The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 74

Filming on set was ongoing, but Matthew, having finished his battle scenes and no longer needed for background roles, headed to the lounge at Hatfield Airport, located nearest the main entrance, as instructed by the crew. He was ready to give an interview to the press alongside three other actors.

The night before, the production's press attaché had briefed them thoroughly, providing clear instructions on what not to say.

Matthew had no intention of speaking out of turn and was confident he could deliver what the production team wanted.

The two actors who arrived with Damian were strangers to Matthew, but they were principal actors who shared most of their scenes with him.

As the four of them, led by the press attaché, entered the press room, they were immediately hit by the intense atmosphere: a barrage of flashing bulbs accompanied by the relentless clatter of camera shutters.

Although heavyweights like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg weren't present, the appearance of Matthew and the others still drew considerable press attention.

In particular, their presence was notable because they were all dressed in the World War II-era uniforms of the 101st Airborne Division.

This was a key event in the pre-release promotion of the cast.

The four actors, including Matthew, posed together for a group photo before the press attaché directed them to four different areas of the press center to speak directly with the journalists.

The other two principal actors, relative unknowns in the industry, were even less familiar to the press than Matthew. Most of the attendees were entertainment journalists, and some of them instantly recognized him as the much-rumored music video actor.

So, after Damian Lewis, Matthew found himself surrounded by the second-largest group of journalists.

This development was completely unexpected for the press attaché. Before the questioning could begin, he hastily dispatched one of his most experienced assistants to Matthew's side, just in case the young actor said something he shouldn't while under fire from the reporters.

"Don't say anything foolish," the middle-aged assistant warned in a whisper, positioning himself behind Matthew. "Wait for my cue before you answer any difficult questions."

Matthew remained silent, but gave a cautious nod.

The reporters then surged forward, but thankfully, staff members were on hand to maintain order, preventing the scene from descending into chaos.

"One question per person!" a staff member announced loudly. "Think carefully before you ask Mr. Matthew Horner!"

The first few questions came from the production's media partners, and the topics had already been coordinated between both sides.

"Mr. Horner!" a reporter with a Warner TV press pass asked. "I was told you all went through rigorous training before filming began?"

"Yes," Matthew replied, his face as impassive as if he were still playing Ronald Speirs on set. "We had to master combat skills and weapons handling, and we had to run five-mile forced marches carrying forty pounds of gear."

These were all lines Matthew had carefully prepared after his briefing with the team, and though they were entirely fabricated, he delivered them smoothly. "At one point during training, we were only allowed three hours of sleep a day, and sometimes none at all, because we’d be shivering from the cold in the barracks. But getting through that gave me a powerful sense of accomplishment."

The press and the audience wanted to see the narrative the production team had prepared for the show's promotion, not the unvarnished facts.

Having been through a few productions, Matthew now understood this implicitly. He didn't object to telling these lies; it was, he supposed, just a normal part of an actor's job.

"You know, that kind of training brings you closer together," he continued, spinning the tale the production team wanted. "So when we actually started filming, the bond we had formed held us together as a single unit, like a real band of brothers!"

Behind him, the middle-aged assistant couldn't help but give a slight nod, pleased with his answer.

The production team only gave the actors talking points, not specific lines or answers, otherwise it would have looked too fake. Very often, the actors had to improvise.

This young actor, Matthew Horner, was handling it perfectly—far better than he had expected.

In fact, Matthew had done quite a bit of prep work after speaking with the press attaché the previous night, so it was fair to say he had come prepared.

Although he still lacked experience in dealing with the press, he had people backing him up, so he wasn't nervous.

Another reporter, this one from Warner's Empire magazine, asked, "May I ask what role you're playing?"

Matthew maintained his military bearing. "Ronald Speirs, commander of Easy Company's fourth platoon."

Next, a reporter from Entertainment Weekly asked, "Did you have any particular feelings or insights from the filming? Could you share them with us?"

These three reporters, all from companies affiliated with HBO, asked questions that were not only polite but also perfectly aligned with the production's promotional needs.

Matthew paused thoughtfully before answering. "I've never experienced an adrenaline rush like that before. As soon as filming started, the entire set was chaos. People were falling, bombs were exploding next to you one after another... I could just imagine soldiers being cut down in droves under fire. We had fear in our eyes. We knew it wasn't real, but what really scared us was thinking about how the actual soldiers survived all of that back then, during the war."

"And," he added, "that comradeship inevitably forges a strength that can overcome any enemy. Brotherhood is everything."

As he said this, he subconsciously glanced back and saw the middle-aged press assistant discreetly give him a thumbs-up. He instantly felt more at ease.

When he had first seen the young actor last night, he’d wondered why the team had chosen such a "minor" actor for the press conference. Now, it seemed the production had prepared him well. This Matthew Horner spoke as articulately as any press or PR professional.

A real talent! The thought suddenly crossed his mind that if this kid's acting career didn't pan out, he could become a press attaché or a professional media publicist and be perfectly competent.

Matthew understood the value of an opportunity like this. For an actor at his level, a press conference in front of so many media outlets was a rarity. Now that he had the chance, he was determined to give it his all, from his cold, military demeanor to his answers for every question—he had prepared for everything.

According to Helen, every press appearance was another credit to his name, something that could be valuable when she was pitching him for his next role.

The interview continued, but the questions soon drifted away from the series and his character. After all, many reporters were there because they recognized Matthew as Britney Spears's rumored boyfriend.

Inevitably, the questions veered into gossip.

"Mr. Matthew Horner!" a reporter from a well-known tabloid asked bluntly. "What is the real nature of your relationship with Britney Spears?"

Matthew turned his head to look at the middle-aged press assistant, who gave a slight shake of his head. Matthew immediately said, "Sorry, I'm not answering any questions unrelated to the show."

A crew member immediately called on another journalist, who asked another "proper" question related to the series.

The Q&A went on for over half an hour. At the end, at the reporters' request, Matthew posed for several cool, military-style photos.

With his strong, defined features, tall frame, calm demeanor, and deep, cold gaze, he looked like a hardened soldier from every angle they shot him.

"The casting on this show is good," a few reporters murmured amongst themselves. "He looks like he was born to be a soldier."

Another chimed in, "Yeah, it’s a shame he didn't join the army."

Matthew's expression didn't change, but inwardly he was cursing the reporters. Join the army? Become cannon fodder for the grand old USA? Never in a million years!

The interview ended smoothly. As the reporters dispersed, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. His temporary middle-aged handler stepped forward and whispered, "Good work!"

Matthew smiled at him. Only he knew how tough it had been dealing with those reporters.

The middle-aged assistant said, "Let's go."

He knew he hadn't been needed at all; the actor named Matthew Horner had handled everything perfectly.

The four actors gathered for one last photo call, and with that, the press conference was over.

Afterward, Matthew returned to filming. Ronald Speirs had a limited role, and for most of the shoot, he was essentially an extra. But he didn't relax for a second; any on-camera appearance was an extremely rare opportunity for someone who had been in the business for less than a year.

During the filming of "Band of Brothers", Matthew marked the first anniversary of his arrival in this world. In one year, he had gone from a nobody struggling with food and shelter to an actor who had achieved a measure of success in Hollywood and had solved the basic problems of survival.

He took stock of his progress with some satisfaction. At the very least, his current path was on a steady upward trajectory, not a downward one.

Of course, he was still a very, very long way from being a true Hollywood star.

Matthew's filming at Hatfield Airport continued through April. By the end of the month, all of his scenes as Ronald Speirs were complete, and he was ready to return to North America.

Next up, he had to prepare for the red carpet premiere of "Gladiator".

Helen had secured the opportunity for him, and Matthew had no intention of letting it go to waste. He was eagerly looking forward to walking the red carpet for the very first time.