The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!-Chapter 49

Seated before the monitor, Tom Hanks hadn't uttered a word since the audition began, but the pen in his hand occasionally scribbled a few sentences on an actor’s profile. It was these brief comments that would decide the success or failure of every man who auditioned today.
Lowering his head, he drew a large "X" across the profile of the actor who had just auditioned before Matthew.
That actor had left a poor impression on Tom Hanks. He was tall and strong, seemingly a perfect fit for a tough-guy role, but he walked with a slouch and stood limply before the camera. Even in a military uniform, he looked more like a common gangster than a battle-hardened soldier.
There was no point in even considering someone like him.
Hanks set down his pen and looked up just in time to see the next actor approaching. He couldn't help but give a slight nod—this one was a vast improvement over the last.
As the man drew closer, the contrast was like night and day.
He carried himself with an upright posture, his back ramrod straight. Each step was particularly confident, and though his face was quite young, his gaze was resolute, his eyes shining brightly, projecting an air of someone you could trust and rely on.
Tom Hanks instinctively flipped over the actor’s profile and glanced at the name: Matthew Horner.
He picked up his pen and drew a circle over Matthew Horner’s name. This young man had the right physique and temperament for the role of a seasoned soldier. Of the five actors who had entered the audition room so far, he was, based on appearance alone, the most suitable for the part of Ronald Speirs.
The only issue was that he looked a bit young, but with a makeup artist on hand, that was a minor problem.
Of course, Tom Hanks wouldn't let his decision be so arbitrary. For now, it was just a circle. The final verdict depended on the audition itself. If he failed to deliver, the pen was still in Hanks's hand, and he could change that circle to a cross at any moment.
"Matthew Horner," Tom Hanks spoke unexpectedly. "Introduce yourself."
In the audition room, the other judges glanced at Hanks with mild surprise. No one had expected him to take the initiative. It was the first time Tom Hanks had addressed an actor directly during today's session.
For the other four actors, the casting director had done most of the questioning.
The actor in front of the camera introduced himself. The other crew members exchanged glances, then turned to get a better look at the young man. Dressed in a standard-issue World War II U.S. Army paratrooper uniform, he stood as straight as a spear, his face firm and resolute, exuding the faint but distinct aura of a true soldier.
They instantly understood. It was the temperament and appearance of this young actor named Matthew Horner that had impressed the notoriously demanding Tom Hanks.
Everyone involved in the project knew the immense pressure on Tom Hanks, the man who had initiated and was now leading "Band of Brothers." With HBO and DreamWorks pouring up to a hundred million dollars into the miniseries, even a star of his stature would face serious consequences if he messed it up.
So, from the script and props to the costumes and actors, Tom Hanks was incredibly strict, scrutinizing even the smallest details.
He was especially particular about the actors. It was said that he and Steven Spielberg had already rejected a fair number of moderately popular stars who just didn't look the part of a soldier.
No one dared to be careless with a hundred-million-dollar project.
Matthew stood and gave a brief overview of his resume, just as Tom Hanks had requested.
None of the judges found fault with his credentials. After all, having a role in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" and being the lead in a Britney Spears music video largely met the requirement for an actor with some experience but not too much fame.
After listening to the introduction, the casting director glanced at Tom Hanks. Seeing that Hanks had no intention of speaking, he repeated the previous audition process and said, "Walk around the room."
Matthew paced around the audition room.
Then, at the casting director's request, he performed a few more movements, all designed to showcase his posture and appearance.
"Get him a copy of the script," the casting director told an assistant. "Let's have him do a scene."
An assistant director walked over to Matthew and handed him a script, which consisted of only a single page. The page itself wasn't full, containing mostly stark framing instructions for the performance of the character, Ronald Speirs.
The scene was simple: two Easy Company recruits are digging a foxhole. Ronald Speirs, as the new company commander, walks by and overhears their conversation.
The acting portion of the audition began shortly after, with the assistant director reading the lines for the other two characters.
"Did you hear?" the assistant director began. "Our new CO, Captain Speirs, he killed German POWs after the D-Day drop!"
He then lowered his voice. "I heard he gave the German prisoners cigarettes first, and then..."
According to the script, this was when Matthew was supposed to make his entrance. However, the script only indicated that he should enter at this moment, without specifying what he should do or say.
What Ronald Speirs would actually do and say in this situation was left entirely up to the actor auditioning for the role.
This was something neither Matthew nor even Helen had anticipated.
So, unlike the physical aspects of his performance, which he had prepared for, the acting test would have to be improvised on the spot.
Fortunately, Helen had gathered a wealth of information for this audition, including not only the original "Band of Brothers" novel but also the memoirs of David Kenyon Webster. Matthew had been diligent enough to study them thoroughly, making extensive analytical notes. He had paid special attention to the character of Ronald Speirs, dissecting his personality to gradually build a complete picture.
This scene wasn't in the original novel; Matthew guessed it must be part of the screenplay. But since none of the auditioning actors had the full script, he could only imagine what a hardened soldier like Ronald Speirs would say and do.
Ultimately, under normal circumstances, a person's words and actions are inextricably linked to their character.
Matthew could recall one line, a single line that perfectly fit the character of Ronald Speirs as a hardened soldier.
He approached the assistant director, a Thompson submachine gun in one hand, the other rummaging in his pocket. His face was utterly devoid of expression as he asked coldly, "You guys got a smoke?"
"I..." The assistant froze for a moment, then stammered, "No, sir. Don't need one, sir."
Matthew turned and walked away, his face still a blank mask.
"Cut!"
The casting director called a halt to the performance. He looked over at Tom Hanks, who, without any prompting, had hit the play button on the monitor console. He rewatched the scene that had just been filmed, nodding slightly when he heard the line the actor had delivered.
The response, while not exactly what the script had planned, was perfectly in character. It seemed the young actor had done his homework and had completely grasped the essence of Ronald Speirs.
And Tom Hanks, a man who had worked his way up from the bottom, had a soft spot for hardworking actors.
Picking up his pen, he drew another circle on Matthew Horner's profile. The performance had lasted only half a minute, but he had seen enough. The young actor was good enough for the role; the only remaining question was whether he could make the character stand out.
"Matthew Horner," Tom Hanks spoke again. "I have a few questions for you to answer."
Everyone, including the casting director and his assistant, looked at Tom Hanks. He was clearly impressed by the young actor.
In the previous four auditions, Tom Hanks hadn't spoken at all, let alone asked any questions.
The casting director flipped through Matthew's profile and drew a triangle directly on it.
Matthew nodded.
Hanks put down his pen and asked, "Why didn't you dispel the rumors?"
Matthew understood what he was asking and replied, "There's no need to explain something so meaningless. I believe that neither denial nor admission is the best response. The script I received said that Ronald Speirs had just taken command of Easy Company. With a large number of new recruits, there were likely men who didn't trust him as their commander. The rumor about shooting German POWs was a good way to quickly establish control over the company and keep the new soldiers in line."
It was only thanks to a month of meticulous preparation that Matthew could offer such an articulate response. Without the information from Helen, without the long hours of repeated study, without forcing himself to take analytical notes despite his limited writing skills, he would have been unable to say any of this.
Tom Hanks picked up his pen and drew yet another circle over Matthew's information.
The other members of the team secretly nodded at Matthew's words. Of the five men who had entered the audition room, he was indeed the best.
But none of them spoke up. They knew very well that they were merely proctors; the only true examiner here was Tom Hanks.
"In the script we gave you, Ronald Speirs might have killed prisoners of war, but it's just a rumor," Tom Hanks posed another question. "But what if he really did kill prisoners? What are your thoughts on that?"