The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 76

A black Cadillac turned onto the Avenue of the Stars, gradually approaching the Kodak Theatre. With the windows slightly lowered, Matthew could clearly hear the roar of the crowd. The car slowed to a crawl as it entered the waiting area, where a staff member approached to coordinate its entry.

At red carpet events like this, the biggest names are often scheduled for the end, while Matthew was placed somewhere in the middle of the lineup.

His arrival time was still a while off, so Matthew sat back in the car and waited calmly.

Suddenly, a massive cheer erupted from the theater, signaling that some major star had just stepped onto the red carpet.

Matthew doubted he would receive a similar reception. Few people in the crowd would know who he was; the only projects he’d been in that were officially released were Britney's music video and Girl, Interrupted. The former had a niche audience, and in the latter, he had what amounted to a walk-on role.

Regardless, he was eagerly looking forward to walking the red carpet.

After a short wait, at the direction of a staff member, the Cadillac started up again and inched forward. Matthew could now clearly see the fans lining both sides of the red carpet and the constant flicker of camera flashes. He quickly rolled up the windows.

He glanced at the time.

The biggest names would undoubtedly be arriving after him, one by one, for the grand finale. His own slot could be considered less than ideal.

But Matthew didn't complain; the time slot matched his current status.He knew that Hollywood was a world of fame and fortune, with a clear hierarchy among actors and stars.

If he hadn't landed the role of the barbarian chieftain, he doubted he would have even had the chance to walk the premiere's red carpet, even with Helen's connections on the film's crew.

Finally, amidst the chaotic cheers of the fans, the black Cadillac pulled up to the drop-off point at the end of the red carpet.

Seeing the throng of reporters with their cameras poised, Matthew adjusted his bow tie, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the car.

Instantly, a barrage of camera flashes ignited, blindingly bright. He blinked, recalling his practice in front of the mirror. With a brilliant smile, he set foot on the soft red carpet.

Thanks to his rigorous military training, Matthew had almost completely corrected his once somewhat clumsy gait. Combined with the perfectly tailored formal wear, it gave him a commanding presence.

"Who is that guy?"

Near the designated photo area at the end of the carpet, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times entertainment section named Fatus tracked Matthew with his camera lens. He felt the man was exceptionally photogenic and couldn't help but ask a colleague to his left, "Is he some model from Europe?"

"Definitely not!" Before the reporter he'd asked could answer, a female journalist to Fatus's right chimed in. "Almost all the male models I know from Europe are gay!"

She gestured toward Matthew. "That cool, masculine vibe of his practically screams that he isn't one of them."

The female reporter seemed quite taken with Matthew's appearance and whispered, "Long legs, broad shoulders, a tall frame, chiseled features, a cool and composed gaze... he’s exactly my idea of a perfect man."

She murmured to herself, but her hands never stopped moving, snapping a rapid series of photos.

"I know him." The reporter to Fatus's left, who was from Entertainment Weekly, recalled a piece the magazine had run about the casting for Band of Brothers a while back. "I think his name is Matthew Horner. He's not a model, just a young actor starting his career. Rumor is he has a thing with Britney, he's in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's Band of Brothers, and I think he had a role in Gladiator too."

"Sounds like a hell of a resume for someone just starting out." Fatus had initially lowered his camera, but after hearing the information from the Entertainment Weekly reporter, he raised it again and aimed it at Matthew. "Looks like we have a promising young actor on our hands."

The reporters around him raised their cameras in unison and focused on Matthew.

His military training served Matthew well, and with his good looks, he cut an impressive figure on the red carpet.

The fans' reaction, however, was less than enthusiastic. Hollywood was never short on handsome men and beautiful women, and the fans reserved their excitement for one thing only: star power.

Compared to the people who had arrived before him, Matthew was a nobody.

Still, Matthew walked the carpet slowly, just like the actor ahead of him. Opportunities like this were rare for them, so naturally, they wanted to linger as long as possible to attract more attention from the fans and get more photos from the media.

Though not to the point of inching along, Matthew's pace was just a little slower than a stroll. He ignored the fans' lukewarm reaction, waving occasionally to both sides and flashing a gracious, natural smile whenever he saw the telltale light of a camera flash.

Crying one moment, laughing the next—the fundamentals of acting.

About a third of the way down the carpet, Matthew spotted a fan on his left holding a promotional poster of the barbarian chieftains. Remembering what Helen had explained to him the day before, he made his way over.

It was a group of seven or eight young female fans, three or four of whom were holding different posters.

They all looked a little puzzled as Matthew approached, clearly not recognizing who he was.

Just then, a roar of cheers erupted from the end of the red carpet. People all around turned to look; obviously, someone else had arrived, and judging by the cheers, it was someone famous.

As Matthew got closer, the seven or eight young fans were still looking at him with confusion. One of the girls, quicker on the uptake, hastily pulled out a pen and held it out, breaking the subtle awkwardness.

The boy next to her handed over an autograph book. Matthew uncapped the pen, signed it, then pointed to the poster of the barbarian and said, "That's me."

"Really?" the girl replied, surprised.

The other members of the group were still confused, but one by one, they handed over their books for him to sign.

The fan holding the barbarian chieftain poster even handed it to Matthew. He signed his name across it, though his penmanship was a bit hard to read, as he'd never had particularly good handwriting.

Matthew handed the pen back to the girl, gave her a smiling nod, and turned back toward the end of the red carpet.

"Who is he?" the fan holding the poster asked the girl. "You don't know him?"

The girl put her autograph book away and shook her head. "I don't know who he is either."

But the group of eight quickly forgot about Matthew, turning their heads to look toward the other end of the red carpet and shouting excitedly at an approaching male actor, "Mr. Phoenix!"

Hearing the increasingly loud cheers behind him, Matthew glanced back. He recognized the man from the Gladiator set—the star actor second only to Russell Crowe in the project. His name, he recalled, was Joaquin Phoenix.

Matthew continued his slow walk down the red carpet, determined to stay in the view of the fans and the media for as long as possible to increase his exposure.

When he was a little more than ten meters from the end, a staff member responsible for maintaining order received a message on his radio and quietly approached.

He moved a little closer to Matthew and warned in a low voice, "Sir, please hurry it up."

Matthew was thick-skinned enough that his sunny smile didn't falter, not a hint of embarrassment showing on his face. He acted as if he hadn't heard the staffer's reminder and continued forward, only slightly increasing his pace.

One reminder was enough; he knew not to push it.

Soon, he entered the interview area, but the reporters showed little interest in him. Most were waiting for Joaquin Phoenix to arrive.

"Matthew Horner!" A woman's sharp cry suddenly cut through the press corps. "Over here! Look over here!"

Matthew smiled almost reflexively and looked toward the voice. He saw the flashbulbs ignite, and then an unusually tall woman squeezed her way to the front, literally shoving other reporters aside like a bully. None of them dared to say a word.

It was the ever-brash Ilana.

Seeing Ilana approach, a few other reporters followed, but the majority remained at the entrance to the interview area, patiently waiting for Joaquin.

Though Matthew felt a pang of envy, he kept his thoughts in check. Joaquin was leagues ahead of him in every respect; they weren't even playing the same game.

"What's it like, walking the red carpet at a premiere for the first time?" Ilana held a small recorder out to Matthew.

With other journalists around, Matthew had to answer seriously, forcing a practiced smile. "It's thrilling! Absolutely incredible! I'm buzzing with excitement!"

At that moment, Joaquin entered the interview area, and the journalists immediately swarmed him.

Ilana wasn't about to be left out. She shrugged at Matthew. "Can't miss out on the big story."

Matthew just nodded.

Ilana joined the scrum around Phoenix.

After a quick glance in their direction, Matthew didn't linger any longer and proceeded into the theater. Since his role was so minor and he had so little personal fame, he wasn't invited to the cast group photo and was escorted directly into the screening room.

His seat was in the third row, which was half-filled with other lesser-known actors and half with invited guests.

Like Matthew, these actors had also been excluded from the group photo and were all sitting here, waiting for the screening to begin.

Many people were already seated on the other side of the aisle. A few of them looked familiar, but unfortunately, there were too many people between them for Matthew to get close.

This was his second film, and unlike the first, where he appeared for less than five seconds, he had a real presence in this one.