"Eat first," Helen Herman points to the plate in front of Matthew Horner, "We can talk after you're done."
Matthew doesn't hesitate, feeling genuinely hungry after a busy morning. He forks a piece of beef into his mouth, finds the taste acceptable, and after swallowing, asks, "Have you eaten?"
Helen responds indifferently, "Yes, we have."
Alexandra Daddario brushes a strand of her deep brown hair behind her ear and says, "We had lunch at the hotel before coming here."
Matthew nods and returns to his meal, focusing on enjoying his lunch.
Alexandra glances at Matthew, noting the red bloodstains on his clothes, neck, and face. Her blue eyes quickly shift away, and she leans towards Helen, whispering, "Can he really eat like that?"
"It's just fake blood made from syrup mixed with ketchup," Helen glances at Matthew without lowering her voice much, "Even if it were real blood, he could still eat."
Matthew, of course, hears this and lifts his head to jokingly say, "Actually, it's all sweet."
The fake blood might look scary, but it doesn't smell bad and even has a sweet scent of corn syrup.
About ten minutes later, Matthew finishes his lunch, wipes his mouth with a napkin, and looks at Helen and Alexandra, stating, "I'm done. Let's talk."
Helen gets straight to the point, "Anna's family had some issues, so she couldn't come to Canada with her this time. There's a sudden situation at the company in Los Angeles that I need to deal with, so I'll be leaving Toronto this afternoon."
She looks at Alexandra, "Anna has only been in one production and lacks experience. Matthew, you're the lead actor; please take care of Anna for me."
Matthew looks at Alexandra, who gives him a shy smile.
Alexandra, not being naive, knows Matthew is the best support she could have now that her agent is away, especially since he's the biggest name in the crew. With him backing her, nobody would dare to trouble her.
She had a small role in "Underworld" before, which left a bad impression on her, especially due to conflicts with her co-star Rachel McAdams, who seemed to target her at every turn.
Matthew understands Helen's underlying message and says, "No problem."
Alexandra was introduced to the agency through Amanda, and her father's position is beneficial to Amanda's parents' business. Helen and Amanda are close cousins...
Sorting through these connections, Matthew grasps why Helen is so protective of Alexandra.
In essence, it's an example of an American-style collusion between business and government.
"Alright then," Helen doesn't belabor the point. After checking her watch, she says, "I'll go back to the hotel to pack my bags now. Matthew, take Anna to the set later."
Matthew nods, "I know what to do."
Helen turns to Alexandra, "I'll be back in about a week. With Matthew here, you can be at ease." After a moment's thought, she adds, "If you run into any trouble, let Matthew know. He can definitely help you."
"I understand," says Alexandra.
"I'll speak to the relevant people in the crew," Matthew, who climbed up from the bottom, knows well that no crew is without its conflicts, "to let them know you're my friend."
This reassures Alexandra, who thanks Matthew with a smile.
Matthew smiles back, "Don't mention it. Aren't you and Amanda good friends? Amanda's friends are my friends."
Helen casts a wary glance at Matthew but says nothing. She stands up and tells them, "I'm leaving now. Call me if you need anything."
After watching Helen leave, Alexandra turns back to Matthew, asking, "How's the atmosphere in the crew?"
"Hmm?" Matthew looks at her curiously.
Alexandra smiles, "Last time, for the role you helped me get, I left after shooting just one morning. But that crew..."
"What about that crew?" Matthew inquires.
"Well," Alexandra takes a moment, then says, "It felt like the relationships between people were all very awkward. The lead actress, Kate Beckinsale, had unclear relationships with the director, the investors, and one of the male actors. Rachel McAdams, who shared a makeup room with me, seemed to have thorns all over."
She continues in a relieved tone, "Luckily, I was only there for a morning."
"That's typical for Hollywood crews," Matthew pushes his finished plate aside, "In all the crews I've been part of, except for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' where I was one of the leads, there have always been plenty of troubles and conflicts."
As Alexandra is relatively new to acting, this being only her second role, she listens intently to Matthew's explanation.
"Male actors might be slightly better, but not by much," Matthew continues, "Without going into details, just consider our current production. How many actors will actually appear in front of the camera? And of those, how many will have lines? How many will actually leave an impression on the audience? Compared to these, how many actors are trying to get into the crew for a role?"
Alexandra listens silently, taking in Matthew's words.
"There might be thousands, or even more," Matthew shrugs, "To climb up, you often have to step on others."
"But..." Alexandra seems to have a different view, "I didn't feel like I was competing with anyone for this role."
Matthew is momentarily speechless, realizing that his experiences as an actor coming from the bottom are different from someone like Alexandra, who has a more privileged start.
"That's because you started higher than others," he explains.
Alexandra thinks it over and seems to grasp his point, "I guess... that makes sense."
Though she's not yet eighteen, having been raised by savvy parents, she has some understanding of society.
"You see..." Matthew uses an example, "The fact that you easily got a role already made some people target you, and it'll probably happen again."
Recalling an incident, Alexandra mentions, "On the flight here, someone tried to cause trouble, but Helen handled it."
Matthew doesn't pry further but assures her, "If anyone bothers you again, I've got you! I've fought my way through countless conflicts!" He holds up a finger, emphasizing, "Trust me, Anna! In this production, if I wanted to bully an actor, I could make them leave the crew."
Such words are meant to comfort someone as inexperienced as Alexandra.
Simply informing a few key production members that Alexandra is a friend of his, the leading male actor, would suffice to deter most from troubling her, barring the truly foolish.
"Okay!" Alexandra nods vigorously, perhaps intentionally or not, puffing out her chest, "Now that Helen is gone, I'm relying on you, Matthew."
Hearing this, Matthew senses something amiss but doesn't dwell on it, responding, "It's a small matter, no need to be polite." He stands up, "Let's go to the set. I'll introduce you to the director."
Leading the way out of the cafeteria, Matthew ponders that among the young women he knows, Alexandra seems to be one of the more introverted and steady types.
Alexandra follows, her bright blue eyes briefly resting on his back
, reassured that in the crew, she now has a more reliable support than even Helen Herman.
Catching up with Matthew as they exit, she walks beside him, maintaining her typically quiet demeanor.
Upon reaching the outdoor set, Matthew introduces Alexandra to Zack Snyder and a few key producers, explicitly stating she's his friend and asking for their care.
They agree without hesitation.
By doing this, Matthew isn't just introducing Alexandra to important crew members; with the set bustling with people, he's also signaling to everyone that she's under his protection. Anyone thinking straight and not wanting to clash with him, the male lead, would naturally avoid troubling Alexandra.
Within reasonable bounds, Matthew is willing to assist Helen Herman, as her value to him as an agent is significant.
Later, as Alexandra goes to the makeup trailer, Matthew ensures his assistant accompanies her. For an actor of Alexandra's status, a private makeup trailer is out of the question, but having his assistant with her will likely ward off some trouble.
Matthew is well aware that even though Alexandra comes from a privileged background and receives special care from Helen, no Hollywood production is a conflict-free paradise. Those who rise quickly are often more susceptible to jealousy and attacks than those who climb slowly.
In this respect, Tom Cruise's early career serves as a prime example.
Soon, the production kicks into gear. Matthew, having not removed his makeup from earlier, quickly touches up before shooting resumes.
The afternoon's schedule includes shooting a dramatic scene where his character battles zombies and encounters Alexandra's character for the first time.
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