initiated it or asked for anything, Matthew was generous.

Later, Matthew met with Julia Roberts, and once the crew resumed their normal schedule, they were all back to filming.

Due to all the incidents that had plagued the production in London, leading to repeated delays, Christopher Nolan was forced to change the schedule again. The scenes involving Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts, in particular, were all rescheduled to be filmed separately and would be pieced together in post-production.

The two actresses had started feuding openly, and no one wanted a repeat of that confrontation.

Furthermore, after a couple of meetings with Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway dropped the idea of suing Emma Roberts. Matthew didn't know what methods or terms Julia had used to convince her.

The parties involved agreed to private mediation, and the matter was quietly resolved. A few days later, Emma Roberts finished her last scene on set, and Julia Roberts took her back to Los Angeles.

The following day, Anne Hathaway also left London.With the departure of the two leading ladies from the UK, the rabid British paparazzi finally eased up considerably. The number of photographers surrounding the film set dropped sharply, and the focus of the entertainment gossip world shifted to other targets.

No longer distracted by these messy affairs, Matthew poured all his energy into his work. He only had a few more scenes to complete, and then he could also leave London.

This trip to London had left him with many wonderful memories, like Emma Watson and Alma Alamuddin, but it had also been marred by plenty of unpleasantness.

***

"Scene 88, take 21..." The assistant director's voice boomed. "Action!"

His voice was loud enough to carry across the entire set.

The main camera tracked diagonally toward the helicopter, then panned to focus on it just as the hatch swung open from the inside. Matthew and James McAvoy leaped out, one after the other.

"Camera two," Christopher Nolan whispered into his headset.

He looked exhausted; the recent troubles had clearly taken their toll. He had already silently blacklisted both Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts, vowing never to work with them again.

Camera 2, operated by an assistant cameraman, immediately zoomed in on Ken Watanabe's face, visible inside the cockpit.

"Mr. Cobb."

Leaning forward in his seat, Ken Watanabe called out to Matthew's retreating back. Matthew glanced over his shoulder, his face a mask of bitterness and resentment that made him look even more haggard than Christopher Nolan. In a tempting voice, Ken added, "Wouldn't you like to go home? Back to America. To your children."

At the mention of his children, Matthew froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, "You can't do that. It's impossible!"

Ken Watanabe replied, "So is inception."

James McAvoy stopped, turned, and called out to Matthew. "Cobb, let's go."

Matthew, however, remained rooted to the spot, lost in thought. A look of deep longing for his home and children slowly spread across his face. Ignoring James, he strode back to the helicopter, turned to Watanabe, and asked, "How complex is the idea?"

Ken Watanabe looked supremely confident, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Very simple."

***

"Cut!" Christopher Nolan announced. "That's a wrap for today."

Matthew sighed, effortlessly slipping out of character as he took a long drink from the glass of water a crew assistant handed him.

He followed the unit publicist off the set, ready to head to an interview.

The production had been plagued by too many mishaps and negative headlines lately. Warner Bros. had taken notice and arranged for Matthew, as the film's lead, to give interviews to several entertainment media outlets. The goal was twofold: to divert the media and public's attention, and to start building some preliminary hype for the movie.

Matthew went up to the third floor of the hotel and headed for the conference room.

Brown Williams walked behind him and said quietly, "The London District Court has accepted the lawsuit filed by Alma Alamuddin. It will now go through the standard legal proceedings."

"Let her handle it as she sees fit." Matthew wanted the outcome she had promised him.

The Sun had already disavowed the two paparazzi, and the cleaner had been fired from the Hilton. They were in no position to fight back and would face harsh legal consequences.

Entering the press room, Matthew pushed those matters aside and prepared to face the throng of reporters.

Most of those present were from North American entertainment media. Since Warner Bros. and the Inception production team had briefed them beforehand, the questions didn't focus on the recent controversies. Instead, they were centered on the film itself.

After the publicist made a brief opening statement, it was time for questions.

A female reporter from Entertainment Weekly was the first to stand up and ask:

"Matthew, could you tell us a bit about what this film is about? The news that's been released so far suggests it's quite complex."

Matthew nodded and said, "After watching Inception, a lot of people are going to spend a long time thinking about it, believe me—I'm one of them. I don't even know where to begin. Nolan has made a film about interpreting dreams, and it's brilliantly thrilling, full of action, and surreal, and he has it all under his complete control. If you asked him about it, he'd be able to explain everything perfectly."

"Are there action scenes?" another reporter asked. "Is Inception an action movie, like your previous films?"

Matthew laughed. "In my opinion, it's a very unique kind of action film." He paused, pretending to think, then continued, "Let's just say there were several nights when I left the set completely exhausted. Director Nolan was especially demanding with the action sequences, shooting them over and over until he got exactly what he wanted. The entire tone of the film exists in his head, and you have to keep performing until you finally capture it."

At a cue from the publicist, a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter took the microphone and asked the question that comes up in nearly every interview: "Matthew, did you enjoy working with Director Nolan?"

"It was incredible." Naturally, Matthew had nothing but praise. "He's like a teacher to me, because he's broadened my horizons."

He slowed his speech, choosing his words carefully. "Director Nolan always starts with some marvelous, complex idea, and then, through his storytelling, he makes it both profound and simple. I have nothing against films where you can predict the ending after the first few minutes. I can watch movies like that. But I'd much rather be in films that challenge the audience, that expand their minds. Director Nolan always finds a way to express his ideas through visuals or dialogue, and I love that—it makes the work resonate so much more deeply."

Matthew added with special emphasis, "Director Nolan is the kind of director who can always surprise you on set."

The atmosphere during the interview was entirely positive, and it achieved the desired effect.

Over the next two days, Matthew shot his remaining scenes and then returned to Los Angeles.