Air Force Maj. Brian Reece sits in the cockpit of "Starscream," a fictional toy that turns into a fighter plane on the set of "Transformers." Through a strange twist of fate — and a glare that impressed the movie's director — the helicopter pilot got a key role in the movie.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

Reece kisses his wife, Alyson, before heading to work at Kirtland Air Force Base. The couple spent the first day of their honeymoon on the set of "Transformers," a movie filmed in New Mexico and one, Reece hopes, that could someday lead to a career in film.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

Air Force Maj. Brian Reece practices lines with his wife, Alyson, before an audition. Reece, a helicopter pilot stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, was discovered by director Michael Bay while working on the set of "Transformers." "Right now, I'm just terrified it's going to suck," he said.

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You've got kind of a piercing stare.

Those seven words transformed Air Force Maj. Brian Reece from a helicopter pilot instructor at Kirtland Air Force Base into "Mustache Man" — the ominous face of what could be this summer's blockbuster movie.

Struggling actors work for years to even sniff such an opportunity. But Reece, who already has a day job, reached Hollywood in the blink of an eye. Or, more accurately, in the grimace of a face.

His story goes like this: In May 2006, he was chatting with director Michael Bay on the "Transformers" set at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo. Bay, who was using Kirtland helicopters in background shots for the movie, was lamenting over not having cast actors for some of project's smaller roles.

"He was talking about it," Reece said, "and one of my guys walked by singing that stupid `Team America' song. I thought, `You've got to be kidding me. You're gonna walk by singing that song?'

"So I was like . . ."

Reese made what he calls "one of those death glances" — an eyes-narrowed, chin-tightened, don't-tread-on-me stare that suggests impending doom to its recipients.

Upon seeing this, something in the director's brain apparently clicked. Quicker than you can say "Action!" — or in this case, "You've got kind of a piercing stare" — Reece had a role.

"Michael wasn't looking for it," said Ian Bryce, one of the film's producers. "It happens. Sometimes you meet people and you start talking about the movie and suddenly the light bulb goes off. Michael's very good at thinking like that."

Minutes later, Reece found himself in the helicopters he'd been sent to help fly — this time as an actor with a fake mustache fixed above his lip.

"Mustache Man" is Reece's character in the script. He has no speaking parts, but when the movie's evil "Decepticons" come onto the screen, a hologram of Mustache Man appears.

Sounds weird. But your kids — particularly the boys who grew up playing with Transformers toys — will understand.

"It could have been someone else, sure," Bryce said of Reece's unlikely spot in the movie. "There's always alternatives. But it turns out Brian was great casting. He has a great face and personality."

When filming for the movie wrapped, Reece went home to Albuquerque, not knowing if he'd make the editors' cut. But last July, the studio called, and producers flew him to Los Angeles for more filming.

Reece said that when he got to the set, Bay excitedly jogged to him. The director told Reece that "Steven" had seen the dailies and thought Reese was perfect as Mustache Man.

"He basically made my year," Reece said. "I said `Steven?' and he said, `Yeah. Spielberg.' "

Spielberg, one of the movies' all-time great directors, is an executive producer for "Transformers."

In Los Angeles, Reece filmed more scenes and special effects technicians scanned his face and body with lasers — then took thousands of pictures of his head and of him wearing different costumes.

Reece was married on Sept. 2, then spent Sept. 5 back in front of the camera, filming for 16 hours while his wife, Alyson, hung around the set. They plan to walk the red carpet together at Wednesday's premiere in Los Angeles.

It's heady stuff, and it has Reece in transformation himself — from military man to actor. He said he's taking acting classes and has a Screen Actors Guild card. He found local representation at the Maja agency and wants to land more parts.

"We're going after speaking roles," he said, "small things, so I can start proving to people that I'm able to do it as I continue to take education and hone my skills."

Reece won't give his age (actors looking to break in are terrified of typecasting), but he said he grew up poor in Georgia and joined the Air Force at 17. As a boy, he played with second-hand Transformer toys.

Reece said acting is "what amounts to a serious hobby," and he has no plans to quit the military. Since Sept. 11, 2001, he's been to Iraq or Afghanistan six times, so pressure in his new gig won't be an issue.

He said he sees his "Transformers" saga as an opportunity he'd be foolish to waste.

"How I got in is a little unfair," he said. "I'll be the first to say it. I was standing around and the director put me in a movie. What I do with that opportunity is up to me, so I'm just trying to walk down that path for a while."