In a carefully arranged small studio, the bright lights were shining on a young man and woman dressed only in form-fitting underwear. Under the photographer's direction, they struck various intimate poses: sometimes sitting back-to-back, sometimes the woman nestled in the man's embrace, sometimes hugging and whispering, and sometimes gazing at each other with deep affection.
Two of the best bodies in the world were there, shooting the latest underwear advertisement for Armani.
Gisele Bündchen was very professional. As a top figure among new-generation models, this kind of work was a breeze for her. Matthew occasionally made some mistakes since he wasn't a professional.
After shooting one set, Matthew and Gisele went to the dressing room to change into another set, then came back out to continue the shoot.
Since the video advertisement had been completed in the past two days, the last day's shooting mainly focused on print ads.
This underwear ad seemed particularly glamorous, but in reality, it was somewhat monotonous. Even Gisele Bündchen, a professional, spent most of her time following the photographer's instructions, let alone Matthew, who wasn't a professional.
Of course, the work itself was tedious, but the excitement of constantly touching each other while wearing the skimpiest of clothing kept their spirits high.
When the last set of underwear was shot, Matthew and Gisele walked into the same dressing room, and the door closed with a bang.
No one in the studio seemed surprised, as if it was a common occurrence.
"The modeling industry is even wilder than Hollywood."
On the flight back to Los Angeles, Helen Herman looked around the sparsely populated first-class cabin and said to Matthew, "You better be careful, you don't want to catch something."
She specifically reminded him, "Don't forget about Jessica Alba."
Matthew pulled the blanket the flight attendant had given him over himself. "Safety is paramount; I always use protection." He shrugged and said, "I called Jessica. She was at a gynecologist appointment that day, and the paparazzi caught her, then made up stories to sell to the tabloids."
Helen Herman glanced at Matthew, "Do you believe her?"
"I'd rather believe Jessica Alba than the tabloids," Matthew said frankly. "Even Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the top entertainment newspapers in North America, often fabricate stories to sell issues. During award season, they dedicate many pages to hyping different films competing for awards, all for a fee."
Helen Herman, who was also in the studio yesterday, asked, "What did Gisele Bündchen want when she came after you?"
"I satisfied her," Matthew said honestly.
Helen Herman remained expressionless, "That's not what I heard."
Matthew tightened the blanket around himself, "That's part of it. On the other hand..." He thought for a moment, "Gisele Bündchen wants a stable relationship and possibly marriage in the future."
"I heard her mention Victoria and David Beckham," Helen Herman added.
"Yes..." Matthew recalled the scene and continued, "She wants a stable relationship, but her partner can't be an ordinary person, which would go against her career plans. She needs a rich, famous boyfriend who matches her looks."
He pointed to his head, "I'm rich, famous, and good-looking..."
Helen Herman was used to Matthew's shamelessness.
Matthew continued boastfully, "And I'm not just good-looking; I'm also very capable. So Gisele thinks it's worth trying a relationship with me."
Helen Herman quickly understood, "David Beckham and Victoria Beckham are a prime example of one plus one being greater than two. No wonder Gisele Bündchen threatened Heidi Klum's position at Victoria's Secret. She's a smart woman."
Matthew smiled, "She wants to be the American version of Victoria Beckham with me."
"You should consider it," Helen Herman said directly. "You're the top actor among Hollywood's 80s-born stars, and Gisele Bündchen is a standout among the new generation of models. Together, you'd shine like the sun."
"That's not for me," Matthew shook his head slowly. "It's something she needs desperately, not me."
Helen Herman dropped the subject, seeing that Matthew had no interest.
Matthew's thoughts were simple: if Gisele Bündchen wanted to engage in some physical training and skill exchange with him, he'd welcome it. But when it came to a relationship, he wasn't interested.
He wasn't even thirty yet and didn't need to settle down or tie himself to anyone.
In a committed relationship, both partners had to be responsible for each other, which was too soon for Matthew.
Helen Herman shifted to business, "I've spoken with Giorgio Armani and several high-level executives. If this underwear endorsement performs well, you could replace the current spokesperson for Armani men's clothing once their contract expires."
"Who's the current spokesperson for Armani men's clothing?" Matthew asked.
"George Clooney," Helen Herman said flatly. "Someone who boosts his profile with political activities."
Matthew had no dealings with George Clooney and didn't know much about him.
Helen Herman continued, "His contract still has some time left, so we can plan slowly. Among top luxury men's clothing brands, Armani's contract with George Clooney is the closest to expiring, which is why I've been targeting Armani."
She then mentioned, "I've heard George Clooney and Brad Pitt are close friends."
"Brad Pitt?" Matthew mused, "I haven't heard that name in a long time."
Helen Herman nodded slightly, "After the last incident, he was bombarded by the media and has started moving behind the scenes. In Hollywood, as long as you produce good work, it's not hard to clean up a tarnished reputation."
Matthew agreed completely.
"Back to George Clooney," Helen Herman continued. "He's one of the most successful actors at selling his image in Hollywood."
She looked at Matthew, "Not beneath you. George Clooney is known as the perfect gentleman, which is a big reason why he's been Armani's spokesperson for so long."
Matthew nodded, "Leave that headache to you."
George Clooney was also an A-list star. Even if he used political activities to boost his profile, he had successful works as a foundation.
Helen Herman said calmly, "I'm always working on it."
After a moment of silence, Matthew, unable to sleep, asked, "Helen, you mentioned selling an image. Am I the most successful at that in the entertainment industry?"
"You overestimate yourself," Helen Herman said indifferently. "You're far behind some people."
"Like who?" Matthew asked.
"A woman who sold a perfect image and truly conquered America," Helen Herman said casually. "An African-American woman who was raped as a child, later became strong and independent, rose to become a talk show queen, and then a successful businesswoman."
Matthew didn't need more details to know who she meant, "Oprah Winfrey?"
Helen Herman nodded lightly, "The last person to sell a perfect image so successfully was probably Audrey Hepburn."
"A goddess," Matthew sighed.
Whether in photos, movies, or various reports, Audrey Hepburn was always perfect, an absolute goddess in his heart.
Unfortunately, they weren't born in the same era.
Every star had flaws, even him. From the beginning until now, countless gossip stories had been published about his private life.
But having flaws didn't directly affect a Hollywood star's popularity or respect.
Back in Los Angeles, Matthew met with David Ellison again. David was still undecided. After all, trading the rights to a blockbuster like "300" for the rights to a discontinued series like "Fast and Furious" didn't seem like a good deal.
David Ellison didn't reject the idea outright but decided to conduct market research. His influence had already played a significant role.
If it weren't for his consecutive successful films, which gave an impression of excellent script selection, he couldn't have persuaded David Ellison at all.
This matter couldn't be rushed. Pushing too hard could backfire.
If he had enough money and wasn't afraid of the unknown risks, Matthew might have considered buying the rights himself.
But he knew that was a foolish idea. Buying the rights from Universal Pictures might require all his liquid assets and additional bank loans, potentially bankrupting him.
Partnering with David Ellison to share the risk was the best option.
After discussing with David Ellison, Matthew checked in on DreamWorks. Helen Herman had already started formal negotiations with the "Transformers" crew. Doing voice work for quick money was common for Hollywood stars, offering millions of dollars for a short time commitment without much risk, even if the film failed.
Of course, Helen Herman again demanded a high price of ten million dollars.
The exact amount would be determined through negotiation. Matthew then returned to the "I Am Legend" crew.
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