"I never thought, I never thought..."
Inside the Black Mamba bar, Michael Fassbender looked at Matthew and shook his head. "You actually landed a leading role in a production with a $40 million investment!"
Matthew deliberately put on a smug look. "No choice, I'm just handsome and charming!"
"Go to hell, you!" James McAvoy pushed him, laughing, and said, "Are you as handsome as me?"
"I'm more handsome than you!" Matthew turned to James McAvoy and said, "But not as beautiful as you."
Michael Fassbender grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Isn't that the same thing?"
The three of them raised their glasses and drank together.
James McAvoy asked curiously, "Matthew, how come I've never seen your girlfriend? She didn't visit you on set, and she doesn't show up when we come to Los Angeles?"
"She's very busy." Matthew shrugged, vaguely saying, "She went out of town."
Britney's new album had already been released, and she had resumed her life of flying around for promotional events.
He deliberately changed the subject. "You came for dubbing, why didn't the crew notify me?"
"The dubbing was for a few minor roles." James McAvoy took the glass Michael Fassbender handed him and said, "The sound effects for the main characters seem to be fine."
Speaking of the crew, he remembered something and asked Matthew, "Didn't Jonny Lee Miller ask you for the videotape?"
"Videotape?" Michael Fassbender, who had just finished pouring Matthew a drink, asked curiously, "What videotape?"
"A videotape that doesn't exist." Matthew briefly explained the situation to Michael Fassbender.
"There's actually such a thing?" Michael Fassbender grinned again, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Matthew, luckily you were quick-witted, otherwise we would have had to go to the San Fernando Valley to look for you."
Matthew raised his glass to him and took a sip of wine.
Michael Fassbender then said, "Where are you going to get a videotape?"
"That's why I've been dragging it out." Matthew put down his glass and said, "I don't answer Jonny Lee Miller's calls; I just blacklisted him."
James McAvoy thought of something and suddenly asked, "Are you participating in the pre-screening promotions?"
Matthew shook his head. "I don't know; neither my agent nor I have received any notification."
"If you do participate, pay attention." James McAvoy reminded, "You might run into Jonny Lee Miller."
Michael Fassbender also said, "Matthew, it's better to be careful. Jonny Lee Miller is well-connected within the British actors' circle in Hollywood."
"Mhm." James McAvoy agreed, "I can vouch for that."
He himself was a genuine British actor.
"I'll keep an eye on him." Matthew naturally wouldn't underestimate Jonny Lee Miller.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore." Michael Fassbender changed the subject. "Let's talk about something happy..."
Before he could finish, a short man passing by suddenly stopped at their table, looked at Matthew, and greeted him proactively, "Matthew?"
Hearing the voice, Matthew immediately looked over and saw a familiar face, the director who had once directed Britney's MV. He quickly stood up and politely responded, "Hello, Director Snyder, I didn't expect to meet you here."
He extended his right hand, and Zack Snyder shook it, saying, "Call me Zack."
It was rare to meet a director.
Matthew politely asked, "Want to sit down and have a drink with us?"
Zack Snyder shook his head. "I have something else to do, maybe another day."
Matthew nodded, and the two chatted casually for a few more sentences, mostly about work. Since they had no common topics outside of work, Zack Snyder excused himself and left after less than a minute.
"Who was he?" Michael Fassbender asked curiously.
"Zack Snyder." Matthew simply said, "An MV and commercial director."
"He's very famous in the advertising industry." James McAvoy suddenly spoke up. He was always well-informed and evidently knew Zack Snyder. "His commercials are very unique, known for their widescreen cinematic style. He produced promotional videos for Nike and Reebok featuring Michael Jordan and tennis star Martina Navratilova, and was once rated as the most talented commercial director by a British magazine."
Matthew then realized that Zack Snyder already had such a great reputation before entering the film industry.
During their brief conversation, Zack Snyder had also casually mentioned that he was preparing to become a film director and was looking for suitable projects.
However, even with his prominent reputation in the advertising world, becoming a director for a film project with a certain scale of investment was not an easy task.
What was Zack Snyder's first movie? Matthew chatted with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender while recalling information related to Zack Snyder.
It certainly wasn't a superhero movie. It seemed there was an earlier movie with three hundred red shorts, maybe that one?
He really couldn't remember, after all, his true impression of Zack Snyder was still off.
The three of them stayed at the Black Mamba bar until after ten in the evening, finishing an entire bottle of whiskey plus some low-alcohol cocktails, before stumbling out of the bar together.
For safety reasons, Matthew called a designated driver when they left, then motioned for James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender to walk towards a nearby parking lot.
Not far from the bar, as they passed an intersection, James McAvoy pointed to a spot by the roadside and said, "River Phoenix died of a drug overdose right there, back in the day."
Matthew hadn't heard the name and asked curiously, "Who is River Phoenix?"
Michael Fassbender chimed in and explained, "A true acting genius, unfortunately he got addicted to drugs."
"Drug addiction..." Matthew sighed with emotion, thinking of a phrase he often saw, "Cherish life, stay away from drugs!"
Although drug use was quite common in Hollywood, there were also people who didn't do drugs.
Matthew couldn't understand what kind of mentality drug users had.
The designated driver quickly arrived at the parking lot. Driving Matthew's BMW, he first dropped off James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender at their respective hotels, and finally took Matthew back to his home in Burbank.
In the following days, Matthew, apart from flying to Washington D.C. to meet Britney, who was doing promotional work there, spent the rest of his time mostly according to his established schedule. The only difference was that he increased his fitness and training time, spending an entire afternoon at a gym in Westwood, practicing boxing and free combat with Nebula and another fitness trainer.
As his skills improved, he would also recall his previous idea about brainless movies and considered whether, if he really became a star in the future, he could attract investment to make an action movie that was all fighting from beginning to end.
During this vacation, Matthew also received a call from Kelly Hu. This actress, who also had very distinctive features, had already found a new job, playing a highly skilled female mutant in a 20th Century Fox superhero blockbuster. It was said that she would have many scenes opposite Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.
Subsequently, Matthew also got an opportunity to apply for a job from 20th Century Fox, also for a superhero movie.
After Helen Herman learned that 20th Century Fox had greenlit a comic book adaptation, she tried to submit his acting resume to the crew, hoping to compete for the role.
If such a superhero blockbuster achieved commercial success, the main actors would become immensely popular.
Matthew received Helen Herman's notification, feeling a bit confused. He used to be a fan of superhero movies and popcorn movies, having watched countless pirated online resources, but he didn't remember such a movie.
If he had seen such a superhero movie, he would definitely have an impression. If he didn't, it was possible that the film had very little influence.
However, he didn't even receive an audition invitation from the crew. A few days after Helen Herman submitted his resume, she received an email from the crew, who politely declined Matthew because the male lead had already been cast.
Just like the crew, as soon as the project was greenlit, Ben Affleck was confirmed as the male lead.
Hearing Ben Affleck's name, Helen Herman gave up. Matthew simply didn't have the capital to compete with Ben Affleck.
Matthew didn't feel regretful either. For such a large-budget superhero movie that he had no impression of, who knew if it was a trap? Jumping in headfirst might lead to a crushing failure.
A failed big-budget commercial film had vastly different impacts on supporting actors and leading actors.
Production companies making commercial films pursue profit and naturally want to avoid risks. If a newcomer actor's big-budget leading role flops, what would the production company think of this actor?
Moreover, there were simply too many actors in this industry who wanted to make a name for themselves.
After resting for nearly half a month, Matthew received a call from Helen Herman, who asked him to come to Angel Agency, saying there was work-related business to discuss.
"You called me over so urgently," Matthew asked, sitting across from her desk, "is there a suitable role for me?"
Helen Herman, still her usual self, said, "The crew sent a notice asking you to participate in several promotional events for the film in North America in December."
Matthew immediately thought of Jonny Lee Miller, just nodding, "Oh."
"There's one more thing." Helen Herman added, "Try to make a good impression on Jerry Bruckheimer."