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On October 17, Charlize Theron’s film The Devil’s Advocate premiered in North America. However, its premiere event had already been held on the 13th at a theater in Westwood, California.

The reason was simple—budget constraints.

To secure Al Pacino, an Academy Award–winning actor, even Keanu Reeves, who co-starred as the male lead, voluntarily took a pay cut so the production budget wouldn’t have to be slashed. Only then could they afford an actor of Pacino’s caliber.

As for Charlize Theron’s salary... compared to the two male leads, it was practically pocket change. Even if she volunteered a pay cut, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

The pay disparity faced by actresses in Hollywood was evident.

That said, a premiere wasn’t the place for complaints.

Charlize Theron appeared on the red carpet alongside the two male leads, wearing a red, form-fitting evening gown that accentuated her figure, paired with her sharp short blonde hair.

Since this wasn’t an especially grand or formal premiere, the two male leads dressed more casually.

Al Pacino, the center of attention, wore an all-black suit with a black shirt and black leather shoes, paired with a loosely tied red-and-green striped tie—far from the stiff, suffocating formal look.

Keanu Reeves’ outfit was even simpler: casual clothes, scruffy stubble, and a knit cap. His signature air of melancholy was already beginning to show—completely different from his polished on-screen image.

As for Charlize...

From the neck down, her look was stunning—the red gown, her toned figure, bronze skin, and short golden hair, all results of recent filming work.

But above the neck... was another story.

Her face was caked in heavy white foundation, creating a stark contrast with her skin tone. Add to that bright red lipstick matching her dress—striking, certainly, though perhaps not in the best way.

---

Henry had already taken his seat inside the theater.

Though The Devil’s Advocate was produced by Regency Enterprises and distributed by Warner Bros., and Stark Pictures had no investment in it, getting a premiere ticket as the studio’s CEO was effortless.

After finishing the red carpet and interviews, Charlize Theron came over and sat beside Henry. The two exchanged a light, fleeting kiss.

Looking at her boyish short blonde hair, Henry smiled. "Looks like filming for Mighty Joe Young is done. Doesn’t seem like you’ve gotten any rest, though."

"And whose fault is that?" she shot back. "I barely had a few days off before diving into prep for the next film."

"Even so, couldn’t you have put a bit more effort into your look?"

Concerned about her public image, Charlize immediately checked herself. "Is something wrong? I took a whole day off just to do makeup and try on outfits."

Henry, clearly courting death, reached out and lightly scraped her cheek with his finger—coming away with a thick layer of white foundation.

"Wow... did you apply this with a cement trowel? When you take it off later, will you need a hammer? Look at me—didn’t I just get a mouthful of powder from that kiss?"

As he spoke, he puckered his lips and leaned in again.

"You bastard!" Charlize laughed, clawing at his face with one hand and pushing him away.

---

While the couple joked around, the two male leads approached.

"Henry."

"Mr. Brown."

They quickly stood, and Henry shook hands with each of them. "Mr. Pacino, Mr. Reeves."

The Italian-American Pacino spoke first, warmly. "That chef you had last time—absolutely incredible. When do I get to enjoy that again?"

"Your praise would make Chef Washington very happy," Henry replied with a smile. "I’ll have someone coordinate with your assistant to arrange another proper dinner. Good food deserves time to be savored—not rushed between appointments."

"Wow, that sounds fantastic. Don’t forget to call me. And—mind if I bring a friend?" Pacino said, slinging an arm around Keanu Reeves’ shoulder.

"Of course not," Henry said. "Mr. Reeves, you’re more than welcome." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Details like guest numbers, dietary restrictions, and allergies could be handled by assistants later. Pacino clearly wasn’t the type to fuss over such things.

No wonder he’d later go bankrupt and end up taking on terrible roles to recover financially. Dealing with lawyers and accountants required a sharper mind—something he didn’t quite prioritize.

Still, someone like him was worth befriending. He was generous and unlikely to undermine others without cause.

Keanu Reeves, standing beside him, gave off a similar impression—someone worth knowing.

After chatting briefly, Pacino wandered off to mingle with others.

Reeves, though less outgoing, was still quite talkative. Smiling, he said, "Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask you about, Mr. Brown."

"Just call me Henry. And if you don’t mind, I’ll call you K.C.—I hear that’s what people call you."

"Of course. I’m honored... Henry."

"Great. So, what can I help you with?"

Reeves said, "It’s about Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation. Charlize shared some really fascinating interpretations—I asked her, and she said most of them came from you.

"I’ve also been studying Kevin Kelly’s machine philosophy and Dylan Evans’ work on evolutionary psychology. I’ve been struggling to find someone to discuss these with."

Charlize added, "Yeah, I’ve got the same assignments. But I don’t get why we need to study philosophy just to make a movie."

Henry replied, "It’s probably the director’s intent. If you understand the underlying ideas, your performance won’t drift away from that vision."

After wrapping up Mighty Joe Young, Charlize would begin preparation for another film alongside Keanu Reeves.

That film was The Matrix, the late-20th-century classic directed and produced by the Wachowski brothers—who would later become the Wachowski sisters.

J.J. Harris had already arranged for Charlize to audition.

Originally, the female lead was Carrie-Anne Moss, a Canadian actress with nearly a decade of experience in television and film.

Henry didn’t dislike the original casting. But when the Wachowskis came to discuss computer-generated effects, he couldn’t resist inserting himself into the casting conversation.

At the time, Industrial Light & Magic—founded by George Lucas for Star Wars—was still the undisputed leader in visual effects.

But by the 1990s, ILM had somewhat lost focus. Its manager, Scott Ross, left to co-found Digital Domain with James Cameron.

For Titanic, directed by Cameron, Digital Domain had chosen to collaborate with Stark Pictures—a fact well known in Hollywood.

After all, few could match Stark Pictures’ extravagance—having access to supercomputers thanks to Stark Industries. Even ILM envied that.

Though Titanic’s visuals hadn’t yet been publicly revealed, they were enough to attract the Wachowskis for a visit.

Without violating any agreements, Henry gave them a "demonstration of firepower," secured a collaboration—and successfully landed the female lead role for Charlize.

After all, with her physical training, willingness to perform action scenes, and determination, she was already high on the Wachowskis’ shortlist.

Despite the long production schedule and demanding pre-training, Henry worked to coordinate between J.J. Harris and Charlize.

Regardless of how later sequels would be received, the first Matrix film was undeniably a classic. There was no reason to pass up such an opportunity.

Many actresses who declined the role—like Madonna and Janet Jackson—later regretted it.

And among those who passed on the project... was even a major star of the era: Will Smith, who turned down the role of Neo.

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