Sitting behind the monitor, Tom Hanks had barely spoken since the auditions began, but the pen in his hand occasionally jotted down a few notes on the actors' profiles. These brief comments would decide each actor's success or failure in this audition.
He lowered his head and drew a red 'X' on the profile of a previously auditioned actor, writing nothing. Such individuals didn't even need their audition tapes rewatched; they could be directly eliminated.
The impression that actor left on Tom Hanks was simply too poor. He was tall and strong, very suitable for a tough guy role, yet he walked with a slouch and stood loosely in front of the camera. Even dressed in a military uniform, he looked more like a gangster's thug and hoodlum than a battle-hardened soldier.
There was no need to even consider such a person.
Tom Hanks put down his pen, looked up, and saw another actor approaching. He couldn't help but nod slightly; this one was far better than the previous one!
The other party walked closer, and compared to the last, the difference was like heaven and earth.
This person stood tall and straight, taking each step with remarkable steadiness. Although his face looked quite young, his expression was resolute, and his eyes shone brightly, making him seem like someone trustworthy and reliable at first glance.
Tom Hanks couldn't help but open the actor's profile and glance down. The name listed was Matthew Horner.
He picked up his pen and drew a circle around Matthew Horner's name. This person's physical appearance and demeanor were very suitable for a tough military man. Judging solely from external conditions, among the five actors who had already entered the audition room, he was the most suitable for the role of Ronald Speirs.
If there was a problem, it was that he looked a bit young, but with a makeup artist, that wasn't a major issue.
Of course, Tom Hanks wouldn't be so arbitrary, so he only drew a circle. The specific situation would depend on his audition performance. If he didn't perform well, the decisive pen was in his hand, and he could change the circle to a red cross at any time.
"Matthew Horner..." Tom Hanks spoke without warning, "Please introduce yourself."
Inside the audition room, the rest of the crew looked at Tom Hanks with slight surprise. No one seemed to expect him to speak first. Since the auditions began today, this was the first time Tom Hanks had spoken to an actor!
The other four actors had mostly been questioned by the casting director.
The actor in front of the camera began his self-introduction. The rest of the crew watched him. He was dressed in a standard WWII American paratrooper uniform, standing as straight as a javelin. His face was rugged and determined, and his voice was strong and clear, subtly conveying a unique masculine and military aura.
These people instantly understood that it must have been the temperament and external conditions of this young actor named Matthew Horner that had moved the demanding Tom Hanks.
They were all participants in the project and knew that Tom Hanks, who initiated and spearheaded 'Band of Brothers,' was under immense pressure. HBO, DreamWorks, and BBC, among other companies, had poured a staggering 100 million dollars into the production of this miniseries. If it failed, even he, Tom Hanks, would face severe consequences.
Therefore, from the script to the props, costumes, and even the actors, Tom Hanks was extremely strict with every tiny detail.
Especially regarding the actors, it was said that he and Steven Spielberg had already rejected many well-connected individuals who were simply not suitable for playing soldiers.
No one dared to joke around with a hundred-million-dollar project.
Matthew stood there, and as per Tom Hanks' request, he briefly recounted his resume.
No one on the crew was dissatisfied with his resume. After all, he had played a role in Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' for promotional purposes and had been the male lead in Britney Spears' music video.
This basically met the crew's requirements for actors to have some experience but not too high a level of fame.
After the actor finished his self-introduction, the casting director looked at Tom Hanks. Seeing that Tom Hanks had no intention of speaking, he followed the previous audition process and said, "Walk a lap around the audition room."
Matthew immediately took long strides and circled the audition room.
Subsequently, at the casting director's request, he performed several other actions, all primarily designed to showcase his posture and physique.
"Give him a script," the casting director said to an assistant, "You'll read lines with him."
An assistant director walked over to Matthew and handed him the script. The script was only one page long, and that page wasn't even full. There were no strict guidelines for the performance of the character Ronald Speirs.
The scene design in the script was simple: two new recruits from Easy Company were digging foxholes, and Ronald Speirs, the new company commander of Easy Company, walked past them, overhearing the soldiers discussing him.
The performance part of the audition quickly began. The assistant director played both roles, though he merely read the lines for those two characters.
"Have you heard?" the assistant director dutifully said, "Captain Speirs, the new company commander, killed German POWs after parachuting on D-Day!"
Then, he changed his tone, "I heard Captain Speirs first gave the German POWs cigarettes, and then..."
According to the script's requirements, it was Matthew's turn now, but the script only stipulated that he should interject at this point, without specifying what he should do or how he should speak.
What Ronald Speirs would do and say in this situation was entirely up to the actor auditioning to improvise.
Matthew hadn't anticipated this, and neither had Helen Herman.
Therefore, unlike his thorough preparation for physical conditions like posture and appearance, the acting audition could only rely on his on-the-spot improvisation.
Fortunately, Helen Herman had collected a large amount of information for this audition, including not only the original 'Band of Brothers' novel but also David Kenyon Webster's diary memoirs. Matthew was diligent and hardworking enough to study these carefully, making extensive analytical notes, especially on the character of Ronald Speirs. He spent a great deal of time gradually outlining a profile.
This scene was not in the original novel, and Matthew guessed it must be part of the script, but no auditioning actor had received the full script. He could only imagine how a tough military man would speak and act, based on Ronald Speirs' character.
After all, under normal circumstances, a person's words and actions are inextricably linked to their personality.
Matthew only thought of one line, a line that perfectly fit the tough military character of Ronald Speirs.
He walked over to the assistant director, one hand holding his 'Chicago typewriter' (Thompson submachine gun), the other hand reaching into his pocket. With a blank expression, he asked coldly, "Do you want a cigarette?"
"I..." The assistant director was momentarily stunned by his words, then reacted, "No... no, thank you."
Matthew turned around and walked away directly, expressionless.
"Stop!"
The casting director called a halt to the performance and looked at Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks showed no reaction, pressing the replay button on the monitor and watching the performance again. When he heard the line the actor spoke, he couldn't help but nod slightly.
Although this response didn't quite match the script's original setting, it achieved a similar effect. This young actor seemed to have put in a lot of effort and had completely grasped the essence of Ronald Speirs' character.
"He must have read the original novel quite a bit, right?" Tom Hanks, a self-made man, appreciated diligent actors. "Very good."
Picking up his pen, he drew another circle on Matthew Horner's profile. The performance lasted for half a minute, and he felt it was sufficient. This young actor's acting skills were enough to handle this role. The remaining consideration was whether he could make the character shine.
"Matthew Horner," Tom Hanks spoke again, "I have a few questions I need you to answer."
Everyone, including the casting director and assistant director, looked at Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks was clearly moved by this young actor, at least in some aspect.
During the previous four auditions, Tom Hanks hadn't even asked questions, let alone spoken much.
The casting director opened Matthew's profile and immediately drew a triangle on it, indicating his focused attention.
Matthew nodded, still standing as straight as a javelin.
Tom Hanks put down his pen and asked, "Why didn't you respond directly?"
Matthew knew what he was asking and said, "Such a baseless matter doesn't require an explanation. I believe that neither denying nor admitting is the best response. The script I received stated that Ronald Speirs had just taken over as company commander of Easy Company, and Easy Company had a large number of new recruits. It's very possible that some people wouldn't trust him as their commander. The incident of shooting German POWs wouldn't be a bad thing for quickly gaining control of Easy Company and intimidating the new recruits."
Being able to articulate these points was thanks to Matthew's month-long meticulous preparation. Without Helen Herman's information, without long hours of repeated study, and without persistently taking notes and doing written analysis despite his limited writing ability, he wouldn't have been able to say any of this now.
Tom Hanks picked up his pen and drew another circle on Matthew's profile.
The rest of the crew, hearing Matthew's words, also nodded in agreement. Among the five people who had entered the audition room so far, he was indeed the most outstanding.
However, none of these people spoke up; they were well aware that they were merely accompanying examiners, and the true chief examiner was currently only Tom Hanks.
"In the script we gave you, Ronald Speirs might have killed prisoners of war," Tom Hanks asked again, "If he really did kill prisoners of war, how do you view that incident?"