The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers premiered in Los Angeles.
As the second installment of the series, The Two Towers garnered unprecedented attention.
The first film's global box office of $1.042 billion—making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time (recently surpassed by Harry Potter)—prompted Warner Bros. to go all out. The film's cast was dispatched to major cities worldwide for promotions.
New York, Paris, Toronto, Wellington, London... However, Martin skipped all these promotional events, citing a packed schedule and claiming he wasn't the main character of the film.
The first reason was plausible enough, but the latter explanation left Peter Jackson dumbfounded—what do you mean you're not a main character?
At this point, though, no one dared to demand anything of Martin.
So, while others were tirelessly promoting the film, Martin leisurely attended friends' premieres, went on dates, managed the follow-up work for his oil field, and prepared for the early 2003 publication of Harry Potter and Twilight.
Looking at it that way, he really was busy!
Despite skipping the promotional tour, Martin did, at Peter Jackson's insistence, don his Legolas costume to film a short video that was shown as a special feature at the premieres.
Much to the envy of the other Lord of the Rings cast members, Martin's brief video appearances consistently drew the loudest applause and cheers.
As Elijah Wood joked, "I must be the most tragic lead in history. Ever since starring in The Lord of the Rings, people see me and say, 'Oh, look! It's the weak little Hobbit that Legolas protected!'"
Peter Jackson overheard this joke and thought it was pretty good, so he had a writer create more quips for Elijah to use in his tour as part of a stand-up comedy routine.
Unexpectedly, the self-deprecating humor proved very effective, drawing lots of laughs and boosting Elijah's popularity.
This led to a new addition to his set:
"You all know me—not as Elijah Wood the Lord of the Rings actor, but as Elijah Wood the stand-up comedian. If you keep laughing at my jokes, I might have to switch careers!"
While Martin didn't participate in the tour, he was obligated to attend the Los Angeles premiere.
The red carpet, flashing cameras, and ecstatic fans made for an electrifying atmosphere.
"I seem to have gotten used to this sort of scene," Martin thought.
Though his succubus nature thrived on being the center of attention, years of constant public scrutiny, adoration, and fanfare had left him feeling jaded.
The deafening screams from fans and the blinding flashes of cameras no longer stirred excitement in him.
Instead, Martin found himself weary, both physically and mentally.
"It's time for a vacation," he mused. "I haven't even visited that farm I bought in Australia."
Over the years, Martin had built up a massive and devoted fanbase—students, office workers, homemakers, and even successful professionals. These fans praised him online and in the media, swiftly defending him from any criticism with unrelenting fervor.
Some jokesters dubbed them "Martin's Mafia."
The fans embraced this moniker, tweaking it slightly to call themselves the "Myers Family."
This evening, the Myers Family turned out in droves, ensuring the Los Angeles premiere was a grand spectacle.
Within this broad family was an inner circle—Jeff Raymond, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Wentworth Miller, Orlando Bloom, and even Peter Jackson.
Alongside regular cast members like Orlando and Peter, Matt Damon was the biggest name to show up. Thanks to The Bourne Identity, Damon had solidified his A-list status, much to the envy of newcomers like Ben Affleck and Wentworth Miller, who nonetheless saw hope in his success.
When Martin appeared on the red carpet, hand-in-hand with "Liv Tyler," the crowd erupted.
To his left: "Martin! Martin! Martin!"
To his right: "Martin! Martin! Martin!"
Everyone else—whether cast or guest—was relegated to the background, even Leonardo DiCaprio, who had recently been riding high with Catch Me If You Can.
Unsurprisingly, some cast members weren't thrilled about Martin's involvement in the franchise.
During an interview, Elijah Wood quipped, "Folks, I'm officially switching to stand-up comedy today. My first target? Martin. The moment he shows up, he steals all our thunder!"
Standing beside him, Viggo Mortensen playfully added, "Aragorn has regrets. I should've taken a shot at Legolas from behind when I had the chance. The downside of being a hero is that now I have to watch this guy walk the red carpet with the elf princess while I'm stuck with a Hobbit!"
"Hey, careful! That's discrimination!" Elijah mock-complained.
By now, Martin and Liv Tyler had completed the red carpet walk and joined the interview area.
Hearing the banter, Martin grinned. "See? This is why I didn't join the promotional tour. I wanted people to focus more on you guys!"
"Really?" Elijah shot back. "Then you shouldn't have recorded that video. After the tour, all I can hear in my head is 'Legolas, Legolas'—it's driving me nuts!"
The press swarmed Martin the moment he stepped into the interview area.
Surprisingly, the first question wasn't about The Lord of the Rings but:
"Mr. Myers, is it true your oil fields bring in $2 billion annually?"
The staggering figure silenced the room. Even Liv Tyler instinctively tightened her grip on Martin's arm.
Martin maintained his smile. "Where'd you hear that? The oil field hasn't even started producing, and someone's already estimating my income? I appreciate their optimism—I hope they're right!"
The second question came from a reporter for The News of the World, Martin's longtime nemesis.
"Martin, you skipped the promotional tour. Is it because you think your status makes the other actors unworthy of sharing the spotlight with you?"
Martin's smile faded into a smirk. Pointing to Elijah and Viggo, then to Liv Tyler, he said,
"I'm still the same person, no matter how much money I make. My friends and I are equals. But you, dear journalist, stirring up trouble isn't very gentlemanly."
With that, Martin escorted Liv Tyler away, leaving only a parting remark:
"I don't like your question, so this interview is over."
"Martin, wait! We have more questions!"
"Please, just a moment!"
But Martin ignored them, disappearing into the venue.
The remaining journalists turned their ire on the News of the World reporter.
"Damn it, if you don't want a proper interview, why don't you just leave?"
"Is stirring up trouble all The News of the World can do?"
"Next time, let's make sure they don't hog the front row!"
With one calculated move, Martin had effectively turned the crowd against The News of the World.