The Box Office King of Hollywood

Sitting behind the monitor, Tom Hanks had barely spoken since the audition began, but occasionally, he jotted down a few notes on the actor profiles. These brief comments were crucial, determining the success or failure of each actor in the audition.

He bowed his head and drew a red "X" on the profile of a previous auditionee, writing nothing beside it. This type of candidate didn't even warrant a review of their audition tape—they could be directly eliminated.

The impression left by that actor on Tom Hanks was extremely poor. Although tall and robust, perfect for a tough-guy role, his slouching walk and loose stance in front of the camera made him look more like a gang enforcer than a hardened soldier.

There was no need to consider such a candidate.

Tom Hanks set down his pen, looked up, and saw another actor approaching. He nodded slightly; this one was far better than the last.

The difference was like night and day.

This man stood tall and straight, each step steady. Although his face looked quite young, his expression was resolute, and his eyes were piercing, giving off a dependable and reliable vibe.

Tom Hanks couldn't help but flip through this actor's profile and glanced down. The name listed was Matthew Horner.

He circled Matthew Horner's name with his pen. The actor's physical attributes and demeanor perfectly suited the role of a tough military man. Among the first five actors who had auditioned, he was the most fitting for the role of Ronald Speirs.

There was a concern—his youthful appearance, but that was nothing makeup couldn't fix.

Of course, Tom Hanks wouldn't decide so hastily. He only drew a circle, pending the actor's audition performance. If it turned out poorly, he was ready to change that circle to a red X.

"Matthew Horner," Tom Hanks unexpectedly spoke up, "introduce yourself."

Inside the audition room, other members of the crew looked at Tom Hanks with a hint of surprise. No one expected him to speak up. It was the first time today that Tom Hanks had spoken directly to an actor.

The other four actors had primarily interacted with the casting director.

Standing before the camera, the actor began his introduction, looking every part the World War II American paratrooper, standing tall like a javelin, his face rugged and determined, his voice firm—exuding a masculinity and military bearing that was unmistakable.

Everyone instantly understood; it was this young actor's qualities that had impressed the demanding Tom Hanks.

They all knew the stakes. Tom Hanks, alongside HBO, DreamWorks, and BBC, had thrown a whopping one hundred million dollars into this miniseries. A failure, even for Tom Hanks, would be disastrous.

From script to props to costumes to actors, Tom Hanks was exceptionally stringent.

Especially concerning actors, it was rumored he and Steven Spielberg had turned away many unsuitable candidates due to nepotism.

No one dared take a hundred million dollar project lightly.

Matthew stood as requested by Tom Hanks and briefly outlined his resume.

The crew had no objections to his credentials; having played a promotional role in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" and starred in a Britney Spears music video, he fit the bill of being experienced yet not overly famous.

After the introduction, the casting director instructed as per usual, "Walk around the audition room."

Matthew immediately strode across the room.

Following the casting director's instructions, he performed several other actions, mostly to showcase his posture and appearance.

"Give him a script," the casting director told an assistant. "You'll read lines with him."

An assistant director approached Matthew with a script—a single page, barely filled, providing no detailed guidance on how to portray Ronald Speirs.

The scene was simple: two new soldiers of Easy Company were digging foxholes when Ronald Speirs, the new company commander, passed by and overheard the soldiers talking about him.

The performance portion of the audition began quickly. The assistant director played both roles, simply delivering lines.

"Did you hear?" the assistant director performed diligently. "The new captain, Speirs, killed German prisoners on D-Day!"

Then, changing his tone, "They say Captain Speirs handed them cigarettes first, then..."

According to the script, this was Matthew's cue to enter, but it only specified that he should speak now, without detailing his actions or words.

Ronald Speirs's reaction to this situation was left entirely to the auditioning actor's improvisation.

This caught Matthew off guard, just as Helen Herman hadn't anticipated.

Thus, unlike his thorough physical preparations, his performance had to rely entirely on his improvisation.

Fortunately, thanks to Helen Herman's extensive research, including the original "Band of Brothers" book and David Kenyon Webster's memoirs, and Matthew's own diligent studies and analysis, he was ready.

The novel didn't include this scene, so Matthew had to guess it

 was part of the screenplay, but since none of the auditioning actors had received a script, he had to base his portrayal on Ronald Speirs's character.

Ultimately, a person's actions and words reflect their character.

Matthew thought of only one line, perfectly fitting for Ronald Speirs, a tough military man.

He approached the assistant director, one hand cradling a Thompson submachine gun, the other dipping into his pocket, his face expressionless, and asked sternly, "Do you want a cigarette?"

"I...," the assistant director stuttered, then recovered, "No... no, thank you."

Matthew turned and walked away without a word.

"Cut!"

The casting director halted the performance, looking to Tom Hanks, who showed no reaction but pressed the playback button on the monitor to review the scene. When he heard the line delivered by the actor, he nodded slightly.

Although the response didn't exactly match the script, it had a strikingly similar effect, showing that the young actor had indeed done his homework, capturing the essence of Ronald Speirs.

"He must have read the original book, huh?" Tom Hanks, a self-made man who appreciated hard-working actors, remarked approvingly.

He circled Matthew Horner's name again on the profile. The half-minute performance was convincing enough; the actor's skills were sufficient for the role. The only remaining question was whether he could make the character truly shine.

"Matthew Horner," Tom Hanks spoke again, "I have a few questions for you."

Including the casting director and assistant director, everyone looked to Tom Hanks, clearly impressed by the young actor, at least in one respect.

During the previous four auditions, Tom Hanks had hardly spoken, let alone asked questions.

The casting director, motivated by this turn of events, marked Matthew's profile with a triangle indicating special attention.

Matthew nodded, still standing tall like a javelin.

Tom Hanks put down his pen and asked, "Why didn't you respond directly?"

Matthew knew what he was asking. He replied, "Such baseless accusations don't require an explanation. I believe neither denying nor confirming is the best response. According to the script I received, Ronald Speirs had just taken command of Easy Company, which had recently been reinforced with new recruits. Some might not respect his authority as commander. The rumor of him killing German prisoners could serve well in quickly establishing control over Easy Company and intimidating the new recruits."

His response was a result of a month's meticulous preparation. Without Helen Herman's research, extensive reading, and even his limited writing skills, he couldn't have articulated such a thoughtful answer.

Tom Hanks picked up his pen and circled Matthew's information once more.

The rest of the crew silently acknowledged Matthew's superior performance among the five candidates, but they remained quiet, well aware that they were merely observers. The real decision-maker was Tom Hanks alone.

"We've given you a script where Ronald Speirs might have killed prisoners of war," Tom Hanks continued, "What do you think about that if it were true?"