Hearing the question, Matthew turned his head to look beside him, immediately spotting a sour face. The expression wasn't just old and tired—it was painfully ordinary. If Matthew hadn't seen this face in so many blockbuster films, he'd never have believed a Hollywood superstar could look like that.
"You are…" Matthew took a step back to get a better look. "You're Matt Damon."
"You're Matthew Horner?" The sour face didn't answer but silently confirmed Matthew's words.
Matthew nodded, "That's me." He was surprised that Matt Damon was seeking him out. "What do you want?"
From what Matthew knew, Matt Damon was an Oscar winner — a much bigger name even compared to Angelina Jolie.
"Yesterday, Winona might have had a bit of a misunderstanding with you," Matt Damon said politely. "She's been upset ever since and refuses to talk about it when I ask."
Matthew immediately felt defensive.
Matt Damon continued, "I just want to know what happened. Why would she get so angry?"
"You and Winona Ryder…" Matthew looked at Matt Damon carefully.
"Winona is my girlfriend," Matt Damon said plainly, then looked back at Matthew. "And you? What's your relationship with Miss Jolie?"
Last night, Winona had called the two of them a couple of "dog lovers," cursing them loudly.
Matthew shook his head. "I have no relationship with Miss Jolie."
"Sorry about that." Matt Damon gave an awkward smile. "Looks like I misunderstood."
But Matthew read something else behind that seemingly honest smile. "Just say it."
Matt Damon kept smiling. "I want to know if there's really some misunderstanding between you and Winona?"
"It's nothing…" Matthew tried to explain. After all, this was Matt Damon. "Just a small thing, I…"
He stopped himself. Why get into details about the conflict with Winona Ryder? That was a secret! Revealing it would be trouble — he'd signed a confidentiality agreement.
"Hmm? What?" Matt Damon looked expectantly, that sincere ordinary guy face making it hard to refuse.
Matthew quickly changed the subject, "It's just a trivial misunderstanding."
Matt Damon and Winona Ryder were a couple — they wore the same pants. Even though from the info Matthew had, Winona had a good reputation among Hollywood stars, who really knew what went on behind the scenes? What if Matt Damon was setting a trap? If he spilled the secrets, he'd break the contract and owe a penalty he couldn't possibly pay.
Having spent only two days on set, Matthew already saw Hollywood's ruthless side — no room for mistakes.
"A trivial misunderstanding?" Matt Damon still smiled, no hint of celebrity arrogance. "Since it's a small thing, and you're a gentleman, could you take the first step and apologize to Winona? That would clear everything up."
Matthew smiled wryly. "I'm just a nobody, a background actor, not a gentleman." He mocked himself, "Lots of people say I'm just a country bumpkin from Texas."
Matt Damon's smile faded, the sour face returning.
"It's not that I don't want to make peace," Matthew said cautiously, "but some things are better you ask Miss Winona Ryder yourself."
He vaguely remembered Matt Damon had climbed up from the bottom, so he wasn't some arrogant celebrity.
Matt Damon's sour face grew even sourer — he couldn't understand how a star like Winona Ryder, who also had huge power as a producer, could have a conflict with a small background actor and end up so upset she couldn't sleep.
He glanced at Matthew again — except for looking a bit better-looking, there was nothing special.
"I'll ask Winona," Matt Damon said after thinking, "she's my girlfriend, so if—"
He suddenly changed tone, "I remember you, Matthew Horner."
Matthew could only smile. Fortunately, Matt Damon wasn't some brainless diva, or it would be trouble.
On second thought, Hollywood was fiercely competitive. No one could survive just by looking pretty and photoshopping. Except for a few with powerful backgrounds, everyone who made it up here wasn't dumb.
They exchanged a few more casual words. Matt Damon left first. After he walked away, no one else in the crew paid much attention to Matthew — just a small background actor.
Matthew watched one scene wrap, feeling uncomfortable on his face. He quickly left the set to go to the makeup trailer and remove his makeup. Spending time on set invited complaints from a sissy makeup artist, but Matthew knew a background actor's status wasn't much better than a grunt. He didn't argue. After removing makeup and changing clothes, he left Universal Studios filming area.
Outside the studio, he called Dennis Kurt, a chubby guy still networking at the crew's office. Dennis said his pay would arrive soon, and he'd notify Matthew when it did.
Two hundred dollars wasn't a lot, but for Matthew, it wasn't small change either.
His job at Red Penguin Company paid only about fifty dollars a day, slightly above Los Angeles' minimum wage, and with night shift bonus, barely $1,800 a month.
This job might be gone anytime. If Angelina Jolie's divorce scandal with Johnny Lee Miller blew up, Johnny's side would trace the source of that footage, which would likely lead back to Matthew. A complaint could make him pack up and leave Red Penguin Company.
Still, Matthew didn't regret doing it — it opened Hollywood's door a crack and earned him a small role with two lines!
According to Dennis Kurt, most background actors chasing dreams in Hollywood wouldn't get such a chance after years, stuck as extras.
Given the choice between wasting years or taking a risk, most would pick the risk.
Taking a bus to Hollywood Boulevard with work still hours away, Matthew grabbed a quick lunch and strolled down the boulevard, thinking about his next steps.
Now, he was an experienced background actor. Dennis said it would be easier to find work, and even roles with lines were worth trying.
But this morning's shoot made him painfully aware his skills were very, very poor.
Professional training was necessary.
Luckily, Angelina Jolie agreed to help him find an acting school — she could be scatterbrained, but Matthew saw her as a trustworthy person.
Another need was a new agent.
Although entertainment circles always had factions, Dennis Kurt was way too much. Matthew believed Dennis would sell him out without hesitation if it suited him, and judging from yesterday, he could not rely on him.
Such an agent was a ticking time bomb.
If conditions allowed, Matthew wouldn't want to work with him.
Though now he couldn't be picky, from previous memories he knew many temporary acting agencies in LA. He could find another easily without breach of contract issues.
Especially since this work with "girl, interrupted" crew was still ongoing; switching agents would be tricky. But once done, it wouldn't be a problem.
After wandering Hollywood Boulevard all afternoon, Matthew familiarized himself with the area near his company, bought some newspapers, greeted the front desk, and entered the driver's lounge to check the job listings.
This was planning ahead — keeping up daily reading and checking which industries hired frequently, especially acting agencies for temporary work.
The last Matthew had found Starlight Company through newspaper ads, but unfortunately got stuck with Dennis Kurt.
Flipping through papers, he found no crew job postings but found three small agencies hiring background actors. He noted their numbers and called them one by one.
Their replies were all the same: come by with personal info, photo, and resume to register. If suitable roles appeared, they'd contact him.
He planned to visit those three agencies after work tomorrow.
Putting away the paper, he noticed the lack of cars was inconvenient. Public transport in LA was poor, far worse than his previous country. Buses took long to come and taxis were rare unless called.
He thought about buying a used car but realized it wasn't realistic.
With Jolie's help to find an acting school, expenses would be huge. He wasn't sure he had enough left.
Tomorrow, he'd call Dennis Kurt about when he could get paid the $200, but until then, he'd keep things low-key.