America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Anna came prepared, "Me too. After wearing high heels for a long time, my feet become extremely uncomfortable. Later, I specifically learned foot massage. Massaging after taking off the high heels helps with blood circulation and relieves sole fatigue."

She was direct, "You've been walking around in high-heel boots all morning, and since you've never worn them before, it will affect your performance later. Shall I give you a massage?"

Martin sized her up briefly.

Anna knew, in front of a big shot like Martin from the inner circles, that phony talk was useless, "I just want to help you. Your condition is directly related to the quality of the film. If this movie becomes a hit, I can benefit too."

"Come in," Martin said, opening the car door. As she followed him in, he added, "Make yourself at home."

Trailer structures are all more or less the same. After asking Martin, Anna went to the washroom to fetch a basin of hot water and suggested to Martin, "Sit on the sofa and take off your shoes, I'll wash your feet for you."

Martin was always receptive to others' suggestions and promptly sat on the sofa chair, kicking off his shoes.

Anna held up Martin's feet and placed them in the basin, washing his feet while saying, "All these years, I've been to many places. In East Asia, they believe that hot water foot baths are good for promoting blood circulation."

Martin felt as if he saw a chatty and highly skilled masseuse, number 88, and casually replied, "I've heard that too."

Anna talked about her experiences in Cuba and Spain, with a particularly pleasant way of speaking, frequently highlighting the importance of family.

"When I was younger, I also thought about developing my career in Hollywood," she said, resting Martin's foot on her lap, pressing and conversing, "At that time, there were two film crews to choose from, one from Hollywood and one from Spain. But the Hollywood crew offered only 3,000 US dollars for the role, the Spanish crew not only offered me a supporting actress role but also a payment of 15,000 Euros."

Martin relaxed and asked, "You chose the Spanish crew?"

Anna nodded, "Although, looking long-term, if I had chosen the Hollywood crew, I might have already become famous. But at that time, my father was unemployed at home, my mother had fallen ill, and my younger brother had just gotten into university and needed a large sum for tuition. I had no choice but to choose the one with the higher pay."

These words, combined with the foot massage Anna was giving him, Martin suddenly felt an odd sensation and was reminded of a flamboyantly written classic pitch.

"Gambler dad, sick mom, abusive ex-husband, broken she, schooling brother, a two-year-old child..."

Martin and Anna talked about everything from Cuba to Spain, from film art to acting skills.

That sturdy foot was cradled in Anna's arms.

Martin felt as if he was surrounded by well-fluffed cotton.

Anna massaged with heart, pressing her chest up close.

That afternoon, Martin entered the set on time, with no sore feet or legs, and was in high spirits, state of form explosive.

Movie acting requires an explosive performance.

On the first day of shooting, Martin had a small climax in his performance.

During a break in shooting, David Fincher, curious, asked Martin, who came to check the footage, "How come you got into state so quickly this time?"

Martin thought for a moment and said, "The joy from the soles of the feet can invigorate a person."

David Fincher didn't quite understand, but work was pressing, and he immediately turned back to filming, reminding Martin of the points to note for the next scene.

No matter how well prepared during the prep period, various problems would arise during shooting, especially when the director's spontaneous inspiration would lead to appropriate adjustments in some scenes and shots.

Other than playing the lead actor, Martin would occasionally go to the director's monitor to discuss directorial work with David Fincher.

Most of the time, of course, it was David Fincher talking, and Martin listened and learned.

In the two days that followed, the crew was busy shooting scenes involving a female persona, and every day after lunch, Anna would enter Martin's trailer to massage and soothe his feet, tormented by high heels.

This ensured Martin's optimal state while portraying a female persona.

On the last afternoon of shooting this part of the film, Nicholson and Leonardo came to watch the excitement.

Both were a bit surprised to see Martin adeptly nailing the part.

Leonardo seemed to understand something, "No wonder Martin can open the Pandora's box of demons and monsters, his hidden side is that of a drag queen supreme."

Nicholson said, "He has a point. Watching his performance just now, it was carved into his very bones. Even at my peak, I couldn't pull off the vibe of a cross-dressing boss... no, not even Marlon Brando and I combined could manage that."

Leonardo seized the opportunity, "Maybe if you guys used more butter a few more times, that would do the trick."

Nicholson glanced at Martin behind the director's monitor and questioned Leonardo, "Don't you feel a sense of urgency?"

"Sense of urgency?" Leonardo was puzzled.

Nicholson pointed towards Martin, "He has better acting skills than you, and he's also humble and eager to learn about directing. And you? All you do is indulge in eating, drinking, and merry-making. You're bound to lose the bet."

Leonardo looked towards the director's monitor and saw Martin, dressed as a woman, discussing intensely with David Fincher, and couldn't help saying, "This is really fucking unfair!"

He frowned and glared, "How did Martin put it? I remember now, that bastard Martin wants to completely outdo me! As a top star in the circle, he should be indulging in the high life, but he also wants to be a director. That's just too much!"

After discussing with David Fincher, Martin returned to the set and shot three scenes in succession.

The portion of the movie about the female persona was thus concluded.

Arriving at the resting area, Martin kicked off his high-heeled boots, slipped on some slippers, and reached inside his clothing to remove the prosthetic breasts.

That old scoundrel, Nicholson, shouted, "Don't remove them yet, don't take them off."

Martin thought he had something to say, "What's up?"

Nicholson hurried over, extending his claw-like old hands, "Let me feel them first, see how they feel!"

Martin dodged his hands and took off the prosthetic breasts, strapping them on Nicholson's head, "Here, they're yours now!"

Nicholson, however, took them off and threw them to Leonardo, "Quick, take this and treasure it. If Martin wins an Oscar with this role, this thing could be worth a few hundred thousand US dollars!"

Martin exclaimed, "I was too careless!"

Leonardo, being a scoundrel as well, actually took it, "Wait a few years, and we'll hold a special auction. It's bound to cause a worldwide sensation."

Martin took off the wig, shed the skirt and jacket, and slipped on a T-shirt passed to him by Bruce, saying, "Forget it, I won't hold it against you two assholes. The stuff is yours now."

Nicholson grabbed Martin and called Leonardo over. The two of them cornered Martin as he said, "Old Cloth, let's take a photo with Martin now, while he's neither man nor woman."

Bruce took out his phone and snapped a group selfie, then sent it to both Nicholson and Leonardo.

Martin went to remove the makeup and change clothes, then met up with his two partners in crime to rush to Nolan's Beverly Hills residence for an "Interstellar" screening event.

This film was Warner Bros.' top contender for the awards this year, with Nolan aiming for at least a Best Director nomination.

Besides shooting, Martin also participated in some of the Oscar publicity activities for "Interstellar," as he too had ambitions, hoping to land another Best Actor nomination.

Leonardo and Nicholson had both received invitations from Warner Bros., having worked with the studio for many years.

"Interstellar," released in July, was still not pulled from North American theaters. To push for the Oscars, it was still showing in a few cinemas in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

As time went on, the film's reception became even more polarized in North America. In addition to the fervent Nolan fans, there also emerged an equally fervent group of Nolan critics.

However, "Interstellar" was a huge commercial success, grossing a current total of $337 million in North America and $887 million worldwide.

The biggest individual financial beneficiaries of this commercial success were Martin and Nolan.

This year, both films that Martin starred in were immensely successful.

"John Wick: Chapter 3," the super sequel, performed even better commercially than "Interstellar." The film had nearly finished its global theatrical run.

With a North American box office of $522 million and a global box office of $1.078 billion.

"John Wick: Chapter 3" secured the title of the top grossing film of 2014 in both North American and global box offices. Its internet streaming and DVD sales and rentals were also expected to be at the top of the annual charts.