A frigid December had settled over the United Kingdom. The sky was a canvas of leaden gray, a gloomy expanse that periodically wept a cold, bone-chilling drizzle.
Huddled in heavy overcoats, Matthew and the other actors who had gone through training together were ushered by an assistant producer into a cavernous hangar. Inside, the makeup, costu, and prop departnts were a hive of activity, and a team of professionals imdiately began to finalize their appearances for the shoot.
Although Ronald Speirs wasn't scheduled for today's scenes, Matthew was far from an idle spectator. He had already changed into his standard-issue paratrooper uniform.
Unlike Michael Fassbender and Michael Cudlitz, who were playing veterans of Easy Company, Matthew’s character, Ronald Speirs, was not part of Easy Company in the initial scenes, serving instead as a lieutenant in D Company.
Therefore, Matthew’s character would be joining the main shoot at a later stage.
However, he wouldn't be sitting idly by. Like the other trained actors who were temporarily without their assigned roles, he was expected to participate in several of the larger, sweeping scenes.
This had been stipulated in the agreent he’d signed at the very beginning.
Having endured the training, they were regarded as more than just extras; they were practically soldiers themselves.
Even before filming began, Gary Goetzman had assigned them roles as German soldiers in so of the long shots, fighting against Easy Company.
This was a common Hollywood practice, drawing not only from the pool of actors but also from various crew mbers to flesh out scenes requiring large numbers of people.
Once his makeup was applied, Matthew donned his paratrooper uniform and combat gear, just as he had for his audition. Clutching a Thompson submachine gun, he joined the other actors, left the hangar, and was guided down a narrow path toward the ticulously prepared set.
The set depicted an airfield, poised for action. A full-scale replica of a transport plane was parked at the edge of the runway, and anti-aircraft gun positions were spaced at intervals, manned by extras in British Army uniforms who looked ready to open fire at any mont.
The entire scene crackled with the tension of a battlefield on the brink of war.
Several hundred actors and crew mbers crowded the small corner of the set.
Matthew found his place in line and followed the group toward the replica plane, where they were ant to serve as part of the background.
Since their faces were sared with a thicker layer of tactical camouflage than the principal actors’, they didn’t have to worry about being recognized on cara; the combination of a telephoto lens and the heavy makeup was enough to obscure their features.
"Look!" Jas, standing beside him, suddenly gestured toward two n in the distance. "It's Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg."
Matthew followed his gaze and saw the two Hollywood titans deep in conversation with the director, Phil Alden Robinson, and the lead actor, Damian Lewis.
"Are they going to be in the scene?" Seeing a superstar like Tom Hanks, Jas was visibly excited. "Are we going to be filming with Tom Hanks himself?"
Matthew clapped him on the shoulder. "I don't think the cara will even get close to us, at least not in this scene."
Jas gradually cald down and shrugged, saying nothing more. He understood, really, that the most important takeaway from this series was that it would be an excellent addition to his resu—a valuable asset when looking for new roles in the future.
A crew mber from the unit placent team gave them instructions to stay put and then left as an assistant director approached. There was still so ti before filming began, so Matthew chatted quietly with Jas while curiously surveying the entire set.
The set was bustling with people and equipnt, yet everything was remarkably orderly, with not a hint of chaos.
Among the many people coming and going, he spotted a few familiar faces, probably from pirate films he had seen before. He even recognized one as a principal supporting actor from the later installnts of Tom Cruise’s "The Mummy" franchise, though Matthew had no idea what the man's na was.
The assistant director returned and spent so ti explaining what they needed to do during the take. Since Matthew and the others were just background atmosphere, the requirents weren't strict.
"The main thing is, don't look directly into the cara," he said, pointing to where the cara was set up. "And do sothing soldiers would be doing before a battle."
The assistant director left as quickly as he had co. The seven n each interpreted his instructions differently: one set down his pack and lay on the ground to read a letter, another fiddled with his sidearm, while Jas produced a crucifix and began murmuring a prayer. Matthew simply slung the Thompson he was carrying off his shoulder, set it down beside him, and took a seat.
It wasn't just a prop; it was a real Thompson submachine gun, only loaded with blanks.
"Clear the set!" a voice bood over the loudspeaker. "Attention everyone! Clear the set imdiately!"
Within minutes, everyone except the actors had been evacuated from the center of the airfield.
Matthew paid no mind to the orders being shouted around him. Like a true soldier, he began to disassemble the parts of his Thompson submachine gun, inspecting each piece ticulously.
It was a move that perfectly captured the image of a seasoned sergeant before a fight; after all, the Thompson was infamous for its tendency to jam in the heat of battle.
He was so imrsed in his role, channeling the focused intensity of Ronald Speirs before a mission, that he didn't even notice when filming began. He ignored what the others were doing and concentrated solely on his own task.
He checked his weapon, assembled it, then pulled out each magazine to inspect the cartridges. While he was absorbed in this, Jas knelt beside him and offered him a prop cigarette, lighting it for him.
One by one, he checked his pistol, canteens, ammunition magazines, grenade launchers, gas mask, and even his knife.
Finally, just as he picked up his dagger and found a small cloth to wipe it down, Jas nudged him. "We're moving."
Matthew gathered all his gear and followed Jas to another part of the airfield, asking as they walked, "Are they done with the shot?"
"They did five takes," Jas replied, "but it's a wrap."
They followed an assistant director to an open area to the left of the airfield, falling into line with other actors in paratrooper uniforms who were serving as the background for a scene with Damian Lewis.
Since Matthew's character, Ronald Speirs, didn't appear in the first episode, the initial phase of filming had him, much like Jas—who was playing a raw recruit in Easy Company—simply filling in as a supporting player.
The n, who had undergone a month of professional military training, looked more like soldiers than the regular extras did, making them ideal for long shots where military bearing was essential.
The next few days of filming were mostly routine for Matthew, though he did get to see the biggest star in the cast: David Schwimr.
Also known as Ross from "Friends."
Matthew had never seen the show and had only heard about it from Jas.
However, Matthew had fond mories of David's portrayal of Captain Sobel, a character whom several of the original veterans had spoken of with a strange sort of kindness.
He rembered one moir ntioning that Captain Herbert Sobel had not only forged Easy Company—saving many lives with his relentless emphasis on physical and tactical training—but had also inadvertently unified them through their shared dislike of him.
Matthew even drew a parallel between him and Tom West. It was thanks to Tom that the British and Arican actors, who hadn’t been getting along, managed to unite against the "Devil Instructor," bringing him down with a plan hatched by a German and an Englishman.
As for Matthew himself, he hadn’t breathed a word to anyone about what he’d done and would never admit he had anything to do with it.
Returning to London, Matthew followed Helen's advice to keep a low profile and dedicate all his energy to his role and the production. As a humble actor, he attracted no attention until his run-in with the peculiar Kate Jeffries.
After Kate’s departure, the set beca a much more stable environnt. The presence of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg was enough to deter most people from stirring up conflict; the sheer gravity of the Hollywood titans was a powerful deterrent.
According to Jas, Kate’s father had even shown up on set, begging to see Tom Hanks, but was turned away.
During filming, Matthew did his job but kept his eyes and ears open, carefully observing the lead actors' performances, the director's demands, and every other detail of the process.
For him, it was a rare learning experience.
The first episode was shot over twenty days, after which the crew moved straight into filming the second episode without a break.
This ti, Matthew didn't have to act as a background player. His character, Ronald Speirs, was officially making his on-screen debut.
...
In the dressing room, after getting into full gear and having a makeup artist apply tactical paint to his face, Matthew picked up his Thompson and headed to the set.
The once-abandoned airfield camp had been transford by the production team into a temporary French village, filled with ruins. Nurous hidden cara positions were set up in the makeshift buildings to capture the interior and street scenes from various angles.
When Matthew arrived, a large number of soldiers acting as set dressing were already assembled. Among them, he saw Jas and Michael Fassbender.
"Matthew!" An assistant director waved him onto the set. "Over here, let's go!"
Matthew hurried over, took his position by a collapsed brick wall, and waited for Damian Lewis and another principal actor to approach.
His first scene was a dialogue with the male lead.
The assistant director helped the three n find their marks. As the director watched through the cara, Matthew, knowing his role inside and out, said nothing and followed every instruction to the letter.
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