The Most Famous Actor in Hollywood

"Back off! Back off..."

On the scenic primitive island, Matthew, gripping Johnny Depp with one hand and Kara Knightley, who had come to sightsee today, with the other, silently retreated into the crowd of the film crew.

Right in front of them, dozens of local tribesmen, acting as extras, blocked the way with prop spears, chattering in their incomprehensible local dialect and appearing highly agitated.

The crew's translators and intermediaries hired in the Dominican Republic were in urgent negotiations, and the situation did not look promising.

Matthew, disregarding the spectators from the crew, kept pulling Kara and Johnny back while also looking behind to see if there was a way out. In case of trouble, he wanted to ensure they could escape.

This was not a shooting scene, and he was not Will Turner. While he could probably handle one or two of the robust tribesmen, any more than that would likely result in a beating.

Indeed, an unexpected incident had arisen. Just as they had filmed a scene where Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, was nearly roasted and eaten by a cannibal tribe, the local extras hired for the scene suddenly went on strike and surrounded the filming location.

Matthew quickly gathered information from a local guide who spoke English. The scene involved Jack Sparrow being captured by a cannibal tribe and placed next to a bonfire, surrounded by vegetables and fruits, nearly ending up as the tribe's feast.

This scene had angered a tribal leader who felt that the portrayal misrepresented their ancestors as cannibals, leading them to demand an explanation.

In such a scenario, it was up to the crew's higher-ups to step in. As for Matthew, his first thought was about escaping safely should the situation escalate.

Of course, he didn't forget his two friends from the crew, pulling the intrigued Kara Knightley and Johnny Depp to the rear of the group.

"Is there going to be a fight?" Johnny Depp asked nonchalantly as he looked at the dozens of tribesmen not far away, "Seems like we have more people."

"Let's hope not," Matthew cautioned. "Remember, this is their territory, and they might have gone to call more of their people."

Kara gripped Matthew's arm tightly, "What should we do?"

Matthew looked back; they had retreated to the edge of a small hill, behind which was a 45-degree slope covered with low vegetation leading down to where the crew's vehicles were parked. With his skills, descending wasn't going to be difficult.

"If the tribesmen become aggressive," Matthew pointed towards the slope and whispered, "we'll go down here."

Kara also looked back and asked, "Aren't there snakes there?"

"Ahh…" Johnny Depp chimed in, "Generally speaking, places like this definitely have snakes."

Kara instinctively moved closer to Matthew, as if afraid of snakes approaching.

Matthew, ignoring Johnny Depp's silly remark, reminded both of them, "If things go south, make sure you stick close to me!"

He kept an eye on the unfolding situation upfront, which clearly wasn't looking good. The tribesmen seemed increasingly agitated, and director Gore Verbinski along with a producer had the crew's security personnel stand upfront. No one had expected such a contingency, and the few security members present were initially there to drive away snakes and other animals.

The crew on location numbered around fifty to sixty people, but in case of a conflict, aside from a few stunt performers from the action directing team, the rest were unlikely to withstand the robust tribesmen.

"Throw money at it!" Johnny Depp finally spoke something sensible, "Just pay them off!"

Kara Knightley, standing on her toes to see over the crowd, asked curiously, "Didn't the crew communicate with these tribal actors beforehand?"

It was apparent they hadn't, Matthew noted, "It looks like there was no communication at all."

Johnny Depp suddenly said, "It's just a movie, not like we're actually making them cannibals. Do we really need to negotiate such minor details? The crew paid to shoot here; what we shoot is our choice."

Hearing such words from the usually eccentric Johnny Depp made Matthew sigh softly.

Kara nodded, adding to Depp's comment, "They're making too big a deal out of it, meddling with the crew for no reason."

Clearly, both felt the tribal actors were being unreasonable, even believing Hollywood had the absolute freedom to depict whatever it wanted.

Matthew was used to such attitudes; 99% of the industry likely shared similar views, and even an eccentric like Johnny Depp was no exception.

The so-called liberalism in Hollywood was rampant.

A middle-aged man with glasses and a large parting in his hair suddenly emerged from the crowd and noticed Matthew, Depp, and Kara.

Matthew and the others saw him too; it was director Gore Verbinski.

Without needing words

, they nodded slightly at each other, all prepared to abandon the set and run if necessary.

Fortunately, the situation did not escalate irrevocably. A local crew member managed to calm the tribesmen after nearly half an hour of discussion and persuasion. Soon, local police arrived. While they did not disperse the tribal actors, they formed a barrier between them and the crew members.

"It's over," Kara breathed a sigh of relief.

Matthew nodded, "The Dominican authorities are here; things shouldn't escalate further."

The crew had spent over a hundred million dollars in the Dominican Republic and employed over 400 locals. For a country with an unemployment rate over seventy percent, this investment was significant. Moreover, the film would boost the Dominican tourist industry once released.

The conflict was quickly resolved, and the crew adapted. Coordinated by the local worker, they provided 100 cases of Coca-Cola to several tribes...

The tribesmen happily retreated, which made one wonder if their motive was to extort the crew.

Of course, the crew's filming plans remained unchanged; the tribesmen would still be depicted as cannibals in the film. However, to prevent further incidents, Verbinski temporarily withdrew the crew back to Santo Domingo, planning to find another location in the US to film the remaining scenes.

Throughout this ordeal, there was no consideration of changing the script to respect local sentiments.

On the ride back, Matthew discussed the topic with Depp, who made it clear that what Hollywood chooses to shoot was its absolute freedom.

Matthew knew that Hollywood was a hub of liberal excess, emphasizing so-called filming freedom—American heroes saving the world, the galaxy, the universe—all under Hollywood's liberty.

This type of liberalism wasn't necessarily bad, but it became problematic when some, under the guise of filming freedom, chose to depict assassinations of foreign leaders...

This was not something Matthew could influence or resolve. As a Hollywood star, he could only adapt to the industry, not change it.

His close contacts like Helen Herman and Johnny Depp saw freedom as a natural right, as essential as breathing, and didn't find repeated mentions of it at all unusual.

"If only America one day gets undone by its rampant liberalism…"

Such a thought crossed Matthew's mind, having heard numerous voices wanting to make California independent.

Politics was complex, and compared to it, Hollywood was like comparing high school to university.

Returning to their hotel, Matthew, Kara, Johnny Depp, and Gore Verbinski dined together. From Verbinski's words, it was clear how the crew handled the situation.

Since producer Jerry Bruckheimer wasn't in the Dominican Republic, Verbinski, as the nominal producer, was undoubtedly the most powerful person on set. He was clear that while they could give small gifts like Coca-Cola to the tribes, the script was absolutely not to be changed.

It was the classic case of verbally admitting fault but resolutely refusing to change.

Matthew wasn't surprised; many in Hollywood were particularly stubborn.

As the tribesmen happily left with their Coca-Cola and the crew didn't dismiss them, with the scenes to be shot back in North America, this episode was effectively over.

"I'm tired."

Johnny Depp stood, stretched, and was the first to leave, "I'm going to sleep in my room."

True to his nature, he didn't wait for a response from the others and left the dining room on his own.

Matthew and the others, familiar with Depp's temperament, thought nothing of it. He and Kara talked with Verbinski for another half-hour before seeing someone approach to discuss matters with Verbinski, prompting them to also leave the dining room.

Riding the elevator to their floor, Matthew tentatively asked Kara, "Coming to my place tonight?"

Recently, the two had been spending almost every night together. Kara didn't speak but reached out to link arms with Matthew, her intentions clear.

As they exited the elevator and just turned into the corridor, Matthew suddenly noticed a figure darting past Johnny Depp's room door, appearing to enter.

At the same time, they heard a parrot squawk.

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