The Dead was cool, It's a great horror story. I went to the

In the tapestry of human achievement, there are moments when the unexpected opens new doors, when fate comes knocking not through grand design but through sheer serendipity. Matthew McGrory, in his reflection on the film The Dead, shares a story of how opportunity found him: "The Dead was cool, It's a great horror story. I went to the casting director of this movie and talked to him, then they called my agent and had me come in and read for it and they wanted to use me." In these words, McGrory speaks to the power of chance, persistence, and connection—an intricate dance between preparation and opportunity. His story reminds us that the journey toward greatness is often a combination of seizing the moment and having the courage to follow where it leads.

In the ancient world, the role of fate and destiny was often intertwined with the very essence of life’s journey. The Greeks had a word for this mysterious force: Tyche, the goddess of luck and fortune. To the Greeks, fate was not something that could be fully understood or controlled, but it was something that could be embraced. Herodotus, the ancient historian, often spoke of individuals who found themselves thrust into roles or positions of influence not by their own striving, but by the will of the gods or chance encounters. McGrory’s words resonate with this understanding: sometimes, the path toward success or greatness comes not through a preordained plan, but through the random encounters and opportunities that appear when we are prepared to act.

The Romans, too, held a similar belief in the importance of seizing the moment. In their military campaigns, it was often not the greatest generals or the most prepared warriors who succeeded, but those who understood the moment of opportunity and acted decisively. Julius Caesar was a master of recognizing and capitalizing on moments of chance, whether in battle or in politics. His ability to read the moment and make swift decisions often led him to victory when others hesitated. In a similar vein, McGrory’s story about how he was called in for a reading and ultimately cast in The Dead serves as a modern reflection of this timeless principle: success is sometimes a matter of recognizing the right opportunity and taking action without hesitation.

It is through this understanding that we see the true essence of McGrory’s journey—a path that was shaped not solely by his efforts but by his willingness to engage with the world. Like Alexander the Great, who encountered many unknowns on his campaigns, McGrory too stepped into the unknown, taking a chance by attending a casting, and ultimately creating his place in a world that, at first, seemed distant and out of reach. Alexander's success lay not just in his military genius but in his ability to recognize opportunity, whether it was an unplanned alliance or an unexpected challenge. McGrory’s rise in the world of cinema, like Alexander’s in the world of conquest, speaks to the power of action when faced with uncertainty.

But McGrory’s reflection also speaks to the role of connection. It was not just his presence in the room that mattered, but the relationship he built with the casting director. In life, it is often the relationships we cultivate, whether with a mentor, colleague, or acquaintance, that become the gateways to new opportunities. This idea can be traced back to Socrates, who believed that true wisdom and understanding came from dialogue—the exchange of ideas and perspectives that could lead to new insights and, ultimately, new paths. McGrory’s story reminds us that success is not always a solitary effort but is often intertwined with the connections we forge along the way.

The lesson from McGrory’s story is simple yet profound: prepare for the opportunities that come your way, but also be open to the unexpected. Life is not always about rigid plans and defined goals, but about being receptive to what presents itself in the moment. As the great philosopher Epictetus taught, "We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them." McGrory’s experience in the casting room reminds us that it is not enough to wait for success to find us—we must be willing to step forward, to take risks, and to engage with the world around us.

In practical terms, this means embracing the opportunities that arise, even when they seem uncertain or unconventional. Just as McGrory’s chance encounter with the casting director led him to a new chapter in his career, so too must we approach our lives with a sense of openness and courage. Whether in our personal lives, careers, or artistic pursuits, we must remain vigilant to the moments that offer new possibilities. By doing so, we open ourselves to the potential for greatness, not through rigid plans, but through the fluidity of action, preparation, and serendipity. In the end, like McGrory, we may find that the greatest moments in life come from the very opportunities we never saw coming.