Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 465 - 466: Bruce Almighty and Jim Carrey

Ang Lee had been feeling troubled lately.

The disastrous box office failure of Hulk had hit him like a ton of bricks. Studios that had been in talks with him suddenly vanished, as if overnight he had gone from being a celebrated director to an industry pariah.

What now?

He thought of Martin's promise once again.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found Martin's number... but his finger hesitated over the call button.

He regretted it so much. He should never have gotten carried away.

Why did he even take on a big-budget effects-heavy blockbuster? He should have just accepted Brokeback Mountain—a project that was perfect for his directing style.

And yet...

Ang Lee felt too embarrassed to contact Martin.

Back when he had rejected the offer, he had done so so confidently. Now? He felt so conflicted.

If Martin really meant it when he said he would wait, why hadn't he called?

—

Martin hadn't forgotten about Ang Lee.

He still intended for him to direct Brokeback Mountain—but first, he wanted to make him sweat a little.

It would make the negotiations easier later.

—

At the tail end of the summer movie season, Bruce Almighty premiered.

After spending some time back in New York filming Spider-Man 2, Martin once again took leave to attend the event.

Frankly, only Martin could get away with taking time off this frequently.

Any other actor would've been fired long ago!

—

AMC Lincoln Square Theater

At the red carpet event, Jennifer Aniston clung to Martin's arm as they walked forward.

Martin could feel her tension.

He gently patted Jennifer's hand in reassurance. "Relax, we've seen the final cut. It's definitely going to be a hit. You do remember who I am, don't you? I'm Miracle Martin."

Jennifer let out a laugh, her body instinctively leaning closer to Martin.

That was the natural dependence that a "collection piece" felt for its owner.

"You're right. You're Miracle Martin—you've never failed before."

After the red carpet, a brief interview, and some mingling at the reception, Martin was greeting the guests when Leonardo DiCaprio approached.

Leo was dressed in a sharp silver-gray suit, his handsome face wearing a charming smile as he politely conversed with a few hopeful young actresses.

But as soon as he spotted Martin, he quickly ditched the crowd of rising stars trying to use him as a stepping stone.

"Jesus Christ, Martin," Leo groaned, "I think I'm gonna puke if I have to attend one more of your premieres."

"You're insane! I do one film a year, and even that exhausts me. But you? Let me count—

Step Up,The Matrix Reloaded,Pirates of the Caribbean,Bruce Almighty...

Oh, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in December!

My God! You're not acting in movies—you're mass-producing them."

Then Leo gave Martin an odd look.

"Seriously though," he continued, "why the hell aren't audiences getting sick of seeing your face?

My acting coach always said an actor needs mystique.

If the audience sees you too often, they'll start blending all your characters together—it ruins immersion.

But you?

I've watched three of your movies this year, and not once did I feel like your roles clashed with each other."

He was bewildered.

By all logic, this shouldn't be possible.

What Leo didn't know was that this was the natural ability of an Incubus—Martin's inherent charm made it so that every role he played felt completely distinct to audiences.

When people saw him as Neo, they believed he was Neo.

When they saw him as Tyler, they believed he was Tyler.

And when they saw him as Jack Sparrow, they believed he was Jack Sparrow.

An Incubus was simply born to be an actor.

Of course, Martin couldn't tell Leo that.

So instead, he slung an arm over Leo's shoulder and grinned. "That's just pure talent, my friend."

Leo looked deeply offended.

Back when Titanic blew up, he'd spent years trying to break free from Jack Dawson's shadow.

And yet Martin could jump from blockbuster to blockbuster without any baggage?

Leo wallowed in self-doubt for a moment before snapping out of it. He playfully punched Martin's shoulder.

"You bastard, cut the crap. Even veteran actors don't take on this many roles back-to-back.

Are you saying they don't have talent either?"

Martin smirked, putting on a serious face.

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"Not at all," he said. "It's just that they don't have my stamina."

"Plus, most actors take forever to detach from their last role before moving on to the next. Otherwise, they risk carrying over traces of their previous character.

But me? I'm just built different."

He gestured proudly at himself with his thumb.

And honestly?

He wasn't wrong.

Leo, once again, found himself spiraling into an existential crisis.

—

At that moment, Jennifer Aniston, who had been quietly listening, suddenly tugged at Martin's arm.

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Oh my God, Martin—Jim Carrey is here! I only sent him an invite as a long shot."

Martin followed her gaze.

Sure enough, Jim Carrey, dressed in a sharp suit, was mingling with guests while subtly scanning the room.

It didn't take long before he spotted Martin and Jennifer.

His eyes locked onto them, and he smiled as he strolled over.

Both Martin and Jennifer quickly put on their professional smiles and stepped forward to greet him.

Watching from the sidelines, Leo glanced at the two of them and squinted.

Why do they kinda look like a married couple greeting guests at their own wedding?

Jim Carrey reached them first.

"Hello, Mr. Meyers."

"Hello, Ms. Aniston."

Jim Carrey was famously serious off-screen. His tone and mannerisms here only reinforced that.

Martin and Jennifer responded with equal formality.

"Hello, Mr. Carrey."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carrey."

Jim Carrey waved a hand. "Oh, please, just call me Jim.

You do know that Carrey doesn't care-y, right?"

(A classic Jim Carrey pun—'Carrey doesn't care-y'—which he often used when introducing himself.)

Martin and Jennifer played along, laughing at the joke.

"In that case, you can just call me Martin."

"And you can call me Jennifer."

The atmosphere immediately relaxed.

Jim Carrey was a master at breaking the ice.

Even when he was putting on an act, it was something very few could do as effortlessly as he did.