The pre-shooting training lasted from the beginning of July to August. Besides various action scenes, Matthew also rehearsed some dialogue scenes with the other two main actors, Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley. This made him even more certain that in terms of acting, Johnny Depp could completely crush him and Keira Knightley.
Matthew discovered that Keira Knightley's current acting skills were not much better than his.
In rehearsals, Keira Knightley always repeatedly used some of the same actions to express the character's emotions. These actions were still habits from her own life. For example, her signature move was to bite her lip and pout when speaking, and to try to open her mouth wide to show her teeth when laughing to express boldness and cheerfulness.
Obviously, both he and Keira Knightley were essentially just pretty faces. The acting responsibility for this film could only be shouldered by Johnny Depp.
And Geoffrey Rush, this Oscar-winning actor's acting skills must also be good.
However, Geoffrey Rush basically came and went alone on the set, rarely mingling with other actors.
The training gradually came to an end, and the preparations for the crew were also nearing completion. Matthew and the other actors also reduced their action training and focused on rehearsing some important scenes.
Many directors don't like actors to rehearse in advance during filming, believing that it will limit the actors' performance, but Jerry Bruckheimer, a typical commercial entertainment film producer, doesn't care about these things at all. His crew is as precise as a precision instrument processing assembly line.
Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow are the most uncertain links on the assembly line.
But Matthew believes that this uncertainty comes from the upper limit. No one knows what Johnny Depp will be like when he goes crazy. Many of Johnny Depp's fantasy characters are like this, and the character portrayal looks a bit absurd.
Matthew even believes that there are three great joys for decadent men: Caribbean lounging, Sparrow swaying, and Ge You slouching.
Besides, Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the three main characters in the film. Since he is the main character, how can he not have a moment of 'tiger-like shock' when encountering problems?
In mid-August, the crew finished all the preliminary preparations and gave all the cast and crew a three-day vacation. Shooting would begin after the vacation.
Matthew finished training, returned to his private dressing room, changed his clothes, and came to the training hall, where he greeted the props team leader and took an aluminum alloy prop sword. For more than a month, whenever he had a vacation, he would take a sword back to practice.
Since he had decided to take the route of action plus appearance, these would be helpful in the future, and he was becoming more and more fond of exercise.
With the sword bag on his back, Matthew was leaving the training hall when he happened to meet Keira Knightley coming from the dressing room.
"Hi, Keira," he greeted casually.
Both of them were about to leave, and Keira Knightley walked with him. "Going to get your sword again?"
"Yeah, the sword I usually use for training is much heavier than the prop sword." Matthew adjusted his backpack and said as he walked, "I haven't dared to use it lately."
Having gotten used to the previous steel broadsword, using this light aluminum prop sword would cause him to use too much force, just like when he first sparred with Robert Anderson.
Keira Knightley patted the long bag on his back. "You still don't forget to practice during your vacation?"
"It's just daily exercise." Matthew told the truth. "Exercise is a lot of fun."
Keira Knightley shrugged and said, "Maybe." She added, "Before filming, I practiced soccer for a while. I'll take you to play soccer sometime."
"Okay," Matthew agreed readily.
"It's football!" Keira Knightley emphasized, "Not American football."
"It doesn't matter."
Matthew didn't care. "American football and football are both fine."
He could understand football, but he didn't know anything about American football.
Matthew and Keira Knightley left the studio together, and a fat man walked towards them. The fat man suddenly stopped as he passed by Matthew.
He shouted uncertainly, "Matthew Horner?"
Hearing a strange voice calling him, Matthew immediately stopped and turned his head to look at the fat man, sizing him up.
The fat man was also sizing him up, gradually connecting the agile, handsome, and powerful man in front of him with the poor boy from more than three years ago.
"You are Matthew Horner!" He was completely sure of this.
Matthew also recognized who the fat man was and said politely with a smile, "Long time no see, Mr. Dennis Coulter."
This fat man was Dennis Coulter, his temporary agent at Starlight Company back then.
"It's me! It's me!" Dennis Coulter smiled, his smile a little awkward. "Matthew, I didn't expect to see you here."
Seeing Matthew meet an acquaintance, Keira Knightley said in a low voice, "I'll go first. The driver is still waiting for me outside."
Matthew nodded. "See you later."
In the contracts signed by these main actors, the crew would provide a special car for transportation. Those who drove their own cars, like him, would have it converted into a transportation subsidy and paid together with the last installment of the salary.
Watching Matthew talking to Keira Knightley in a low voice, Dennis Coulter felt mixed emotions in his heart. He had witnessed Matthew Horner's transformation from an insignificant extra to a highly anticipated male lead, and then from a male lead to a well-known actor... Who would have thought that this little actor he missed would have such great potential?
No, at that time, he couldn't even be considered a small actor, just the lowest level of extra.
"Mr. Dennis Coulter," Matthew turned back to continue talking to his former agent. "It's been three years since we last met, right?"
"Yes." Dennis Coulter moved his fat body slightly. "I'm here on business."
He pointed to the studio that Matthew had just come out of and said, "The crew needs a lot of extras, and a few of my clients have been selected."
"Okay." Matthew nodded and said, "Hurry up, the crew is getting off work early today, and there won't be anyone left in a while."
Dennis Coulter opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.
Matthew pretended not to see it and said politely, "Let's keep in touch more often in the future. I have to go."
"Okay..." Dennis Coulter could only say that. "Goodbye, Matthew."
"Goodbye," Matthew said and left.
He didn't mention those things from back then, nor did he say he wanted to help. This page of Dennis Coulter had been turned over three years ago.
Dennis Coulter watched Matthew's departing back. The words he wanted to say to ask for help finally didn't come out. Three years had passed, and he was still an agent for a group of extras, while the other party had become the male lead in a Hollywood blockbuster. The level difference between the two sides was too great.
Leaving Disney Studios, Matthew didn't go home, but went to the Angel Brokerage Company. The crew had already deposited his first installment of $600,000 into the brokerage company's account, and he needed to go over and sign it so that the finance department could transfer the money to his account.
Arriving in front of the Angel Brokerage Company building, he parked his car and walked into the company, where he found Helen Herman standing in the front lobby, talking to a girl with short blonde hair. The blonde girl had her back to the door, and her figure was similar to Helen Herman's. Her back view looked a little familiar.
Next to the blonde girl stood a fifteen or sixteen-year-old black-haired girl. The black-haired girl probably noticed him and turned to look towards the door.
Matthew's first impression of the black-haired girl was that she was too mature for her age. She clearly had a baby face, but her figure was hot, especially her large breasts, which were hard not to notice.
And her eyes, the light blue pupils were as bright as gems, so bright that they even felt a little fake.
Seeing the black-haired girl looking at him, Matthew smiled at her. Just as the smile bloomed on his face, the girl with short blonde hair also turned her head, and after just one look, she even turned her body around.
"Matthew!" She took a step forward.
"Amanda!" Matthew immediately recognized that this was the girl who had worked as a temporary receptionist at Angel Brokerage Company. They had been on good terms back then, and she had even helped him during the Britney V audition. "Aren't you in England?"
"It's summer vacation." Amanda said with a smile, "I came over to take a look."
She turned her head to look at the black-haired girl. "And to help a friend with a little favor."
Matthew walked up to her, and Helen Herman also came over. He waved to his agent and continued to say to Amanda, "Why did you cut your hair?"
Amanda's short blonde hair wasn't even as long as his hair.
"It's easier to manage." Amanda seemed to still remember her friendship with Matthew and was obviously very enthusiastic towards him. "It's been a few years, and you've become a big star."
Matthew winked at Helen Herman. "It's all thanks to Helen's willingness to promote me."
Helen Herman glanced at Matthew without saying anything.
"Staying in Los Angeles for a few days?" Matthew asked again.
"I have to go back tomorrow." Amanda seemed a little helpless, looking at the black-haired girl, and said, "If I didn't have to bring Anna over, I wouldn't have been able to come to Los Angeles."
Only then did she remember to introduce Matthew. "This is Alexandra Daddario, my... um, a younger sister."
Then, she introduced Matthew, "Anna, this is Matthew Horner, a friend of mine in Los Angeles."
The black-haired girl greeted Matthew and then said, "I know you, you are a Hollywood star."
"Yes, I am." Matthew's skin was naturally thick enough. He looked at Amanda and then at Helen Herman, understood, and asked the black-haired girl, "Do you also want to develop in Hollywood?"
"Yes!" Alexandra Daddario nodded.
Afterwards, Helen Herman invited the few people upstairs. Alexandra Daddario was very curious about entertainment brokerage companies. She had her assistant take her to look around, while the three of them chatted in the office for a while.
This girl was the daughter of a friend of Amanda's father, and she intended to develop in Hollywood, so Amanda brought her to Helen Herman to leave basic information.
Amanda hadn't finished her studies and didn't stay in Los Angeles for long. The next day, Matthew specially took her to the international airport.
In the following two days, Matthew basically adjusted his condition. Filming was about to begin at Studio Two of Disney Studios.