The Box Office King of Hollywood

"Hello, Miller, you're back in Los Angeles?"

Just after landing in Paris from a flight from Los Angeles, Matthew hadn't even left the airport when he received a call from Johnny Lee Miller. "The tape? What tape? Oh, I remember now. Sorry, Miller. It's unfortunate, but I'm not in Los Angeles right now; I've just arrived in Paris and haven't left the airport yet."

He deliberately raised his phone to let the airport announcements be heard, then continued, "Hear that? Yeah, I'm a person who values credibility a lot! No, no... I'm not avoiding you. You know I participated in 'Band of Brothers,' right? I met Tom Hardy there. The crew is holding a premiere in Normandy..."

Matthew continued to stall, fabricating excuses, "HBO sent me an invitation co-signed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. I couldn't possibly not show up, right? Miller, please understand. I'll contact you as soon as I return to Los Angeles."

"What?" He pretended the signal was bad, "Hello... hello... hello... I can't hear you well. Let's leave it at this for now."

After hanging up, Matthew left Charles de Gaulle Airport, rented a car without staying in Paris, and drove directly to Normandy. Having just finished shooting "Black Hawk Down" and dealing with finances and taxes in Los Angeles, he could only arrive the day before the premiere.

Arriving in Carentan near Omaha Beach at night, Matthew went straight to sleep at the crew's hotel, bracing for the long days of events ahead.

The next morning, he saw James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the hotel restaurant, who had also received invitations.

Matthew greeted many familiar faces, including Michael Cudlitz, Damian Lewis, and Scott Grimes, embracing each one. Despite occasional conflicts, their shared experiences during filming bonded them.

After breakfast, dressed in black formal wear, they took a shuttle provided by the crew to Normandy American Cemetery for a morning memorial service, followed by the premiere in the afternoon.

The cemetery was swarmed with media. DreamWorks and HBO had organized a grand event, inviting WWII veterans and the U.S. honor guard, making the ceremony very solemn.

Actors collected flowers from baskets near the bus door, maintaining a respectful silence as they walked towards the memorial plaza under the flash of cameras.

Matthew, arriving late and missing the program briefing, followed the group's lead to avoid mistakes during the solemn occasion.

The ceremony began with a brief speech by a decorated U.S. general, followed by the mournful sound of bagpipes and then a salute.

Throughout the event, Matthew felt it was more a promotional campaign than a memorial, admiring Hollywood's knack for marketing.

After a rest back at the hotel, Matthew changed into a dark grey suit for the afternoon's premiere at Utah Beach, appreciating the importance of attire for such events.

The premiere, held in a massive tent resembling a cinema, attracted hundreds of reporters. Main attention was on Tom Hanks, Spielberg, Damian Lewis, and the veterans, while Matthew and fellow actors proceeded unimpeded to the tent.

Inside, HBO showed the first two episodes and selected scenes from the rest. Matthew was impressed by the production's authenticity and attention to detail but felt the series had its flaws, particularly in its portrayal of overly sentimental scenes, like the discovery of concentration camps, which seemed incongruent with the series' overall tone.

After the screening, Tom Hanks answered media questions, but Matthew found the responses predictable and his mind wandered to the series' shortcomings.

He reflected on a German general's speech in the series, appreciating its portrayal of respect among soldiers, contrasting with Hollywood's tendency to overly dramatize certain aspects of WWII.

Distracted by these thoughts, Michael Fassbender nudged him, reminding him it was time for interviews.

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