Standing in front of the camera in the audition room, Matthew saw no camera, no casting director, not even Jerry Bruckheimer. He was Will Turner, a blacksmith who made a living by forging iron but diligently practiced swordsmanship.
Since the audition allowed actors to freely choose and perform segments from the character's script, neither the casting director nor Jerry Bruckheimer made a sound.
"Hello, sir." Matthew held the sword in one hand and performed a standard British gentleman's bow. The British accent he had been practicing since last year came naturally to him at this moment. "I've brought the sword you requested!"
Judging solely by his accent, he sounded as if he had grown up in London.
Matthew held the exquisitely crafted saber in his hand. As it was a monologue, there was no one opposite him to receive the sword. He drew the saber and said, "The blade is made of solid steel, and the hilt is inlaid with gold."
He had practiced this part countless times. The most crucial thing was what he was about to do next, something that ordinary actors couldn't achieve without long and extensive practice. The crew had only been working on the Will Turner role for just over a month, and formal casting had only begun a little over half a month ago. The other actors couldn't have cheated like him, preparing for this audition since last year and persistently practicing fencing.
He and Helen Herman had done a lot of preliminary work, specifically analyzing Jerry Bruckheimer based on his past projects. Jerry Bruckheimer was a typical commercial film producer, and his primary focus would certainly not be on acting. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cast recognized "poker faces" like Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale as leads in his films.
"This sword..." Matthew tossed the saber in his right hand. The saber spun cleanly in a circle and landed steadily on his left fist. His left fist supported the joint of the hilt and blade, and the hilt and blade hung in his hand like an empty scale. He continued, "The hilt and blade are of the same width and roughly equal in weight. Commodore will surely be pleased."
Jerry Bruckheimer didn't look up at Matthew, but instead focused on the monitor in front of him. He remembered Matthew Horner, the actor who played Sergeant Hoot in "Black Hawk Down," a agile, dedicated, and hardworking young actor.
He had watched several on-location shoots in Morocco and had also communicated with the military advisor of the crew. Matthew Horner was the closest to a soldier among all the actors in the crew.
Even an experienced director like Ridley Scott spoke highly of him.
The only flaw was that his dramatic acting was a little weaker.
Now, it seemed that Matthew Horner's dramatic acting hadn't improved significantly since the filming, but his agility was still the same.
Of course, a character like Will Turner, who primarily focused on looking cool and stylish, didn't require exceptional acting skills.
"I practice sword fighting three hours a day..."
In front of the camera, Matthew had finished his dramatic performance and began the part he wanted to emphasize, "It's so I can kill a pirate when I meet one!"
With the last British accent, he stepped forward, and the saber in his hand thrust out like lightning, like a venomous snake. And this thrust was aimed directly at the camera lens... Although there was no enemy opposite him, Matthew was well-prepared, his movements were skilled, and the saber in his hand, combined with his flexible and varied footwork, performed various actions like parrying, thrusting, slashing, and blocking with impressive flair.
The coach who taught him swordsmanship, having left professional fencing years ago, and having worked in action choreography, understood what kind of swordsmanship an actor needed to practice with a saber.
The swordsmanship he taught Matthew emphasized the beauty of the moves rather than practical combat.
Matthew had been practicing swordsmanship since last year, and even now, without an opponent, he performed as if he were a master street performer, displaying dazzling skill.
In fact, it's not only the East that has the unique existence of martial arts. The West also has it. Just as Jackie Chan came from an opera troupe, and his early "kung fu movies" were actually acrobatics, the West also has similar performance traditions. Street performing, like demonstrating martial arts for a living, was prevalent in both the East and the West.
However, now, this kind of street performance has been directly transplanted to a more modern artistic stage—film!
"Interesting..." the casting director muttered.
This auditioning actor was very special. He performed both a dramatic and an action scene. The dramatic scene was generally acceptable, not particularly outstanding, but the action scene was different. This was clearly something he had practiced specifically, and not just a temporary, brief practice, but rather the result of long-term, professional training.
Jerry Bruckheimer sat next to the casting director and naturally heard his muttering, but his eyes remained fixed on the monitor screen: This Matthew Horner truly can bring surprises.
During the filming of "Black Hawk Down," he was the actor with the highest military aptitude in the crew, and now this sword fighting sequence, with its agile movements, sword shadows like flowers, and swiftness like the wind... especially when filmed by the camera, combined with Matthew Horner's nimble physique, handsome and rugged face, and righteous expression, gave him an indescribable feeling.
But he was certain it was an exciting feeling.
He had visited the set of "The Mask of Zorro" back then. Just watching Matthew Horner's fancy sword fighting, let alone Antonio Banderas who played Zorro, even the stunt double for Antonio Banderas in sword fighting, had a gap compared to Matthew Horner in front of the camera.
Jerry Bruckheimer, experienced as he was, immediately thought of the film currently in preparation. This could absolutely become a selling point for "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Matthew Horner already had good looks, and his movements were so beautiful. For a purely commercial entertainment film, this would definitely be beneficial.
The question was, would his dramatic acting and overall performance be too overshadowed by Johnny Depp?
Immediately, Jerry Bruckheimer shook his head and chuckled. The character's design was inherently an attractive and skilled swordsman; acting wasn't the primary factor. Furthermore, Matthew Horner's dramatic performance wasn't that bad. They had already collaborated once, and for the vast majority of the time, Matthew Horner's acting was on point.
There are many actors in Hollywood with good looks and decent acting skills, but very few who can perform sword fighting so beautifully.
In the monitor, Matthew Horner stopped. Jerry Bruckheimer looked up at this somewhat familiar actor, pondering. Based on the situation during "Black Hawk Down" and its promotion, if Matthew Horner were used, the risk should be small, but the selling points could increase.
He asked, "Matthew, have you practiced sword fighting?"
Hearing Jerry Bruckheimer's question, Matthew quickly said, "I practiced European fencing for a while. At the time, I just thought the coach's moves were beautiful, so I followed along and practiced."
"I remember you practiced boxing, didn't you?" Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed he hadn't misremembered and said, "You have a wide range of interests."
Matthew smiled and said, "I'm naturally active; I can never sit still."
Jerry Bruckheimer nodded, "Hmm, I remember when we were filming 'Black Hawk Down,' you still kept up with your fitness at the set."
Next to him, the casting director listened to Jerry Bruckheimer's casual conversation with Matthew, knowing that his boss might have taken a liking to this actor from Angel Management.
This young actor had very prominent strengths. If he were in charge, he would probably choose him too.
Jerry Bruckheimer ended his casual conversation with Matthew, straightened his expression, and said, "You've got the character's script. Tell me about the character of Will Turner."
Matthew could tell that Jerry Bruckheimer was somewhat impressed, but understanding the role was also very important. If an actor's perception of the character was too far off from the film's setting, it would undoubtedly be a huge deduction, and being directly eliminated was not impossible.
Fortunately, he had seen the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy and had a more comprehensive understanding of Will Turner. He immediately said, "Will Turner is an upright, kind young man; he is loyal and devoted in love. He gets caught up in a pirate adventure because of Captain Jack Sparrow..."
Matthew thought for a moment and then added, "He starts off a bit stiff, but he continuously grows. Will is earnest and loyal. Later, he suddenly finds himself embarking on an adventure that is both exciting and dangerous. For Will, this is a coming-of-age experience."
Jerry Bruckheimer looked at Matthew and didn't speak, but from his words, he seemed to see a flesh-and-blood character.
"Will grew up lacking a father figure, so he had to look to those around him as role models," Matthew said, thinking about the character script he had read. "His role models in Port Royal were those naval officers. When Will and Jack come together, Jack teaches Will how to be a man. He makes him understand that he cannot blindly believe in certain foolish rules; a man must make his own decisions and should pursue what he wants in life."
Matthew paused and looked at Jerry Bruckheimer. Jerry Bruckheimer said, "That's enough."
The casting director next to him immediately interjected, "Mr. Matthew Horner, your audition is concluded. We will inform you of the results within this week."
"Alright." Matthew put away his saber and bowed again like a British gentleman, still using a British accent as he said, "Thank you."
From the moment he entered the audition room, he had spoken with this accent. Will Turner was set to be of British descent.
Watching Matthew leave the audition room, the casting director said to Jerry Bruckheimer, "I think Matthew Horner is good."
"No need to rush to a decision," Jerry Bruckheimer thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait until all the auditions are complete."