Chapter 120: Best Young Actor

The Saturn Awards were still ongoing when news of Hollywood's rising star, Martin Davis, winning the Best Young Actor began to flood the internet. Over twenty well-known entertainment bloggers praised Martin's achievement and highlighted his remarkable journey from a slum-born individual to success through sheer determination—a story that resonated with many.

These bloggers even shared links to Martin's own blog.

Backstage at the Saturn Awards, Martin clutched his Saturn Awards trophy, ready to make the most of the moment. Bruce, his companion, had a digital camera in hand.

Upon spotting Uma Thurman, who had just received the Best Actress award, Martin approached her with a smile. He pointed to his trophy and said, "Ms. Thurman, I'm a huge fan of 'Kill Bill,' and I particularly admire your performance alongside Ishii. Could I get a photo of the Royal Lotus showdown with you?"

Uma Thurman, noticing the trophy and recalling the impressive dance, agreed with a nod, "Of course."

They posed together, and Bruce captured the moment.

After the photo, Uma Thurman complimented Martin, saying, "I've become a fan of yours after that dance. It was amazing!"

Martin playfully responded, "Wow, to have a big fan like Uma Thurman, I can't believe it! I won't be able to sleep tonight, or maybe this entire week—I'll be too excited!"

Everyone enjoys flattery, especially when it's delivered with such enthusiasm. Uma Thurman engaged in a brief chat with Martin before he moved on.

Later, Martin spotted Elijah Wood, who had won the Best Actor award for "Lord of the Rings," and eagerly approached him for a photo.

Next, he saw Jennifer Connelly, who was at the awards as a guest. Jennifer, known for her stunning beauty in the 1980s, looked a bit different, possibly due to recent medication. Nevertheless, Martin used his Saturn Award trophy as a conversation starter and convinced her to take a cheerful photo with him.

In a hushed tone, Bruce asked, "Can we use these photos?"

Martin assured him, "I checked, and it's fine. I even discussed it on my blog."

Bruce cautioned, "Quentin is here."

As Quentin Tarantino, the director of "Kill Bill," entered with a smile, Martin intercepted him. It seemed that quirks and fetishes were shared interests. They engaged in a passionate discussion about which movie heroine had the most beautiful feet and, afterward, took a photo with their arms around each other.

Before leaving, Quentin proposed, "Man, you're a character. Let's grab a drink sometime."

Martin exchanged contact information with him.

Bruce and others chuckled and remarked, "I think he's even quirkier than I am."

Martin whispered, "Between you two, one woman would suffice. He's into feet, and you're into rear ends."

With trophies in hand and some flattering words, Martin also snapped pictures with Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, and Keanu Reeves.

He even managed to get a photo with Peter Jackson.

Isn't the key to success often persistence and seizing opportunities?

After the awards ceremony, Bruce handed the camera's memory card to Thomas.

Thomas promptly left the Avalon Theater, went to a pre-booked nearby room, and opened his laptop. He logged into Martin's blog, where he had prepared a post in advance about Martin's journey to winning the award. He uploaded various photos taken by Bruce during the event, particularly highlighting those with Martin holding the Saturn Award trophy alongside celebrities and directors.

Thomas also alerted the entertainment bloggers he had connections with, urging them to share Martin's blog post one after another.

The attention quickly shifted to Martin's blog.

But there was more than just that on Martin's blog.

There were photos featuring Elisha Cuthbert, videos of practicing the zombie machine gun dance, behind-the-scenes images from "House of Wax," and much more.

Previously, most of the blog's followers had come through Elisha's connection.

As soon as these posts were published, Martin's blog followers surpassed 10,000.

Meanwhile, editors of numerous entertainment newspapers and magazines examined the pictures and started crafting various articles about Martin.

The hard-earned sponsorship funds needed to be spent wisely. Media coverage and celebrity mentions were valuable assets, akin to film reviews and endorsements.

Following the official party, Martin, like most attendees, left Avalon and returned to Los Angeles. During the journey, he called Louise, saying, "Hey, party animal, are you awake? I won the big one! Aren't you going to celebrate with me?"

Louise responded, "I'll be waiting for you."

Martin drove to Sherman Oaks and entered Louise's villa.

There, at the bar in the living room, Louise awaited his arrival.

Martin took his trophy and sat across from her. The award now graced Louise's table, proudly labeled as the "Best Young Actor Award."

Louise poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Martin, and inquired, "What brings you here?"

Martin replied earnestly, "I couldn't have achieved this without you."

Louise smiled, not entirely following. Martin continued politely, "How can I thank you?"

He then casually removed his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa. Playfully clasping his belt, he suggested, "I'll repay you with my body."

Louise took a sip of her wine and extended her arms, saying, "Just a hug. Carry me upstairs."

Martin scooped her up and headed to the upstairs bedroom.

The next morning, Martin completed several laps in the first-floor swimming pool, took a shower, and joined Louise for breakfast. Mary, the housekeeper, brought in a stack of newspapers.

Louise mentioned, "I asked Mary to fetch them specifically."

Martin took a newspaper and skimmed through it, noting numerous reports about himself. The front page of the "American Hearings" featured the Saturn Awards ceremony, listing Martin among the winners. Further into the newspaper, on the third page, a detailed article introduced the Best New Actor, Martin Davis, with accompanying photos. Similar reports appeared in several entertainment gossip newspapers.

Louise inquired, "Did you spend a lot? I hope your savings can handle it."

Martin, shamelessly, responded, "That's why I sought the support of a wealthy woman." He paused briefly, then added, "I secured sponsorship from the Hulk Mansion Strip Club, and they covered all my expenses for the award ceremony."

Louise couldn't help but laugh. "You came to Los Angeles to start a new career, yet you haven't given up your Atlanta base."

Martin replied, "It's called attacking while having a retreat plan." He set the newspaper aside and prepared to enjoy breakfast.

The paid reports in entertainment gossip newspapers mostly contained short essays based on themes provided by Thomas, and the content was quite similar.

Louise handed him a copy of "The Hollywood Reporter" and remarked, "You seem to have quite a few devoted fans. One woman was interviewed last night and had many good things to say about you."

Martin quickly browsed through it. The interviewee turned out to be Rachel, focusing on the recent fan meeting and the red carpet event.

Martin commented, "This one isn't for free." He glanced at the back pages and explained, "High-end industry newspapers like 'The Hollywood Reporter' are expensive. A single copy costs more than ten regular ones, yet it doesn't sell as much as three of the others combined."

Many tabloid newspapers had impressive sales, especially among the general public.

Louise added, "I took a look at your blog, and you've gained a lot of followers."

Martin replied, "I'll need to use your computer later."

After breakfast, he grabbed a laptop and checked online. Overnight, the number of followers on his blog had exceeded 30,000. He also found numerous articles online, including his performance at the awards ceremony and discussions on various websites and forums. Several film forums had featured his posts prominently.

Martin searched for his name with a search engine and found numerous entries related to "Zombie Stripper," the Saturn Awards, and the Zombie Machine Gun Dance. Furthermore, he noticed a special message on the IMDb website.

The official film information website had officially added Martin Davis as an actor, complete with an IMDb number: nm0451313. The profile picture was taken from the Saturn Awards ceremony, and it listed three entries for his participating works: "City Folks," "Zombie Stripper," and "House of Wax" (with the status "Unpublished").

Martin had done voiceover work for the last entry and asked Louise, "Has the release date for 'House of Wax' been set?"

Louise replied, "The traditional release window for horror films is October." She added, "The investors behind Paris Hilton and I wanted to recoup our investment quickly and put pressure on Warner Bros."

Martin inquired, "What was the original release plan?"

Louise answered, "Next year." She elaborated, "Big companies have their downsides. They juggle many projects, and scheduling can be a hassle."

She winked at Martin and said, "For you, I asked Warner Bros. to release it earlier."

Martin mentioned, "What about your epic film, 'Alexander the Great'?"

Louise frowned slightly. "December is the prime time for epic films, but I'm not entirely satisfied with it." She explained, "The epic 'Troy,' released early in the month, starred Brad Pitt and didn't perform as well as Warner Bros. had hoped in its first week."

She continued, "I'm telling you what to watch out for, but you're not at a level where you need to worry about it yet. Martin, please remind your agent. Winning a significant acting award qualifies your agency to invest more resources."

Martin assured her, "Thomas is already on it. Honestly, I trust you more than my agent. What kind of resources do you think the agency can invest in me?"

Louise reminded him, "Don't aim for overnight success. You've won the Saturn Award for Best Young Actor, not an Oscar for Best Actor."

She pondered for a moment. "Typically, you'd be considered for a supporting role in a $20 million production or even less for a lead role, depending on the opportunity. Film success is an essential qualification, and the lead actor and actress shoulder most of the responsibility for failure."

Martin grasped her message. "So, I should be cautious about lead roles in big productions?"

Louise nodded, "Precisely. No matter how influential the producer or distributor is, if a film fails, the blame primarily falls on the director and the lead actors and actresses. You've just started thinking about leading roles; imagine messing up your first one. You don't need me to tell you what would happen."