The room fell silent.
Matthew stood in the middle of the classroom. Rachel McAdams was two meters away from him, her hand raised in the shape of a gun, pointing straight at his head—there weren't any props, so she had to improvise.
David Astor's teaching style was all about practicality—tailored specifically for the Hollywood film and TV industry.
Whether it was the earlier dialogue scenes, the dramatic monologue about a dead family member, or the kidnapping scene Matthew and Rachel were about to perform, these were all common moments in Hollywood movies and shows.
The script wasn't complicated. Matthew played a tough guy whose daughter had been kidnapped. Rachel was the kidnapper, threatening him.
"Hand it over!" Rachel's usual dimples had vanished. Her face was tight and sharp, her facial muscles slightly tensed. When she peeled back her lips to show clenched teeth, there was a fierce energy in her whole expression. "Or your daughter dies!"
Matthew had already thought about how to play his role—especially after hearing David Astor talk about how to handle dialogue scenes.
This wasn't just a hostage situation—it was a verbal standoff. And that meant it was all about the dialogue.
So, he couldn't just stand there like an anime character, trading lines like robots.
Normally, if someone's being held at gunpoint, they'd be scared—panicking, losing control, maybe even breaking down. That would be a natural reaction.
But some scenes—and some characters—can't be played like that.
Take his character now—a tough guy.
What exactly is a "tough guy"?
From the movies Matthew had seen, Bruce Willis in Die Hard, Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2, Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo series, Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible—they all had their own take on it.
In Matthew's mind, a tough guy had to stay calm.
"Where are you keeping her?" Matthew said coldly. "I'm not giving you anything until I see my daughter."
As soon as he finished those two lines, David Astor frowned slightly but didn't say anything.
This young guy, Matthew Horner, looks the part, Astor thought as he watched them, but his acting's got a long way to go.
It wasn't hard to tell—Matthew was clearly imitating Tom Cruise.
Problem was, he only copied the "cool" part. He missed the other side of being a tough guy.
The scene kept going, but the difference in their performances was becoming clearer.
Matthew kept his eyes wide, trying to look tough and intense. But from the outside, it just looked like he had one frozen expression.
Rachel, on the other hand, even if her acting wasn't amazing, looked totally in control—especially when she used tiny facial movements—her eyebrows, lips, and eyes—to fit the mood of the scene.
Everyone watching could tell—they weren't on the same level at all.
Even Matthew could feel it.
Rachel looked small and delicate, but once she started acting, her whole energy shifted. One word popped into Matthew's head: natural.
Her presence, her gestures, even the way she raised her eyebrows or curled her lip—everything made sense.
Matthew couldn't keep up.
And that was a real problem—because according to the script, both characters were supposed to be strong-willed, but his role was the dominant one.
Rachel's character was the slightly weaker kidnapper, but she played that delicate balance perfectly.
If he had to put it into words, Matthew felt like she was a skilled foreman on a construction site with a trowel in hand… and he was the temp guy clumsily swinging a sledgehammer around.
In the final thirty seconds of the scene, he was just trying to follow Rachel's rhythm.
"Cut!"
David Astor called out, then walked over to the two of them.
Matthew nodded slightly to Rachel.
Rachel dropped the harsh expression and gave him a polite nod in return. Her brows furrowed a little—she knew she had stolen the scene.
But it wasn't entirely her fault.
The other actor just hadn't brought enough to the table.
Still, she couldn't even control her own performance fully in a scene like this…
Rachel shook her head. She knew she wasn't anywhere near being able to effortlessly control her acting. She still had a long way to go.
As for Matthew Horner? He looked good, sure.
Great for striking poses or looking cool.
But his acting? Not much there.
"You did well," David Astor said to Rachel first. "What you're missing now is a lot of consistent training and more experience."
Then he addressed the whole class.
"Acting is a skill. And like any skill, there's only one way to improve—practice. Especially something like acting, which involves physical control, just like athletes—they're not born with talent, they earn it through repetition."
Matthew didn't know how others viewed David Astor.
But with his life experience, he could tell—this guy was all about useful, real-world skills.
Maybe there really were natural-born acting prodigies out there.
But Matthew knew he wasn't one of them.
Keep practicing. Never stop.
He made sure to burn that into his memory.
David Astor then turned to Matthew.
"Your issues are pretty clear. You lack experience. Your performance is too one-note, too superficial."
Matthew nodded seriously. This was exactly why he came—to get guidance.
"A scene like that isn't just about looking cold or being stubborn like a little kid. On the surface, your performance seemed okay, but you missed the details." David Astor continued, "You looked cold and tough, sure—but the person who's been kidnapped is your daughter. The script wants you to show a tough guy… who's also a loving father. Just being cold…"
He shook his head. "Does that feel right to you?"
Matthew shook his head too, and took the initiative to ask, "Would it be better if I added a bit of worry or fear into it?"
"That could work," David nodded. "But there's no fixed formula in acting. You've got to feel out what fits the moment."
Fourteen students sat in the room, most of them locked in and paying close attention.
For those without much education or formal acting training, David Astor came across like a fantastic teacher.
Matthew and Rachel stepped aside, and the next pair of actors began their scene.
Matthew stayed completely focused for the rest of the class, afraid to miss anything valuable.
In terms of talent or acting ability, he might not rank near the top.
But when it came to dedication, no one could match him—not even Rachel McAdams, who looked like she was trying hard herself.
The morning flew by.
Unlike the others who rushed out after class, Matthew stayed back and caught up to David Astor just outside the building to ask a question he thought was really important.
"Mr. Astor," he asked politely, "what's the key to becoming a good actor?"
He wanted to be a Hollywood movie star, not just an actor.
But he knew how brutal the competition was—if his acting wasn't at least up to standard, even if he got lucky and made it big, he'd crash and burn just as fast.
That wasn't what he wanted.
"Matthew, right?" David Astor remembered him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I think a good actor should be humble—and not just on the surface."
Matthew was confused. He didn't really get what that meant.
David continued, "There's no such thing as a perfect performance. So as artists, we should always approach beauty with a sense of awe."
He nodded. "Being eager to learn is a good trait. It's rare in Hollywood."
Maybe he had noticed how seriously Matthew paid attention during class, so he added, "Keep it up. When the opportunity comes, that's what will let you grab it."
He gave Matthew another nod, then turned and walked away.
Matthew scratched his head.
He understood the second part.
But the stuff about humility still had him confused.
He thought about it for a while, couldn't make sense of it, so he headed to the cafeteria for a quick lunch. After resting a bit, he made his way to another classroom for the language class he had already signed up for.
Inside, he spotted some familiar faces—people who had been in the acting class earlier, including Rachel McAdams.
There was an open seat next to her, so he walked over right away.
"Hey, Rachel," he said with a warm, friendly smile. "Anyone sitting here?"
Rachel smiled back politely. "Hey, Matthew. Nope, it's all yours."
He pulled out the chair and sat down. "Small world, huh? You're taking this class too."
"Had to," Rachel said, a bit helplessly. "My agent says my accent's too strong. I need to fix it."
Matthew laughed. "Mine said the same thing. She thinks my Texas drawl sounds too country."
Rachel nodded, totally relating. "Seriously, my agent says my Canadian accent is awful."
With that shared struggle, the two started to warm up to each other.
Meanwhile, Helen Herman was using her connection to Ridley Scott to keep in touch with the Gladiator team—and she had just landed a chance for Matthew to finally get some real media attention.