The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 41

At 9 a.m. sharp, just as he’d promised, Matthew arrived at Warner Studios in Burbank. He had to wait less than three minutes before Helen and Amanda’s car pulled in.

After parking, Helen and her cousin got out, and the three of them entered the sprawling studio lot.

“This place looks a bit rundown,” Matthew remarked, glancing around at the weather-beaten soundstages and buildings. “Has Warner Bros. run out of money?”

Helen remained silent, but Amanda explained, “Warner Bros. hasn’t been filming much in Los Angeles in recent years. They mostly shoot in Australia, so this lot is mainly used by their subsidiary, HBO.”

“HBO?” Matthew asked, the name sounding vaguely familiar.

Helen had pulled him from the music video set in such a hurry that all Matthew knew was that the audition was for a major role. Lacking any specifics, he couldn't help but ask, “So I’m auditioning for an HBO series?”

Helen finally spoke. “It’s a series co-produced by HBO, DreamWorks, and several other companies.” She paused, then added, “And the producers are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.”

“Sounds impressive,” Matthew murmured.

Even as a relative newcomer, he was familiar with a company like DreamWorks, and the names Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were legendary.

He’d seen Saving Private Ryan several times but knew next to nothing about American TV shows about World War II.

“The series is based on a book about the 101st Airborne Division,” Amanda elaborated. “Back in 1998, during the publicity tour for Saving Private Ryan, a World War II veteran handed Tom Hanks a book about the 101st. After reading it, Hanks gave it to Steven Spielberg, and they decided to turn it into a miniseries they would produce together.”

Helen glanced at her cousin, and Amanda playfully stuck out her tongue. “It was in the newspaper ad,” she said.

“The project’s working title is Band of Brothers,” Helen chimed in. “And for the most part, what Amanda said is accurate.”

Matthew turned to Helen, grumbling, “Miss Herman, the audition is about to start, and I still have no idea what it entails.”

“I’ve already taken care of everything,” Helen said, her gaze fixed forward, seemingly oblivious to Matthew. “This is just a preliminary audition. You’ll put on a soldier’s uniform, and the casting director will see if you have the right look for the show.”

Matthew shrugged and fell silent.

They reached a soundstage with a large HBO sign hanging over the entrance. Helen spoke briefly with a crew member, then led Matthew and Amanda inside, down a corridor to the left, and into a vast waiting room.

The room was filled with rows of chairs, packed with hundreds of actors. As Matthew scanned the crowd, he noticed they all shared a common trait: every single one of them was a white male, appearing to be anywhere from their late twenties to early forties.

There might have been a few men of mixed race among them, but they all looked white.

Helen glanced at her watch. “Wait here,” she instructed. “I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

Once Helen had gone, Matthew and Amanda found an empty bench and sat down.

“Why is everyone here white?” he asked curiously. “Movie studios usually love to push for ‘diversity’ in their casting.”

“You don’t know?” Amanda gave Matthew a surprised look. Seeing his genuine confusion, she explained, “There were no soldiers of color in the 101st Airborne during World War II.”

Matthew nodded. “I guess I don’t know much about history.”

American history was a complicated subject for him; his knowledge was limited to major events like the Normandy landings and famous figures like Roosevelt.

“Amanda, can I ask you something a little personal?” Matthew suddenly ventured. “How old is Helen?”

“Why are you asking?” Amanda eyed him. “Don’t you know you never ask a woman her age?”

Matthew made a vague gesture. “It’s just that Helen looks like she’s in her early twenties, but she’s so composed and seems to have so much real-world experience.”

He figured Helen’s life experience was no less than his own, but his had been forged in the crucible of hardship. He’d left school and started working right after high school, learning his lessons from the very bottom of society. He’d been a child from a poor, mountainous region, a man who had single-handedly supported his entire family. The difficult life he’d lived, the complex mental journey he’d undergone—these were things most ordinary people would struggle to even comprehend.

Amanda’s response was direct. “And that’s not normal?”

“Normal?” Matthew countered with his own view. “Aren’t girls from her kind of background supposed to be like delicate flowers in a greenhouse?”

“You seem to have a bias against people from privileged backgrounds,” Amanda said with a frown. “There are plenty of people like you’re describing, but not everyone’s like that.”

She shrugged. “Helen started going with her father to formal business parties when she was just fifteen, getting involved in events all over the Hollywood scene. She’s met countless people over the past decade. Even when she was buried in university courses, she never stopped her practical training. After graduating two years ago, she spent more than a year in the mailroom at CAA.”

Amanda clearly admired her cousin. “Helen has put in more work and sacrificed more than you can imagine, all so she could strike out and start her own agency.”

Matthew had never moved in so-called elite circles and knew very little about them. Still, he could guess that Helen’s vast network was inseparable from her family’s connections. Amanda had told him once that Helen’s father had been navigating the Hollywood scene for decades, and while he might not have been one of the top players, he was certainly no insignificant figure.

Matthew was certain Helen had chosen a career in Hollywood because it was the path of least resistance for her.

Matthew and Amanda were still talking about Helen when she reappeared.

She gave a sharp nod, gesturing for them to follow. “Come with me.”

The pair immediately followed Helen out of the waiting room and toward another door. Helen addressed a crew member standing by it. “Please let Mr. Eric know that Matthew Horner is here.”

As if on cue, the door opened from within, revealing a middle-aged man. “Come on in,” he said.

Helen, who evidently knew the man, stepped inside first. “Eric, this is my client, Matthew Horner.”

Then, as Matthew walked in, she made the introduction. “Matthew, this is Eric Bork. He’s one of the screenwriters for the series.”

“A pleasure, Mr. Bork,” Matthew said, extending his hand. Eric shook it firmly.

Eric then gestured toward a nearby wardrobe assistant. “Go with him. Time to get you changed.”

Matthew went with the assistant into an adjacent room, where he was handed a well-fitting airborne division uniform.

“He has a great physique—tall and lean,” Eric remarked, sounding more than satisfied with Matthew. “He should sail through the initial screening with the casting team.”

Helen smiled. “Matthew is a natural for these tough, physical roles.” She didn’t miss the opportunity to add, “It was his look that convinced Ridley Scott to cast him as the barbarian chieftain in Gladiator.”

Eric nodded. “I’ll be sure to put in a good word for him with the casting directors.”

“Thank you, Eric.”

They spoke for only a few moments more before Matthew emerged, fully changed. Wearing the standard World War II combat uniform of the 101st Airborne Division, complete with a steel helmet, he looked imposing, rugged, and valiant.

“He’s perfect,” Eric said with an appreciative glance. He beckoned to an assistant. “Take Mr. Horner over to the casting group.”

Helen wasn’t the least bit worried. Matthew had the perfect look for the part, and with Eric putting in a good word, she was sure he’d get through.

Matthew was led to the audition room. He waited for the actor ahead of him to finish, then was called inside. The process was even simpler than his first audition for the music video: he introduced himself, then simply stood there as the casting team observed him and sized up his build. After they took a few photos, he was told he was free to go.

It wasn’t for any specific role; the casting team simply wanted to see if he looked the part for a war series.

The results came back quickly. By the time Matthew returned to the dressing room, Helen had already received word that he’d passed the screening.

Matthew had just changed back into his street clothes, and Helen was preparing to take her leave, when Eric suddenly spoke up. “Everyone,” he said, “there are a few things I need to make clear beforehand.”