Chapter 58: The Soldier Role

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It wasn't even nine in the morning when Matthew arrived at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank as scheduled. He waited less than three minutes before Helen Herman drove up with Amanda in tow.

Once the two parked the car, the trio entered the lot. The soundstage for the audition wasn't far from the studio gates, so they didn't bother taking a golf cart—they walked.

"This studio looks so run-down..." Matthew glanced around. Whether it was the soundstages or the surrounding buildings, everything looked seriously outdated. "What, is Warner broke? Can't they do some renovations?"

Helen Herman said nothing, but Amanda replied, "Most of Warner's productions haven't been filmed in L.A. these past few years. They're mostly done in Australia now. This studio is mainly used by HBO."

"HBO?" Matthew frowned. The name sounded familiar.

"It's Warner's cable TV network," Amanda explained.

Matthew had been pulled from the music video set in a hurry by Helen Herman. All he knew was that this was a big audition. He didn't know any of the details. "Wait, so the audition's for an HBO series?"

Helen finally spoke. "It's a co-production between HBO, DreamWorks, and the BBC," she said while walking ahead. "The producers are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg."

"That sounds impressive," Matthew murmured.

Even if he wasn't the most well-informed guy, he still recognized names like DreamWorks, the BBC—let alone Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who were household names.

Curious, he asked, "Didn't you say this was a war show? What kind of war? Like Saving Private Ryan?"

He'd seen Saving Private Ryan more than once. But when it came to American war dramas, he knew basically nothing. It wasn't because he had anything against them—it was just that most TV shows he'd seen always dragged on forever, and he didn't have the patience.

"It's similar," Amanda said, walking beside him. "It's about the 101st Airborne Division. In 1998, while promoting Saving Private Ryan, a WWII veteran gave Tom Hanks a book about the 101st. After reading it, Hanks passed it to Spielberg, and they decided to turn it into a series, serving as executive producers."

Helen gave Amanda a look, and Amanda stuck out her tongue. "That's how the press release explained it."

"The project's working title is Band of Brothers," Helen added. "What Amanda said is pretty accurate."

Matthew turned to Helen, grumbling, "Miss Herman, I'm about to audition and I still don't know what the hell the project is."

"I've already prepared the info for you." Helen walked on like she hadn't heard him. "Today's audition is just to see how you look in uniform—whether you physically fit the image of a soldier. That's it."

Matthew shrugged and kept his mouth shut.

They arrived at a soundstage with a huge HBO banner over the entrance. Helen spoke briefly with the crew and led Matthew and Amanda inside. They followed a hallway to a massive waiting area.

Dozens of row chairs were lined up, already filled with more than a hundred actors. Matthew glanced around and noticed something they all had in common: they were all white men, roughly between the ages of twenty and forty.

Some might've had mixed heritage like him, but at first glance, they were all white.

Helen checked her watch. "You two wait here. I'll go find someone—shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

By now, Matthew knew that auditions weren't just about performance. There were always outside factors at play, and Helen was probably off trying to secure some of those.

Once she left, Matthew and Amanda found an empty bench and sat down.

"Why is everyone here white?" he asked curiously.

"You didn't know?" Amanda looked at him, saw that he genuinely didn't, and explained, "The 101st Airborne was a segregated unit during World War II. It was all white back then."

Matthew nodded. "I don't know much about history."

He barely knew anything about American history—just a few basics like D-Day and Roosevelt.

"Hey, Amanda," he suddenly asked, "how old is Helen?"

"Why are you asking that?" Amanda looked at him with amusement. "A woman's age is a secret, you know."

"She looks like she's in her early twenties, but she's incredibly poised," Matthew said, gesturing with his hands. "She handles herself like someone with tons of experience."

He wasn't exaggerating. Helen's street smarts didn't seem any less than his, and that said a lot. He'd dropped out after middle school and worked his way up from the bottom, supporting his family through sheer grit. Most people wouldn't understand the hardships or the emotional toll of that life.

Amanda didn't overthink it. "That's pretty normal, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Matthew raised an eyebrow. "A girl from a privileged background—shouldn't she be more sheltered, like a hothouse flower?"

"I get it now," Amanda smirked. "You've got a chip on your shoulder about rich people."

"There are people like that," she added, "but not all of them. And Helen's family isn't even that well-off."

She shrugged. "She started going to business parties with her dad at fifteen. Tried to get involved in the industry early. Especially in Hollywood—she's made a ton of connections in the last ten years. Even during her most intense college semesters, she never stopped networking. After graduating two years ago, she even worked over a year in the CAA mailroom."

Amanda clearly admired her cousin. "She's worked really hard to start her own business—more than you can imagine."

Matthew had never been part of the so-called elite class, so he didn't know much about that world. But he could imagine that Helen's wide network came from her family. Amanda had mentioned once that Helen's father had worked in Hollywood for decades—not a top dog, but connected enough to be useful. All of that could help Helen immensely.

It made sense that she chose Hollywood to launch her career—it was a world she already knew well.

While Matthew and Amanda were still chatting about her, Helen returned.

She gave a quick nod to them. "Come with me."

The two of them followed Helen out of the waiting room to a nearby wardrobe room. At the door, she spoke to a staffer, "Please let Mr. Eric Polk know that Matthew Horner has arrived."

As if recognizing her voice, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man inside. He looked at Helen and said, "Come in."

Normally, agents didn't directly attend auditions, but Helen seemed to know this guy well. She turned to Matthew, waved him forward, and stepped inside first.

"Eric, this is Matthew Horner—my client."

Once Matthew entered, she made the introductions. "Matthew, this is Eric Polk, the producer."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Polk," Matthew said, reaching out for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you," Polk replied, shaking his hand.

Then he gestured toward the wardrobe area. "Go get changed first."

Matthew followed the costume designer to pick out a uniform from the 101st Airborne Division.

"Good build. Looks solid," Polk commented with approval. "He's got a sharp, rugged face. Should be fine for the initial screen test."

Helen smiled. "Matthew's perfect for tough guy roles. Ridley Scott even cast him as the barbarian leader in Gladiator."

Polk nodded. "I'll make sure the casting team knows."

"Thank you, Eric," Helen replied.

Not long after, Matthew came out in full uniform—helmet, standard WWII paratrooper gear. He looked powerful and heroic.

"No problem at all," Polk said after a glance. He waved over an assistant. "Take Mr. Horner to Casting Group B. I've already cleared it—he can jump the line."

Helen wasn't worried. Matthew's look was already ideal for the role. With Polk's support, if he couldn't even pass this basic audition, she might as well quit the agent business.

Matthew was taken to the audition room. After the actor before him came out, he was called in.

The process was even simpler than the music video casting. He introduced himself, stood still while they assessed his physique, had a few photos taken, a short video recorded—and that was it.

There wasn't even a specific role this time. The casting team was just checking if he looked like a convincing soldier.

The results came quickly. By the time Matthew returned to the wardrobe room, Helen had already been informed—he'd passed the audition.

After changing back into his clothes, Helen was about to say goodbye when Eric Polk suddenly spoke.

"One thing, before you go," he said. "There are a few things I should make clear upfront—"