DOS Ch-353, 354

After that first win, the show fell into a rhythm of sorts. One by one, more TV and movie categories were awarded in quick succession, sprinkled with Ricky Gervais’ brand of humor in between. Most nominees were there just to drink and have a good time. Most people didn’t really seem to care about winning or losing.

Then came the first category I was nominated for. Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans walked up on stage together, holding two envelopes in their hands.

“Hey, Chris,” Ryan greeted the other man.

“Hi, Ryan,” Chris shot back casually.

“Why are you here?” Ryan said in an irritated tone. “I was never told I’m presenting this award with you.”

“Well, they told me I’d be presenting it with Scarlett Johansson. That’s why I agreed to do this.”

I laughed at the joke just as the camera focused on me and Scarlett, who was back by my side now.

Ryan made a pained face before shaking his head. “They told me I’d be presenting with Angelina Jolie. What does that mean?”

“That means the Golden Globes set us up. That’s just not fair. I’ll sue them!”

The crowd laughed some more at the bit the two were playing.

“Whoa,” Ryan raised a hand. “Calm down. It’s not like either of them is single. And I don’t know about Brad, but Troy won’t take it lightly if you hit on Scarlett.”

The camera panned back to me, and I gave it a mean, serious look, nodding along with Ryan’s words as the audience laughed. Then I took my index finger and ran it across my throat, sending Chris a very obvious message.

Chris looked at me for a second before quickly turning back to Ryan. “On second thought, it’s better that I’m presenting with you.”

“Wait,” Ryan said, a look of realization crossing his face. “Are you sure it’s the Globes that set us up?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you get a call from Ang Lee recently?”

Chris gave him a disbelieving look. “How did you know?”

“It was about a movie he was offering me, a follow-up to [Brokeback Mountain],” Ryan began, but he and Chris finished the name of the movie together, looking at each other in stunned silence. The audience was eating up their chemistry, and I couldn’t be happier seeing the reaction.

This was all just early promotion for their respective films set to release later that summer, [Captain America] and [Thor].

Having ended the joke, Ryan turned back to the audience. “Here are the nominees for Best Original Song.”

I See the Light – [Tangled]
Sign of the Times – [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]
You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me – [Burlesque]
There’s a Place for Us – [The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]
Coming Home – [Country Song]

Chris Evans opened the envelope slowly, building suspense before finally reading, “The Golden Globe goes to ‘Sign of the Times’ – [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows].”

Immediately, everyone from the Harry Potter cast and crew present at the ceremony stood up. It included my parents, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, and Alfonso Cuarón, to name a few.

I gave Scarlett a gentle kiss before going over and hugging Dad, Mum, and Alfonso. All the while, “Sign of the Times” blasted in the background at full volume.

On stage, I hugged Ryan first, then did the same with Chris, who handed me the trophy I’d won so many times I’d lost count.

“Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this honor,” I began. “I wrote this song to show a mother’s love for her child, so I’ll dedicate this award to two mothers in my life who inspire me every day. One is, of course, my Mum, who gave up her own dreams to fulfill mine, and the other is the mother of my kids, who stands by my side through thick and thin. I’d also like to thank my Dad, Steve Kloves, Alfonso Cuaron, Joanne Rowling, and everyone at Warner for making this movie possible. Thank you!”

I could’ve gone on longer if I’d wanted to, but I decided to keep it short. No one really wants to hear me thank a bunch of people who don’t mean anything to them, and I didn’t want to say anything political or controversial.

As soon as I was done, I turned to head backstage when the woman escorting me asked me to wait.

“Troy, you’re nominated in this next category as well, so just wait a few moments before heading for the interviews.”

I gave her a small smile and did as she asked. The next one was Best Original Score, and it was also being presented by Ryan and Chris. Besides [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows], the nominated films included [Alice in Wonderland], [127 Hours], [Inception], and [How to Train Your Dragon]. A solid lineup.

If I had to give the award to someone other than myself, it’d be a tie between [127 Hours] and [How to Train Your Dragon], though I’d lean toward the latter.

“And the Golden Globe goes to… Troy Armitage, come back on stage, pal. [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows].”

I walked back up and grabbed the second trophy. “Seriously, guys?” I said to no one in particular. “You gave me this award instead of John Powell, Danny Elfman, A.R. Rahman, or Hans Zimmer? I grew up listening to their music, and whatever I am today, it’s because of musicians like them. So give a huge round of applause for these great men, who made us feel so many emotions without uttering a single word.”

The crowd burst into well-deserved applause. I waited a few seconds for it to die down before raising the two trophies I’d won tonight. “Thank you for this!”

As I walked backstage with Ryan and Chris, who were done presenting for the night, Ryan decided to have some fun at my expense.

“What’s your secret, Troy? Who do you have to bribe to get all these Globes left, right, and center?”

I snorted at his ribbing. “I wish I knew. I just go to all the luncheons and meet the voters personally. There are, like, 120 of them, so it’s not that difficult. It’s the Oscars that are the real deal, where the voters are in the thousands.”

“I do that too,” Ryan whispered. “But I never win at these shows.”

“You should’ve won for [Half Nelson],” I assured him.

“Yep,” Chris Evans agreed smoothly. “In fact, and no offense to you, Troy, but I think Ryan was amazing in [Blue Valentine] and deserves some award wins.”

“No offense taken,” I said. “[Blue Valentine] is the kind of movie you watch once, cry, and hope you don’t have to watch again. You and Michelle were amazing in it. Beyond amazing, even. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big upset and you take home the whole thing.”

“Thanks, man,” Ryan smiled. “But I’m not winning. At least not at the Globes.”

That was likely true. It can’t be denied that the Globes were far too prone to being influenced by star power. As Ricky Gervais had joked about Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie’s movie, [The Tourist], it was nominated in three major categories only because it had those two as leads. If it had starred unknown faces and done a similar level of business, it wouldn’t have received even one.

That’s the biggest reason I, and many other stars, didn’t care much about the Globes.

As much as I wanted to hang with the guys a bit longer, I couldn’t. I had post-win interviews to give, so I followed the woman assigned to escort me to the press room. As soon as I faced the crowd, I realized it was the first time I was facing this many reporters after the leaks. I’d given a few interviews, but mostly to talk show hosts, and they don’t stray from approved questions. Not with me, at least.

I didn’t have that kind of safety net here.

“Congratulations on your wins tonight, Troy,” a lady began.

“Thank you,” I said, inclining my head.

“My question to you is simple and straightforward: were you or were you not involved in uncovering the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood and the Honours Row in the UK?”

Fuck. 

Now I regret making music for Harry Potter. Why couldn’t I have just acted and been done with it? There’s no way they’ll give me the Best Actor award for a fantasy movie I’ve been doing for a decade now.

“My answer is also simple and straightforward,” I said after a moment. “Yes and yes.”

The crowd seemed stunned by my admission, but I didn’t care anymore. Everybody already knew, and despite my lawyers’ warnings, I had to set some things straight.

“I didn’t do it to advertise my benevolence. I did it because it was the right thing to do, and I had the power to do something about it. I know there are many powerful people out there whom I’ve really pissed off with that move, but I won’t compromise my beliefs to preserve the comfort of a few elites who have no idea about the ground reality of common people. I don’t either, because I know I’m more privileged than everyone else in this hotel, but I’ll try to do whatever I can to help, whenever I can.”

The reporters listened in stunned silence for a few moments. Then, almost in unison, everyone’s paddles went up, eager to ask a follow-up question.

I pulled slightly away from the mic and said in an exaggerated TV anchor voice, “That’s all the time we have for you tonight. See you all next time.”

A few chuckled at my overly comical tone, but I didn’t want to dive deeper into the rabbit hole of confirming all the leaks and everything they implied. Away from the media circus, I walked backstage and heaved a sigh of relief. Hopefully, that was the last press event I’d have to attend today. I’d have to get ready for the Oscars and other award shows where I might be asked similar questions, but that was a problem for future me.

“Troy!”

I paused and turned to see another of my fellow nominees tonight, a man who should’ve been dead by now if the original timeline had been followed to a T.

“Heath!” I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. “How’s it hanging, man?”

“A little to the right,” Heath Ledger joked before looking at the award trophies in my hands. “Congrats on the win. You deserved it.”

“Thanks,” I smiled at him. “How’s the family?”

The moment I asked that, I regretted it. It was a simple question I asked everyone, but this situation required more tact. Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams’ breakup had been international news not long ago. I didn’t like prying into people’s personal lives, but Heath had come to me a while ago and told me everything.

(Flashback)

“Michelle is divorcing me,” he said bluntly. “She’s asking for sole custody of Matilda, and I don’t know how to convince her otherwise. To add insult to injury, none of my post-Oscar movies have been hits. It’s like the Oscar curse hit me as well. My mental state is at an all-time low, and my therapist has recommended that I should opt for meaningful roles in small-budget movies to get my groove back.”

“And so you decided to come to me,” I added, summing up the situation.

“Yes,” he nodded. “Please help me, Troy.”

I stared at him silently for a few seconds before asking, “Answer me this first. Why did you turn down the role of the Joker in [The Dark Knight]?”

He looked away, not answering for a few seconds. I didn’t interrupt him. I wanted to give him time to formulate his answer properly. Finally, he spoke.

“My agent told me that I deserved better than playing a villain in a movie no one would watch. The first Batman only did average business, which was a shame for a Batman film. To top it off, Warner wasn’t ready to pay me what I felt I was owed.”

And that was the Oscar curse in a nutshell. Just because someone wins a shiny trophy doesn’t mean people will automatically go watch their movies in theaters. All Oscar winners jack up their salaries significantly as soon as they win, which, as a producer, I find stupid.

Heath may have given that reason, but I felt he was hiding something.

“Why is Michelle divorcing you?” I asked bluntly. “And before you say irreconcilable differences, or some shit like that, know that I’ve known her for years. I know she would’ve tried her best to make this work somehow, and she’d never opt for sole custody unless it was warranted. So I guess the real question is, what did you do to deserve that?”

I could see the shame on his face, clear as day.

“I…” he hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and confessed, “I have acute insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I’ve been taking medication for years now, but it sometimes makes me physically ill. I… may have stopped taking those meds and substituted them with weed… and cocaine, which initially felt good, but slowly worsened my condition. I created a big scene when it was just me, Michelle, and our daughter at home. Let’s just say that things escalated beyond what they should have, and the neighbors had to get involved. That was the last time Michelle stayed under the same roof as me. I feel ashamed of myself.”

I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “But now you’re getting better, right?”

He nodded earnestly. “As soon as she left, I enrolled myself in rehab, and now I’m off all recreational drugs. I know I fucked up badly, but I really need someone’s help to get out of this hole and become better.”

I thought about it for a few seconds. I had a strict policy at Phoenix about not working with addicts, but the more I saw the ground reality, the more it felt almost impossible to enforce that in a Hollywood setting, where nearly half the people were on some type of recreational drug or another.

“I’ll give you the role you want,” I said after a moment. “It’s the lead role in a movie by Danny Boyle, which will put you in a [Cast Away]-type situation. It’s a very challenging role, one that could even get you your second Oscar if played right. But if I’m giving you that role, I need reassurances. You’ll submit yourself to regular surprise drug tests. And if we find anything to suggest you’re not following your medication properly, we’ll recast you, even if the movie is one week away from completion. You’ll indemnify us for any losses due to that recast.”

Usually, we have insurance for things like that, but if he’s fired for a drug-related issue, the insurance company won’t pay up unless he’s physically incapable of shooting.

“If your behavior on set is good, then I’ll also cast you in a major supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

“Supporting role?” he argued. “After I turned down Joker?”

“You’re not in a position to negotiate here,” I said seriously. “The Danny Boyle movie and the MCU role come hand in hand. You do either both or none. And the MCU role will continue for at least a decade, across six to seven movies. So what do you say?”

Even before he said a single word, I knew he’d agree. And I’d get either a great Hulk or Hawkeye. I’d leave the final casting decision to Kevin Feige and Heath himself.

(Flashback End)

Recalling that meeting, it felt weird asking Heath how his family was doing.

Before I could subtly change the topic, something unexpected happened.

He held my shoulders and said seriously, “You’ve changed my life in more ways than one, Troy. Thank you for giving me [127 Hours]. I met my new girlfriend, Rachel, while shooting that movie. She was just a waitress in a diner there, as far from fame as she could be. But the moment I saw her, I knew she was the one for me. We started dating last year, and now she’s agreed to marry me. She’s so dedicated to keeping me healthy that I’ve been slowly lowering my dosage of antidepressants and sleeping pills. My doctors believe that within a year or two, I could stop them entirely.”

I shook my head. “I’m happy for you, man, but that wasn’t me. That was all you and Rachel. So thank her, hold her tight, and never let her go.”

“Never,” he said seriously, before we both laughed at his tone.

As we parted ways to head to our separate destinations, I couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy for Heath. He was one of my favorite actors in my first life, and it was so sad to lose him so early. Michelle is a great woman, but clearly she wasn’t the one for him. Hopefully, he’ll have a long and happy life in this timeline.

During the next ad break, I retook my seat beside Scarlett and went back to watching the ceremony.

“Anything I missed?” I asked.

“Natalie won Best Supporting Actress for [Black Swan],” Scarlett said excitedly. “I’m so happy for her.”

I grinned at the news. “Good for her. Now you just need to win in your category as well, and then we can finally have that threesome you want, with her, us Golden Globe winners.”

Scarlett laughed at the joke. “She’s pregnant, you asshole.”

“You’re saying that as if you and I abstained during your pregnancy,” I pointed out, deliberately ignoring the fact that Natalie was in a happy relationship with another man. “I can be gentle if I want to.”

Scarlett groaned. “Can we not talk about this here? Someone will record what we’re saying, and then some lip reader will decode it for the whole world later.”

I laughed at her concern, but I couldn’t deny it was a legitimate fear.

“Alright.”

To be honest, at this point, I wouldn’t even say yes to a threesome, even if Natalie offered it herself. I only brought it up because it had become a running joke between us.

The next award that Harry Potter was competing for was a big one. Best Screenplay. Usually, they go for one of those boring dramas for an award like this, so I didn’t have high hopes.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey walked on stage after taking some lighthearted roasting from Ricky Gervais.

Tina Fey opened the envelope soon enough and read out the name that shocked not just me, but everyone in the room.

“And the Golden Globe goes to… Eric Roth for [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows].”

As soon as my shock wore off, I was on my feet, clapping loudly for Eric, who had written a beautiful ending to Harry Potter without compromising too many plot points from the source material. As he got up from his seat and walked toward the stage, I hugged him on the way and patted his back.

“You deserve it, man.”

“Thanks,” he whispered back before climbing onto the stage.

The next big category where the film was nominated was Best Director, with Alfonso Cuarón in the running. I didn’t have high hopes for the Globes, but my fingers were crossed all the same when Annette Bening opened the envelope and read out the name.

“And the Golden Globe goes to… Alfonso Cuaron for [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows].”

Holy shit.

With this win, [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] was officially the most awarded movie of the night. I hugged Alfonso tightly as he made his way to the stage, extremely happy for him. Originally, Alfonso won his first major directing award for [Gravity], and then again with [Roma]. While the latter was the right win, the win for [Gravity] didn’t age that well because the rewatchability of the film was pretty low due to its weak script. Technically, it was an astounding film, but the Best Director award should be for something more. And with [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows], Alfonso had finally earned it.

“Thank you for this great honor,” Alfonso began. “I would like to thank Troy, Emma, and Jamie. You three are the essence of Harry Potter. Steve and Troy, thank you for believing in me and for selecting me for this movie, even when I was reluctant. And thank you to J.K. Rowling for writing this amazing book series and giving me the blessing to make this movie in my vision.”

He went on to thank almost the entire cast and crew and even exceeded the time, forcing the orchestra to start playing him off.

He was escorted backstage soon enough, and the awards continued. Now, just three more awards of interest were left for me: Best Actor – Drama, Best Actress – Drama, and Best Motion Picture – Drama.

Halle Berry soon came on stage to present Best Actor – Drama, and the nominees were all strong.

Heath Ledger for [127 Hours]
Ryan Gosling for [Blue Valentine]
Troy Armitage for [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]
Mark Wahlberg for [The Fighter]
Jeff Bridges for [True Grit]

Wahlberg and Bridges didn’t deserve the win in any case. They should’ve been happy just to be nominated. Bridges is a great actor who had just won the Best Actor Oscar last year, but that felt more like a career win, as there were far more deserving actors. In [True Grit], his performance was good, but not the best.

As for Mark Wahlberg, to see how good an actor he is, just watch [The Happening]. The most realistic and dedicated performance of his career. Enough said.

“And the Golden Globe goes to… Heath Ledger for [127 Hours].”

A slight pang of disappointment shot through me. I really wanted Ryan to win this one. Unfortunately, some things aren’t meant to be. Nonetheless, Heath was a great choice, so I stood up and clapped for his win.

“Thank you, Troy Armitage, for making this possible,” Heath said, raising his trophy high and looking me straight in the eye.

I could only grin at that. Now I understand why people like Harvey Weinstein want winners to thank them in their speeches. It feels good knowing your involvement helped someone win a major award.

The next award to be presented was the one I was looking forward to the most: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

I grabbed Scarlett’s hand as Jeff Bridges, in his capacity as last year’s winner, took the stage to read out the nominees and the winner. The competition was stiff, with Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Williams, and Scarlett all in the running.

Of the five, I personally loved JLaw and Michelle in their respective roles, but this one was non-debatable. Scarlett blew everyone out of the water, and if she didn’t win, it would be a travesty.

“And the Golden Globe goes to… Scarlett Johansson for [Black Swan].”

“Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air, more excited than I’d been for any other award that night. Then I leaned forward and captured Scar’s lips in a passionate kiss.

She didn’t let me linger, though, and quickly pulled away before sharing hugs with Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman. Then she headed toward the stage.

As I watched her in that dark pink dress, preparing for her speech, I couldn’t help but wonder how she had already won a Tony, a Grammy, and now, if things went as planned, very soon an Oscar as well, all within a year. Then the only thing left would be an Emmy to complete her EGOT. We could be the first couple to both achieve it.

Let’s see how I can encourage her to go for an Emmy next.

“Thank you to the HFPA,” Scarlett said, raising the trophy. I could see how touched she was to receive a major acting award. “I wasn’t expecting this tonight, not when I’m competing with such incredible women in this room. Nicole, Halle, Jennifer, and Michelle, you all gave some of the best performances of your lives, and I’m honored to receive this award among talent like you. I’d like to thank Darren Aronofsky for making this movie and selecting me for this role. Natalie, thank you for being the best scene partner I could have asked for. The producers of the movie, Steve and Tobias. The writers, John, Andres, and Mark. My parents for believing in me. And last but not least, my partner in crime, Troy, who made it all possible, who stood by my side when I was literally pushing myself to the limit for this role. I love you.”

“Love you more, babe!” I called out reflexively, which brought a big smile to Scarlett’s face.

As she walked backstage, I felt tired. Now I just wanted the night to be over so I could go home and sleep for the next few days before returning to shoot [Hacksaw Ridge]. The last award of the night felt like a given. There was no way Harry Potter wasn’t winning Best Picture after already taking home four awards.

And true to my prediction, five minutes later, I was standing on stage beside the cast and crew of [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows], while Dad accepted the award as the film’s producer.

In that moment, I knew that so many wins for a children’s fantasy series were bound to cause a commotion in the news the next day.

I just didn’t expect the focus of that news to be something else entirely.

Breaking: Troy Armitage confirms speculation that he was behind the sting operation on Harvey Weinstein and the Honours Row involving Prince Andrew.

How was that more important than [Harry Potter] sweeping the Golden Globes? I’ll never understand it.

(Break)

I stood in the middle of an elaborate warzone set, with everyone else in position. The most important part of the scene was the simulated gunfire and explosions that Evan had decided to include with practical effects.

I was dressed head to toe in military gear, complete with a helmet, my face matted with dust, blood, and grime from being in the warzone for so long.

We’d practiced the technical aspects of the scene so many times I could’ve done it in my sleep. In a way, I liked that Evan was using as little CGI as possible. In fact, most of the CGI was reserved for the sky, which allowed us to shoot for longer hours and maintain consistency across multiple retakes.

“And action!”

The moment Evan called it, the set came alive. Every actor and crew member knew there was no room for mistakes. Everything had to be perfect, because each mistake could be very costly. From where I stood, it looked perfect. Unfortunately, I couldn’t admire it for long. I had a part to play.

I scanned the battlefield for any of my comrades, staying hidden behind a broken tree trunk. I spotted a fellow American soldier not far from me, alive and moving among countless dead bodies, and made my move.

The moment I did, gunfire erupted in my direction. They weren’t real bullets, but small explosives planted in the ground to simulate gunfire, tearing up the earth around me.

I rolled, dodged, and made a few sharp maneuvers to stay safe before reaching the man I’d seen from afar, who turned out to be none other than a wounded Matthew McConaughey. But he wasn’t alone. Beside him was Jonathan Groff, in a similar state.

For a second, we thought the position had been compromised. Then, as luck would have it, another American soldier, who had been playing dead the whole time, opened fire on the Japanese from the opposite direction, sacrificing himself, but keeping them engaged long enough for me to pull Matthew and Jonathan away from their previous position.

“You want morphine, Sarge?” I asked Matthew.

“That or a bullet,” McConaughey grunted between heaving breaths of pain. Seeing him in the scene, no one would believe he wasn’t a real soldier.

I quickly injected him with a syringe before turning to Jonathan, who had a nasty gash running from the side of his cheek down to his neck, barely above his carotid artery. He was in a much worse condition than McConaughey and was panting heavily, unable to say a word.

“Don’t worry, girls will still want to kiss you,” I said with a reassuring smile, which Jonathan returned.

Then I turned back to McConaughey, my smile vanishing, replaced by a worried look. “I have to take him now, Sarge. Will you be alright?”

“Yeah,” McConaughey grunted. “Get out of here.”

“I’m coming back,” I said with absolute confidence, before hoisting Jonathan onto my shoulders in one smooth motion. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go.”

Evan had suggested using a mannequin resembling Jonathan to carry across the field to make it easier for me, but I shut that idea down immediately. Originally, this particular image of Doss carrying his comrade in a soldier’s carry became the poster of the movie and one of its most iconic visuals, something that stays with you long after the film ends. I had no interest in letting that go.

So I carried Jonathan like our lives depended on it, which, for our characters, it did.

After reaching the edge of the set, where I could safely lower him, I ran back to McConaughey’s position, where he was still injured and waiting for me.

As I ran, a shot rang out, and this time I went down. The bullet struck my helmet, saving my life. I took it off and realized a sniper was hidden somewhere in the trees, waiting to take me out. McConaughey positioned his rifle toward the sniper and motioned for me to throw my helmet. I did, and just as the sniper started firing at it, McConaughey shot him in the head.

Then I grabbed a rifle from a fallen soldier.

“A bit late for target practice, ain’t it?”

I shook my head and wrapped the end of the rifle with a sleeping bag. “Jump on. I’ll drag you.”

“You’re kidding.” He gave me a disbelieving look, but then glanced behind him and saw the Japanese closing in. With no other option, he did as I asked.

I started dragging him with all my strength. Since the Japanese were right behind us, McConaughey fired back, taking them down one by one. But there were too many of them and only two of us, so our goal was simply to make it to the edge of Hacksaw Ridge.

The moment we reached the edge, I grabbed a rope and started tying it around McConaughey.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” he said, disbelieving.

“You’re tying a bowline, boy, not building a bra,” I shot back, repeating his own line from earlier in the movie.

When he was secured properly, I sat him at the edge of the cliff and asked, “Ready?”

“Uh huh.”

Ignoring his less-than-confident reply, I kicked him out of the frame. He fell onto the safety mattress below, and I began slowly lowering the rope, all while dodging enemy fire.

“And cut!”

Everyone froze as soon as the command rang out.

I waited patiently for Evan’s verdict on the scene we’d just shot. Like many of his sequences, he insisted on as few cuts as possible during intense moments, so any mistake meant restarting from the beginning and losing at least an hour in prep. At least this time, I wouldn’t have to shower after every take, so that was a relief.

“That was perfect, guys,” came the reply after what felt like forever. “We’re done here. And with that, we officially wrap all the army and combat scenes.”

I cheered louder than anyone else. I was tired as hell and desperately needed a break. The film wasn’t complete yet. There were still non-military scenes to shoot, like those with Doss and his parents or his love interest, but those were standard scenes and didn’t require the same physical toll as the war sequences.

“It’s over,” McConaughey said as he walked up to me.

“It is,” I agreed, shaking his hand. “I loved working with you, man. I hope we can do another movie together sometime.”

McConaughey grinned. “I’d love that too. You’re amazing. I’ve been acting since before you even knew what an actor was, but you’ve shown me you’re far more dedicated than I am when it comes to the craft. Now all those awards make sense.”

I smiled at the praise.

Then, as if a light bulb went off in his head, he said, “We could actually work together again. I’ve been offered a role in a movie by Steven Soderbergh. He’s looking for a young man in his early twenties for one of the lead roles, and you’d be perfect for it. Only the subject is a little on the… controversial side.”

I closed my eyes before he could even tell me the name of the movie or what the controversy was about. The film he was talking about had to be one that hit close to home.

[Magic Mike]. The movie that made male stripping seem glamorous and fun, and boosted my earnings significantly in another life. 

It was a good film that showed both the highs and the lows of the industry that I would have definitely done if I weren’t who I am. The big question was whether I wanted to relive my old life or not.

________________

AN: With these two chapters, I have two questions I would require your help with.

1. What role should Heath Ledger play in the MCU? Hawkeye or Hulk. He will be one of those, and the other role will go to the original actors who played them.
2. In your opinion, should Troy do Magic Mike? Would you be interested in reading about that, considering his past as a stripper? (Also, sorry if I have asked this question before. I think I did, but I forgot what the response was.)

If I receive a mixed response from you in the comments, I may add a poll for either or both of those questions.