The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 32

"It's time to start filming," Matthew told Britney, noticing the crew was ready. "We'll talk later."

Britney, however, took his polite remark to heart. "Definitely," she said. "I'll invite you to my party next time."

Their shared topic—or rather, their shared object of disdain—made her enjoy talking with him. "Give me your cell number," she requested.

Matthew opened a notepad, jotted down a string of numbers, tore out the page, and handed it to Britney before stepping back to his spot.

The crew was nearly ready to shoot, and Britney's assistant came over to get her.

Britney left with her assistant to meet the dance crew, leaving Matthew alone under the awning. The sun was already beating down, and he couldn't walk around outside with his makeup on for fear of ruining it.

After he'd been waiting for a little while, Helen walked over.

She pulled up a lounge chair and settled in next to Matthew. "Britney's impressed with you?"

Matthew didn't deny it. "Well, she was definitely looking at me differently."

"I know." Matthew sounded uncertain. "The problem is, it's not like Britney's just going to fall for me at the snap of a finger."

"You'll never know if you don't try," Helen said encouragingly.

"Would it really help my career?" Matthew asked, his tone serious.

"Fame is always useful, even if it's just media hype. With fame, you'll land more significant film roles." Helen's thinking was straightforward: if it worked out, it would drastically accelerate her plans for him. If it failed, the worst that could happen was Matthew Horner getting buried under an avalanche of bad press and hate from Britney's fans.

She could always find another actor. But, of course, one like Matthew would be difficult to replace.

Matthew mulled over Helen's suggestion, still uncertain.

Helen added, "As far as I know, Britney Spears is single right now."

"Oh?" Matthew asked, not quite knowing what else to say. He added casually, "I've never really chased after a girl before."

While his predecessor had partied hard and hooked up at plenty of clubs, he had never seriously courted anyone.

"Alright, the choice is yours, anyway." Helen stood up, ready to leave. "And by the way, if you do suddenly fall for someone—no matter who it is—you tell me first. As your agent."

Once Helen was gone, Matthew was left alone under the awning again. He gazed out at the beach where Britney stood before a line of eight dancers, dressed in low-rise pants and a crop top that showed off her toned waist and belly button.

As the music started, Britney began to move, twisting her sensual body in time with the rhythm.

Matthew couldn't tell what song Britney was dancing to, but he could certainly tell she had a killer figure.

Watching Britney move her sexy, athletic body for the camera, Matthew couldn't help but stroke his chin. "Become her boyfriend?" he mused.

But then he gave a slight shake of his head. How would he even manage that?

Whether in his past life or this one, Matthew had never had a girlfriend he'd needed to pursue. His experiences from back across the Pacific had left him with the distinct impression that unless a man had serious money or equal social standing, winning over a "special" girl was a difficult, if not impossible, task—no matter his future potential.

As for whether that was actually true, Matthew had never put it to the test, so he couldn't be sure.

Still, he figured it would be easy enough to find a mutual connection with a girl in his own league. But Britney Spears...

Matthew sighed. That wasn't something he needed to be thinking about right now.

Of course, if an opportunity presented itself, he might give it a shot. Even if nothing came of it, he had nothing to lose. He might even gain some valuable experience.

The choreography for the video had been rehearsed well in advance, so the shoot went smoothly. Several scenes were wrapped up in just two or three takes, and soon it was Matthew's turn on set.

Matthew had worked on three films before this, and while he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't get nervous or instinctively glance at the camera, his time in acting class had not been wasted.

The crew moved down to the shore, where Matthew stood barefoot just out of the water's reach.

A makeup artist touched up his face while a stylist adjusted his clothes.

The director, Zack Snyder, studied Matthew and the scenery behind him through the camera's viewfinder, occasionally calling out instructions.

"Roll his pant legs up to his knees," he shouted to the stylist. "I want to see the line of his calf muscles."

The stylist immediately dropped to one knee on the wet sand and rolled the legs of Matthew's white pants up to his knees, revealing the defined, powerful muscles of his calves.

Matthew was tall with long legs, so the musculature didn't look out of place; instead, it made him appear even stronger and more masculine.

"Good! Everyone clear the shot, leave Matthew by himself!" Zack Snyder yelled. "Let's try a take."

It was a solo shot of Matthew, with no other actors in the frame.

Matthew stood in profile to the sea, the sun-drenched canopy to his left and the camera to his right. He was able to completely ignore the lens, simply tucking his hands in his pockets and tilting his head slightly as he gazed into the distance, showing off his physique to its best advantage.

David Astor, his instructor at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, had once told him his acting was superficial, relying too much on his looks. Most of his scenes, Astor had said, were just about looking cool to impress amateurs.

In this scene, all Matthew had to do was look cool.

A powerful fan nearby suddenly roared to life, and a fierce gust of wind blew Matthew's hair back from his face.

His entire body, bathed in sunlight, stood as still as a marble statue. The sea washed over the sand at his feet, occasionally lapping against his muscular calves.

"Cut!" Zack Snyder looked very pleased. "We got it!"

The fan was shut off and the cameras were moved, and Matthew followed the crew to the next location.

Under an awning during the break, the backup dancers gathered and continued to watch the shoot, especially a few of the women, whose eyes were fixed on Matthew.

"God, his body is so... divine."

A brunette next to her exclaimed, "I wouldn't mind spending the night with him."

Another dancer, a Black woman, disagreed. "Handsome? Are you blind? His face is too rough, and he has so many muscles he looks like he should be in a bodybuilding show with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Leonardo DiCaprio is way hotter."

"Mary, you're just into the skinny, pretty-boy type," a blonde scoffed, setting down her water bottle.

Just as men talk about women when they get together, women do the same with men.

"Alright, that's enough chatter," the choreographer said as he entered the lounge. "You have a scene coming up. Get ready."

The four women and four men in the lounge area fell silent instantly and went to line up for the makeup artist.

Over by the beach pier, the crew had already set up the next shot. As soon as Matthew and Britney arrived, Zack Snyder began the final preparations.

He walked to the edge of the pier and personally went over the scene with Matthew and Britney.

Standing with the cliffs in the background, Snyder told Britney, "Miss Spears, after we start rolling, you'll walk from where I am now. Go a little slower than your normal walking speed, to show hesitation and anxiety."

Britney didn't say anything, just nodded.

Zack Snyder then took a few steps toward Matthew. "You'll stand here, on your mark. When Miss Spears starts walking, you show a bit of surprise and joy on your face."

Finally, he stood in the center between them. "The heroine will walk to this position, then you'll look at each other and show the emotion of love in your eyes."

He looked at them both. "Got it?"

"Yes," they replied in unison.

The scene was simple, much simpler than some of the exercises he'd done in class.

Filming started quickly. What Matthew had to do wasn't difficult. He watched Britney begin to walk, looked in her direction, and then fixed his gaze on her face.

They were both visually appealing, but they each held a single expression. For a music video, that was more than enough.

Britney walked to the spot Zack Snyder had indicated and looked at Matthew, who looked back at her. Their eyes locked.

Standing off to the side, Zack Snyder watched them with a hint of dissatisfaction. The two were staring at each other with rather empty eyes.

But a music video wasn't a feature film. The good looks of the male lead and the female singer were enough to mask that emptiness.

"We're done."

Hearing Snyder's voice, Matthew felt the day had gone incredibly well, and the director's demands were incredibly low.

"You have bright eyes," he commented, looking at Britney. She smiled in return, took a step closer, and lowered her voice. "I'm wearing contacts."

"Britney!" a voice called from the wooden walkway. "We have a few more scenes!"

Matthew smiled at her. "Go on."

His next scenes weren't scheduled until the afternoon.

After retrieving his work bag and a cup of water from the rest area, Matthew left the tent to have his makeup removed. By the time he reached the wooden walkway by the sea, Britney's next scene had already begun.

It was another dance sequence featuring Britney and her backup dancers.

Matthew was just about to head to the makeshift dressing room in the restaurant when a sudden scream erupted from the set, followed by someone shouting, "Get a doctor!"