Just before 9 AM, Matthew arrived at the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank as arranged. Within less than three minutes, he saw Helen Herman driving in with Amanda.
After parking, the trio entered the studio. Since the audition studio wasn't far from the entrance and there was no need for a shuttle, they walked towards it.
"This studio is really run-down..." Matthew looked around, noting the severe aging of the studio buildings, "Is Warner out of money? They should really fix this place up."
Helen Herman didn't comment, but Amanda responded, "In recent years, Warner hasn't done much filming in Los Angeles, most of it has moved to Australia. This studio is mainly used by HBO now."
"HBO?" Matthew felt he had heard the name before.
Amanda continued, "HBO is a cable network owned by Warner."
Matthew, who had been hurriedly summoned from the MV crew by Helen Herman, only knew that the audition was for a significant project, but he was unclear about the details. He asked, "So, the show I'm auditioning for is produced by HBO?"
Helen finally spoke up, "It's a joint venture between HBO, DreamWorks, and the BBC, among others." As they walked, she added, "The producers are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg."
"That sounds impressive," Matthew muttered.
Even with his limited knowledge, he recognized the names of DreamWorks and the BBC, and Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were certainly familiar.
Curious, Matthew asked, "You mentioned this is a war drama? What kind of war drama? Like 'Saving Private Ryan'?"
He had watched 'Saving Private Ryan' more than once but knew nothing about American TV shows set during WWII because he generally didn't watch them—not out of prejudice, but because he found the drawn-out plots of most TV dramas irritating.
"It's somewhat similar, about the 101st Airborne Division," Amanda explained as she walked beside him. "During the promotional period for 'Saving Private Ryan' in 1998, a WWII veteran personally gave Tom Hanks a book about the 101st Airborne Division. After reading it, Tom Hanks passed it to Steven Spielberg, and they decided to make it into a TV series and co-produce it."
Helen looked at her, and Amanda stuck out her tongue, "That's what the newspapers said."
"The project is tentatively titled 'Band of Brothers,'" Helen added to Matthew, "Basically, what Amanda said."
Matthew turned to Helen, complaining as they walked, "Miss Herman, I'm about to audition, and I don't even understand the basics about the production."
"I've prepared the materials for you," Helen said, seemingly ignoring Matthew's concern and continuing forward, "This audition is just to see how you look in a military uniform, to check if your appearance fits that of a soldier. There's nothing else."
Matthew shrugged and decided to stop talking.
They arrived at a studio with a huge HBO sign. Helen spoke briefly with a staff member and then led Matthew and Amanda inside, heading down a corridor to a large waiting room.
The room was filled with rows of seats, occupied by around a hundred actors. Matthew quickly scanned the room and noticed they all shared something in common: they were white males, aged between twenty and forty.
Perhaps some, like him, had mixed heritage, but they all appeared Caucasian.
Helen checked her watch, "You two wait here for a bit. I'm going to talk to someone. I should be back in about ten minutes."
With his previous audition experiences in mind, Matthew knew that not just the actors' performances but also many external factors decided the outcomes. Helen was likely out to influence these external factors.
Once Helen left, Matthew and Amanda found an empty bench to sit.
"Why are they all white?" he asked curiously.
"Don't you know?" Amanda looked at him and, seeing his genuine ignorance, explained, "The 101st Airborne Division was originally an all-white unit during WWII."
Matthew nodded, "I'm not very familiar with history."
His knowledge of American history, especially WWII, was quite limited; he only knew about events like D-Day and figures like Roosevelt.
"Hey Amanda, I have a question," Matthew suddenly remembered something, "How old is Helen?"
"Why do you ask?" Amanda looked at him curiously, "A woman's age is a secret."
Matthew gestured with his hand, "Helen looks like she's just over twenty, but she's very composed, as if she has a lot of life experience."
He felt Helen's life experience was no less significant than his own. Having never stayed long in school, he had started working right after middle school, learning many things through hard knocks. As a child from a poor mountain area who had to support his family, he had faced life's hardships and complex emotional journeys, something most people might find hard to imagine.
Amanda, devoid of complex thoughts, asked
simply, "Isn't that normal?"
"Normal?" Matthew followed his understanding, "Aren't girls from good backgrounds supposed to be sheltered?"
"I see you have prejudices about people from good backgrounds," Amanda scoffed, "There are many like what you described, but not all well-off people are like that, and Helen's family isn't really that well-off."
She shrugged, "Helen started attending formal business parties with her father at the age of fifteen, tried her hand at some business activities, especially in Hollywood. Over these ten years, she's met many people. Even during her busiest university times, she didn't give up on practical experience. After graduating two years ago, she even worked in CAA's mailroom for over a year."
Amanda seemed to admire her cousin, "The effort and hard work Helen put into starting her own business are beyond your imagination."
Matthew had never really interacted with the so-called elite class and didn't understand much about it, but he could imagine that Helen Herman's extensive social network was inseparable from her family. Amanda had once mentioned that Helen's father had been struggling in Hollywood for decades. Although not a top mogul, he had established a wide range of contacts, all of which could support Helen.
Presumably, Helen Herman chose to develop her career in Hollywood partly because it was easier for her in this circle.
As Matthew and Amanda continued discussing Helen Herman, Helen had already returned.
She gestured to Matthew and Amanda, "Come with me."
They immediately followed Helen out of the waiting hall to a dressing room. Helen spoke to a staff member at the door, "Please let Mr. Eric-Park know that Matthew Horner is here."
Apparently recognizing Helen's voice, the door was opened from inside by a middle-aged man who said to Helen, "Come in."
Normally, agents seldom participate directly in auditions, but Helen seemed well-acquainted with this person and called to Matthew to enter first.
"Eric, this is Matthew Horner, my client."
After Matthew entered, she introduced them, "Matthew, this is Eric-Park, the producer of the series."
"Hello, Mr. Park," Matthew extended his hand, and Eric-Park shook it, "Hello."
Then, Eric-Park pointed to the costume designer, "Go get changed."
Matthew went to the costume designer and selected a fitting paratrooper uniform.
"You look good, very robust," Eric-Park seemed quite pleased with Matthew, "Strong facial features, should have no problem passing the casting team's initial screening."
Helen smiled and added, "Matthew is well-suited for tough roles." She mentioned specifically, "Ridley Scott once cast him as the barbarian leader in his new movie 'Gladiator.'"
"Mmm," Eric-Park nodded, "I'll remind the casting team."
"Thank you, Eric."
After a brief chat, Matthew came out dressed in the uniform. He looked imposing and valiant, wearing a WWII-era 101st Airborne Division combat uniform.
"No problem at all," Eric-Park said after one glance and called over an assistant, "Take Mr. Horner to the audition team. I've spoken with the head of Group B; he can skip the line."
Helen wasn't worried at all. With Matthew's fitting appearance for the role and Eric-Park's help, if he couldn't pass even a preliminary casting call, she wouldn't need to continue in the talent agency business.
Matthew went to the audition room. After a previous actor exited, he was called in. The audition was even simpler than his first for the MV: he introduced himself, they observed his physique, took some photos, and filmed a short video. Then, they asked him to leave.
This audition didn't focus on any specific role; the casting team seemed only interested in whether he fit the military type.
Such a straightforward audition meant quick results. When Matthew returned to the dressing room, Helen had already received notification that he had passed this audition.
After changing back into his clothes and as Helen was preparing to leave, Eric-Park suddenly said, "There are a few things I must clarify beforehand."