The next day, Matthew walked onto the set in high spirits. The all-night conversation the day before not only didn't negatively impact him but left him feeling invigorated. Several scenes were completed in a single take.
Since their all-night talks proved beneficial, Matthew and Jessica Chastain naturally didn't stop at just one. Over the following nights, they continued to share the same room.
Through these consecutive nights of deep and earnest exchanges, Matthew gained a profound appreciation for Jessica Chastain's work ethic.
As a prime example of a dedicated professional, Matthew discovered three key traits in Jessica Chastain. First, she possessed a strong sense of career ambition and responsibility. Apart from being somewhat reserved on the first night, she was proactive in the subsequent days and showed a level of commitment that ensured she wouldn't stop until Matthew was completely satisfied.
Second, she demonstrated a pioneering spirit, boldly exploring new methods and fully utilizing every aspect of her capabilities.
Lastly, she excelled in teamwork. Whenever Matthew cautiously voiced certain requests, she always responded with the utmost effort to accommodate him.
In summary, Matthew concluded that Jessica Chastain truly deserved the title of a "model professional."
From her example, Matthew even developed his criteria for what it takes to be considered a model professional in Hollywood.
First, they must have a spirit of dedication. To excel, they need to wholeheartedly immerse themselves in their field, embrace challenges, and strive for excellence. This perseverance allows them to be "forged" into true professionals. Second, they must embody the spirit of selflessness, continually contributing time, energy, and effort without concern for personal gain. This spirit of physical and emotional commitment is the true core of a model professional.
Hollywood doesn't have many individuals like Jessica Chastain, who are willing to give so selflessly and enthusiastically.
Her dedication revitalized Matthew's spirit, allowing him to maintain peak performance throughout filming.
Inside the studio, the sound of the base station hatch turning echoed, followed by the door being pushed open from the outside. Matthew, dressed in a space suit, stumbled inside with a pained expression, clutching his abdomen where a metal object glinted ominously.
Once inside, he shut the hatch behind him, his hand never leaving his abdomen. A voice declared, "Pressure... stable!"
Hearing this, Matthew turned and shuffled down the passage toward another door, looking visibly weakened.
When he reached the second hatch, he entered a livable area, closed the door, and removed his helmet, oxygen pack, hood, and gloves with practiced efficiency. Then he glanced down at his left side, where a metallic rod was embedded in his abdomen, with streaks of blood seeping out.
"Damn it," Matthew muttered. "This is bad—someone stabbed me good."
He hesitated, his hands hovering near the metal rod, unsure whether to grab it or leave it.
"Huff—huff—huff—"
Finally, after several deep breaths, determination flashed across his face. In a swift motion, he yanked the metal rod out, immediately pressing a hand to the wound to stem the bleeding.
He moved to a medical kit, grabbed scissors to cut away his clothing, and revealed his muscular torso and the bleeding wound on his abdomen. Gritting his teeth in pain, he pressed gauze onto the wound, then hauled the kit to a nearby medical bed and half-lay on it.
"This is just my luck," he muttered through clenched teeth. "If I don't treat this wound, I'll die here."
With the gauze pressed firmly against the injury, the synthetic skin covering his abdomen looked and felt almost real. He picked up a syringe, injecting anesthetic around the wound despite his trembling hands. "I can't die here! If someone from another galaxy finds me on Mars, they'll think I'm an alien. No way—I'm a human from Earth!"
As he carefully extracted broken fragments of metal from the wound, his hands shook, and his face twisted in agony. Yet, he maintained an optimistic commentary.
"I'll die in a warm room on Earth someday," he muttered, "not on this godforsaken Mars."
Tossing the metal fragments aside, he noted that blood was still oozing from the wound. Determined, he grabbed a stapler, aligned the synthetic skin over the gash, and pressed it down hard.
"Ahhh!" Matthew let out a pained scream before grumbling, "Whoever's in charge of NASA's procurement is an idiot. Why don't these staples come with built-in anesthesia?"
After stapling the wound shut, he reached for a nearby button and played soothing music to calm himself.
As the final staple clicked into place, his lips quivered from the pain, yet he continued his sarcastic monologue. "Commander Lewis's taste in music is worse than this injury."
From his seat behind the monitor, director Ridley Scott nodded with satisfaction. It had been ten years since he last worked with Matthew Horner, and the actor's growth extended far beyond his rising fame—his acting had reached new heights.
Throughout the shoot, Ridley had become increasingly convinced that Matthew Horner's talent matched his enormous reputation.
In terms of raw skill, Matthew was no less capable than Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Ridley had also worked with.
When Matthew delivered his final line, Ridley shouted, "Cut! That's a wrap for this take!"
He glanced at Matthew's bloodied abdomen, knowing the makeup removal would take time. "Take a forty-minute break," he announced.
Matthew wiped off the fake blood with a towel and headed to the makeup room, where it took him twenty minutes to remove the prosthetics and clean up. He changed into a fresh NASA-marked blue undershirt and returned to the set.
After reviewing the footage with Ridley, Matthew remarked, "That's a lot of gore—it might scare younger viewers."
This wasn't a joke. Such scenes would almost certainly earn an R rating.
Ridley reassured him. "This shot is for the DVD release. For the theatrical version, I'll re-edit it to ensure a PG-13 rating."
Matthew nodded. "Let's keep going."
Ridley added, "You've been in great form lately. Keep it up."
The scene they had just filmed depicted a moment of intense struggle for the character, Mark Watney. Yet, compared to the novel's version of events, Matthew's portrayal seemed relatively tame.
Matthew had read the original novel multiple times and knew that the book's Mark Watney endured far more hardships than his script counterpart.
For instance, in the novel, while modifying the Mars rover under NASA's guidance, Watney accidentally destroyed the Pathfinder probe with a drill, cutting off all communication with Earth. Left to his own devices, he used rocks to spell out Morse code messages for NASA. Later, a massive sandstorm cut off his solar power while traveling to the escape pod, raising his chances of death significantly.
Compared to the book, Matthew's version of Mark Watney faced fewer challenges, and the scriptwriters had added a healthy dose of humor and self-deprecating dialogue to keep the audience engaged.
After donning his bulky spacesuit, Matthew returned to the set for another take. At Ridley Scott's command, he dragged a plastic sheet and some metal rods from the base's breach, patching the opening while lamenting the loss of his potato crop.
"Botanists," he muttered, "are all hippies. They think they can feed seven billion people with pure, natural methods. Well, look at me now—forced to forage on Mars. What's here to eat? Red rocks? Oddly shaped sand? They're tougher than my teeth!"
After securing the patch, Matthew carried a rod outside, planted it in the ground, and secured a broken tether to it. With a hammer, he drove the rod into Mars' unyielding surface.
When the rod didn't budge, he flipped off the ground and yelled, "F@#K YOU, Mars!"
Years of looser MPAA standards had allowed such language and gestures to slip into PG-13 movies.
As the character's frustration peaked, Matthew declared, "Mars, you think you're so tough? You're still getting nailed to the ground!"
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