The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 91: The Press Conference

With his career just getting started, Matthew’s dedication was unquestionable. On the day of the shoot, he arrived at Universal Studios bright and early, waiting his turn for hair and makeup. Since The Fast and the Furious was a contemporary film, the styling didn’t take long. He left the dressing room and was on set a little after 7:30 AM.

On set, the director was busy supervising the crew as they arranged the scenery. The official call time was 8:30 AM. Matthew settled into the waiting area for a while, and just after 8:00, several of the principal actors, including Paul Walker, began trickling into the studio.

Paul Walker and the other actors came over during a break. Since he knew Matthew better than the others, he introduced him to the two lead actresses, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez.

Matthew didn't see Vin Diesel, the bald actor who always gave him an odd feeling—as if he found being around other actors somehow beneath him.

Still, Vin Diesel was expected on set today. The scene Matthew was scheduled for was one of the few in the film that featured all four main characters together.

In his conversation with Paul Walker, he also learned that today’s shoot was the first scene Vin Diesel had even bothered to show up for.

“It’s almost time.” Paul Walker was mindful of the schedule and, after a bit of chatting, reminded Matthew, “We should go get ready.”

Compared to the main cast, Matthew's role was simple: stand in the middle of the set and serve as part of the background for the four leads. That was it.

He had a small part, and he’d auditioned for it partly to gain filming experience and practice—an acting career couldn't be built on theory alone—and partly to earn a decent paycheck.

Still, if not for this income, he wouldn’t have been able to afford professional fitness and boxing training to prepare for The Scorpion King, let alone have enough money to take Britney Spears out on a date.The supporting actors, including Matthew and a few others, quickly took their places under the assistant director’s guidance.

The director, Rob Cohen, walked onto the set, seemingly to brief the main actors on a few points.

“Alright, why are we missing someone?” Rob Cohen asked aloud when he noticed only three of the four leads were present. “Where’s Vin Diesel?”

No one answered him.

Matthew glanced around, but as far as he could see, Vin Diesel was nowhere in sight.

It was already half-past eight, and the lead actor was still missing. Rob Cohen was clearly irritated. “Does anyone know where the hell Vin Diesel is?”

Again, silence.

Rob Cohen turned to the assistant beside him. “Call him.”

The assistant replied meekly, “He doesn’t have a cell phone.”

“Then call his agent!” Rob Cohen commanded, his frustration growing more apparent.

With Vin Diesel absent, Matthew and the others had no choice but to wait. They watched as the assistant who made the call returned to Rob Cohen and whispered something, causing the director’s face to turn red with anger.

After waiting from 8:30 to 8:45, an assistant director came over and told the group of actors to head back to the waiting area for a while.

They waited until nine o’clock, but Vin Diesel still hadn’t shown up. Dozens of people, both in front of and behind the cameras, were waiting for him alone.

“What the hell, where is he?!” Jordana Brewster complained, her patience clearly wearing thin. “Are we just going to wait here all day?”

“Fuck!” Michelle Rodriguez exploded immediately. “Did the asshole get hit by a car?”

It wasn't just the two fiery women; even the good-natured Paul Walker was getting agitated. “It’s strange behavior for someone who invested in the movie. By not showing up on time, he’s just losing his own money.”

Matthew just listened without saying a word. He was well aware of his own standing and knew it was best to keep his complaints to a minimum.

Time ticked by. The crew kept trying to contact Vin Diesel, but to no avail. It wasn't until half-past nine that a hulking man with a completely bald head finally sauntered into the studio.

“The bastard’s here.”

Hearing Michelle Rodriguez’s voice, Matthew turned his head and saw that it was indeed the bald man he remembered, only significantly younger.

Rob Cohen, trying to contain his irritation, demanded, “What took you so long? You’re late!”

“Yeah?” Vin Diesel replied nonchalantly, completely unconcerned by his tardiness. “I took a nap in my trailer.”

He didn’t offer so much as an apology, let alone a proper explanation. “Where’s the makeup artist? I need to get ready before we shoot.”

With that, he walked off the set and headed for the makeup room.

The director, Rob Cohen, was furious but said nothing more, simply telling the crew to start preparations again.

It was obvious that Vin Diesel couldn't care less about the director’s opinion.

This was the first time Matthew had witnessed such a situation. He couldn’t help but scratch his head and ask Paul Walker, “What’s going on here?”

Paul Walker shrugged. “It’s what I was talking about. He feels like he’s king of the world because he invested in the film.”

Jordana Brewster, on the other side, overheard him and whispered, “I don’t know where you got that information, but Vin Diesel didn’t invest a single dollar. He has an investor behind him, some Hollywood heavyweight who recommended him.”

Matthew nodded, and Michelle Rodriguez added with disdain, “The bald guy has a bad reputation. He’s known for stirring up shit on set.”

She then turned to Jordana. “Is your information accurate?”

“Of course!” Jordana Brewster was unapologetic. “After all, I’m in this movie because of my father’s investment, too, though his contribution was very small.”

The actors, including Matthew, chatted for a while longer until Vin Diesel returned to the set after his makeup session, and filming finally began.

But soon, director Rob Cohen faced another problem.

“I think this side-by-side positioning is too mediocre.” Vin Diesel, who wasn’t a big star yet but acted like one, voiced his dissatisfaction with the blocking Rob Cohen had designed. “Four actors walking in a line looks ridiculous!”

Rob Cohen was about to say something when Vin Diesel suddenly lowered his voice and reminded him in a whisper only the two of them could hear, “Remember what I told you last week?”

The director swallowed whatever words he had been about to say. The fire that had been building in his mind instantly dissipated as he remembered the warning from producer Neal H. Moritz, and even more so, what Vin Diesel had told him.

Vin Diesel was planning a new project, a new kind of secret agent film. He had already reached a preliminary agreement with Sony Columbia Pictures, who were interested in bringing Rob Cohen on as the director.

That project, unlike this niche street racing movie, was a mainstream secret agent blockbuster with a budget of a staggering seventy million dollars!

Of course, Rob Cohen wanted to direct a production that big. After a moment of consideration, he decided to adjust the shooting plan according to Vin Diesel’s request.

The original plan had the four lead actors appearing in frame side-by-side, with the two male leads in the center. Vin Diesel wanted to be one step ahead of the other three actors, emphasizing his starring role to the audience.

Naturally, the other three actors objected to this demand, and an argument broke out on set, delaying the start of filming once again.

Matthew stood off to the side, watching. His role was just to be part of the background anyway.

Soon, Vin Diesel brought in producer Neal H. Moritz, who immediately overruled the others’ objections.

Filming finally commenced, but by the third take, the crew was already divided.

By the end of the day, Matthew understood that Vin Diesel had money and powerful people backing him.

The next day, filming continued.

The crew’s original plan for the morning was to shoot a scene between Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, followed by an action sequence between Matthew’s character and Vin Diesel on the same set.

But just like the day before, Vin Diesel was a no-show.

This time was even worse. He didn’t appear until 10 AM.

Forget the others—even Matthew, a guy who didn't feel the need to fight for anything on set, was burning with irritation from having to stand around in the heat for hours.

Seeing that shooting wouldn't start for a while, Matthew, Paul Walker, and the others just had their assistants bring them their cell phones to pass the time playing games in the break room.

Even though all they could play was Tetris, it was better than standing outside.

Matthew had been playing for no more than five minutes when his phone suddenly rang. It was Britney.

This was a studio, not a convenient place to take a call. Matthew told his assistant, “I’m going to make a phone call. Let me know if shooting starts.”

Paul Walker, however, waved a hand at him. “They haven’t even shot my scene yet. I doubt they’ll get to yours anytime soon.”

Matthew smiled, walked out of the studio, and dialed Britney’s number.

At ten o’clock, the sun was already quite hot. The studio exit faced south, and the area ahead was bathed in scorching sunlight. Matthew spotted a black van parked under a palm tree about fifty meters to his right. The van cast a patch of shade, and he hurried over to it.

Matthew stood in the shade on the passenger side of the van. There was no one around, so he didn’t have to lower his voice as he spoke into the phone. “Why are you calling me at this hour?”

“I’m leaving Los Angeles this afternoon.”

Hearing this, Matthew unconsciously raised his voice. “What? I thought you weren’t leaving until next week.”

“The schedule changed suddenly. The company arranged a TV interview,” Britney’s voice was low. “Sorry, I have to go pack my things.”

Matthew had to hang up. They were being separated again. Overcome with a sudden burst of frustration, he couldn’t stop himself from punching the back of the van.

But to his surprise, a rustling sound came from inside.

“Who’s there?” The passenger-side door of the van suddenly swung open from the inside, revealing a familiar bald head. “What bastard hit my car?”

Vin Diesel stepped out of the van, his face a mask of ugly fury.