In the crew, several actors belonged to Angel Agency, and Matthew was aware of this. Duff Billa, standing before him, was one of them and, from what Matthew knew, one of the more successful minor actors at Angel Agency.
Matthew glanced at Duff Billa and locked the makeup room door, "Go ahead, speak."
"It's like this," Duff Billa said with a mysterious expression, lowering his voice, "I heard on set today that someone is looking to harm you."
"Oh?" Matthew raised an eyebrow.
As the male lead and one of the first actors confirmed for the role, who also had the favor of producers Sean Daniel and Stephen Somos, no one among the actors, including female lead Kelly Hu, held more sway than him.
Who would bother to cause him trouble?
Frankly, Matthew didn't quite trust Duff Billa, despite being from the same agency.
In Hollywood, being too trusting was not a virtue.
"It's true," Duff Billa seemed to be trying to curry favor with Matthew, saying, "This afternoon, Steven Brand... the actor playing Memnon, also from Angel Agency, was discussing with another Angel Agency actor, Clark Bernard, about how they could finish you off."
Matthew recognized the names Duff Billa mentioned, especially Steven Brand, who was notably fit.
Matthew didn't speak, just looked at Duff Billa, waiting for him to continue.
"They plan to invite you to the Black Mamba bar for drinks, then tempt you to use cocaine. Once you're hooked..."
He didn't finish, but the implication was clear.
"Tempt me to use drugs?" Matthew scoffed. He might fall for other traps, but not drugs. He came from a society that harshly cracked down on drugs and knew their dangers well. Yet, he wondered, "Even if they scheme against me, they won't become the male lead of the crew."
Did these two really think that if he fell, they could automatically step into the lead role? What a joke...
Suddenly, Matthew realized something.
Sure enough, Duff Billa said, "They think you're blocking Angel Agency's path, preventing them from climbing higher." Hesitating, he added, "They believe the agency's resources are too skewed towards you, leaving them with nothing, not even bones to gnaw on."
Especially Steven Brand, who had a similar career path to Matthew, believed there was no chance for advancement with Matthew in the way.
Matthew nodded, thinking rapidly, then asked, "I remember you often hang around with those two..."
Duff Billa understood the implication, saying directly, "You're the most valued by the company. There's no conflict between us, no need to hit a wall with those two."
While he had spoken favorably of them in their presence, he never intended to act against Matthew Horna, who was on a different level. If they really did something, would Helen Herman consider them a priority for the agency?
Steven Brand and Clark Bernard were desperate for fame, but he saw things clearly.
Choosing between the potential star Matthew Horna and two minor actors similar to him wasn't even a question.
"You have no conflict of interest with me?" Matthew looked skeptically at Duff Billa.
"None," Duff Billa slapped his own face lightly, saying, "Look at me. Could I follow your path? I'm well aware that at best, I might become a comedy star, which is entirely different from your trajectory. We won't compete for Angel Agency's limited resources."
Matthew stood, shouldering his backpack again, asking, "What do you want from me?"
Duff Billa's reasoning made sense; his appearance and physique inherently limited his roles.
"If you come across a role suited to someone like me..." Duff Billa smiled, somewhat ingratiatingly, "could you recommend me? That would satisfy me."
Matthew tilted his head, not directly answering but instead saying, "Keep an eye on those two."
Duff Billa understood Matthew's meaning and immediately responded, "Don't worry, I'll watch them closely."
"All right, time to go home," Matthew opened the makeup room door. "Let's head out."
Duff Billa left the makeup room first, with Matthew following.
Reaching the entrance of Warner Bros. Studios, Matthew got into his new BMW. The studio gate was crowded with reporters, with Matthew being one of their main targets. Warner Bros. had given them some privileges, allowing their cars inside the studio, though they had to park near the entrance.
Thinking over the recent events, Matthew called Helen Herman, who seemed unconcerned but agreed to keep an eye on the situation.
Matthew didn't elaborate further. After more than two years in the industry, he understood some truths. Not just at a small agency like Angel Agency, but even at top entertainment agencies like CAA and UTA, internal resources were limited. Everyone wanted to be the one receiving the most resources and shining the brightest.
For now, Matthew didn't plan to do much about Steven Brand and Clark Bernard, a warning would suffice. As the film's male lead, the project's outcome would affect him the most.
Success would bring him the greatest benefit; failure, the worst fall.
He reasoned that if the film failed, Helen Herman wouldn't value him as she currently did. Without Steven Brand and Clark Bernard doing anything, the so-called obstacle would silently fall.
Continuing to target these two important supporting actors would only cause unnecessary complications for the crew, potentially leading to unforeseen negative impacts. It wasn't worth the risk.
Better to keep an eye on those two.
As for Duff Billa, Matthew would be foolish to trust such a person.
Everything would wait until after the film's completion and release. If successful, he would have the capital to have Helen Herman remove those two.
Starting the car, Matthew drove out of Warner Bros. Studios, ignoring the swarming reporters, and headed onto the highway.
This crew had felt like the most relaxed he had been part of, especially as the male lead. He hadn't expected anyone to foolishly seek trouble...
Unfortunately, competition was everywhere in this industry.
To avoid being stepped on, one had to climb over others.
In the following days, the shooting continued at Warner Bros. Studios. An invitation to a bar from a minor actor, claiming many from the crew would be there, was declined by Matthew.
Aside from that, nothing unusual happened, and Matthew focused on his role.
He had prepared thoroughly for this film, applying training from other projects to "The Scorpion King". His condition was excellent, especially in action scenes, often needing only two or three takes for complex actions.
Matthew understood this was a result of his accumulated experience and practice, contributing to the smooth progress of the shooting.
"Matthew, there are many of them. Don't fight head-on."
In the studio, ready to shoot an action scene, stunt coordinator Tim Madison gave his final instructions, "Show strength and speed as before! Move, make full use of your agility and quick reflexes to deal maximum damage to the enemy in motion! And remember, this is a long take. Be flexible and adjust to the situation!"
"I understand."
Having rehearsed this action scene several times, Matthew felt confident, checked his equipment to avoid previous issues, then said, "I'm ready."
Tim Madison left the set, giving a thumbs up to director Chuck Russell, and the shooting began.
The studio was set up like a cave, dark and chilling, with soldiers chasing Matthew's character, Mathayus...
In this scene, Matthew had only a few visible moments, with the rest involving rapid movement, using the terrain and speed to ambush and eliminate opponents one by one.
Unlike before, this was a long take action scene. Yet, as always, Matthew performed exceptionally well, requiring only one take for director Chuck Russell to approve.
The morning was dedicated to action scenes, and in the afternoon, as planned, the crew moved on to dialogue scenes, shifting to a tent set.
Kelly Hu also appeared on set, continuing to work with Matthew.
This scene involved the male and female leads in an intimate encounter, a staple of Hollywood commercial entertainment films. Why else cast attractive leads?
Given the film aimed for a PG-13 rating, the on-screen content had to be moderate. However, the shoot's footage was quite explicit to cater to the DVD and VHS markets beyond the box office.
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