69novels Chapter 54: The Male Lead is Confirmed
Chapter 54: The Male Lead is Confirmed
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"Ah Zhuo, long time no see."
Yuan Heping smiled and waved, somewhat surprised that Zhao Wenzhuo would come to audition.
Looking at the other person's slightly lonely yet still sunny expression, Eighth Master secretly cheered.
Ah Zhuo made the right choice coming today.
The shrewd and experienced Master Yuan immediately felt that Zhao Wenzhuo was a perfect match for the male lead, Jiang Fang.
He didn't say anything, but after greeting her, he leaned back in his chair to show respect for Fang Yi.
Director Fang, you go first.
As Yuan Heping had predicted, Fang Yi kept scrutinizing Zhao Wenzhuo, recalling his recent film career while comparing him to the male lead, Jiang Fang.
At this point, Zhao Wenzhuo had long lost the high spirits he had when he was working hard in Hong Kong.
After the death of his beloved, his film career plummeted, forcing him to shift his focus back to mainland China.
After returning to the mainland, his film career still didn't take off, and he only received offers for very low-budget productions.
Forget about high box office returns, some films can't even get into mainstream theaters.
Zhao Wenzhuo is not a picky person. If he can't act in TV dramas, then he will act in TV dramas.
【Storm Riders 2】, 【The Drunken Swordsman】, 【The Divine Doctor and His Lover】, 【The Snowy City】.
From 2003 to 2005, four TV series were produced. Apart from "Wind and Cloud 2" which received good feedback due to the support of the audience of the previous work, the other three series became more and more mediocre.
None of them have broken out of their niche; their viewership ratings rely entirely on support from early fans.
This move undoubtedly diminishes his popularity, leaving him in an awkward, stagnant position in both mainland China and Hong Kong.
Zhao Wenzhuo was also very clear about his own situation. When he learned about the casting for "Taken", he came to audition with great expectations.
As Fang Yi sized him up, he was also observing Fang Yi.
Young and handsome.
This was Fang Yi's first sensory experience.
Then, he gave a second assessment in his mind: calm and composed, with an extraordinary demeanor.
It's a shame he's not an actor!
Just as he was contemplating his third sense, Fang Yi suddenly spoke up: "Brother Zhuo, how much do you know about soldiers, especially special forces?"
"I don't know much about it."
Zhao Wenzhuo was taken aback, but spoke frankly with a calm expression.
True to one's nature.
Fang Yi secretly praised him and continued to ask, "Tell me what you know."
"Okay, Director Fang."
"I have never served in the military, but I have played military roles. I believe that soldiers value discipline above all else, regard honor as their life, and are willing to die on the battlefield to protect their country."
"Special forces?"
Zhao Wenzhuo paused, then raised his voice and said, "This is a special group of soldiers, a special profession. They not only need strong individual combat capabilities, but also a wide variety of skills, including survival, reconnaissance, assassination, decapitation, raids, infiltration, and a whole host of other high-level abilities."
He rattled off his knowledge of special forces soldiers in one breath, then calmed himself and waited for Fang Yi's comments.
"not bad."
Fang Yi smiled, handed Chen Daoming the A4 paper he had just used, and said, "You have three minutes."
"Use your knowledge of special forces to perform the parts marked in red."
"no problem."
Zhao Wenzhuo took the paper with both hands, took two steps back, and lowered his head to read the script carefully.
Three minutes later.
He began his performance, and the first take was decent but unremarkable.
After reading it, Fang Yi reminded him, "Try to blend the reserved side of Nie Feng's character with the free-spirited side of the Nine Gates Admiral Ordo, and do it again."
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
Zhao Wenzhuo nodded and continued to analyze and understand the character.
Five minutes later.
Fang Yi stroked his chin, pondered for a few seconds, and looked at Chen Ran beside him: "What do you think?"
"Six or seven parts similar, but the voice is too clear and lacks killing intent," Chen Ran said after a moment's thought, with slight hesitation.
Fang Yi then looked at Wang Zhonglei. He didn't quite understand this one, and after a long while, he managed to say that the age was quite suitable.
Asking you is pointless!
Cough cough...
At this moment, Yuan Heping, feeling that the timing was about right, coughed lightly and replied with a smile.
"Director Fang, Jiang Fang is a retired special forces instructor who returns to the city. This character usually appears gentle and easygoing."
When faced with trouble, especially a major crisis involving his family, his ruthless and steely side will inevitably be unleashed.
"Ah Zhuo's performance just now lacked a bit of murderous intent. It perfectly captured the sense of restraint in his first encounter with kidnappers, where he concealed his murderous rage and knew when to stop in order to save his wife and daughter."
Fang Yi nodded slightly. Eighth Master had keen eyes and could see through Jiang Fang's characteristics at a glance.
This kind of person is ruthless to the core.
For the safety of his wife and daughter, he was cautious and unwilling to provoke the kidnappers completely, his mild statement carrying a resolute intention and a willingness to negotiate.
When the kidnappers refused to listen to reason, Jiang Fang's primal killing intent erupted. No matter how great the flood or how many criminals died, he only wanted to rescue his wife and daughter.
Without much thought, Fang Yi looked up at the calm Zhao Wenzhuo and decided to give him another chance.
"Okay, I'll give you another ten minutes."
"Two more times."
"Thank you, Director Fang."
Zhao Wenzhuo's eyes lit up with joy, breaking the silence and revealing a warm, sunny smile.
This is his personal cultivation, the confidence accumulated by martial arts practitioners through self-cultivation and inner strength, which has nothing to do with an indifferent attitude.
The audition continued in the room.
Outside, the other actors, who had been waiting for a long time without seeing anyone come out, all had a bad feeling.
No way, Old Zhao got chosen.
Popular stars such as Yu Rongguang, Sun Honglei, Zhen Zidan, and Shao Bing, as well as some small-screen actors such as Yu Hewei, Hou Yong, Xu Yajun, Wu Ruofu, and Ren Tianye.
Everyone fell silent at this moment.
Influenced by the male celebrity, some female celebrities who hadn't seen each other for a long time and were quietly renewing their sisterly bond also stopped talking.
Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, Chen Hao, Liu Tao, Han Xue, Jiang Qingqing, Wang Yan, Yu Feihong, Gao Yuanyuan, Qin Lan.
Almost all of them are great beauties in the entertainment industry and are very confident in their looks.
[Taken] needs a stunning beauty, and these are the women.
At this moment, Chen Zhixi and Qian Fei came in, and Sun Honglei's eyes lit up. He waved to them.
"Zhixi, you're here for the audition too? You're late."
Oh...
Who is this big shot?
The female celebrities all turned to look at the two of them, and then... Spartacus.
Who are these two? I don't recognize them!
Only Yu Feihong showed a hint of surprise; she recognized the lowly Chen Zhixi.
Being watched by so many celebrities, Chen Zhixi and Qian Fei were startled and felt immense pressure.
Chen Zhixi quickly cheered herself up, "It's all in the past now."
My great-aunt is now a producer, and she's no longer part of their group.
She raised the corners of her mouth, ignoring everyone's gaze, and smiled slightly at Sun Honglei.
"Brother Honglei, I'm not here for an audition. I'm the assistant producer for [Taken]."
As she spoke, she took out a stack of A4 papers and distributed them to the female artists present.
"Ladies, these are the roles you're auditioning for."
"Yan Qingwu, a gentle and virtuous young woman."
Immediately, the female celebrities smiled, as if the ice and snow had melted in the warm spring of March, making the conference room much brighter.
A bunch of drama queens!
Chen Zhixi rolled her eyes inwardly, further solidifying her resolve to move behind the scenes.
A while later.
Zhao Wenzhuo came out, his expression calm and inscrutable.
Zhen Zi stepped forward and asked, "A-Zhuo, how is it?"
"Not bad, a candidate!"
Zhao Wenzhu smiled and, without hiding anything, informed him of the audition results.
The two are on good terms now, far less tense than during the Zhao-Zhen incident in 2012.
"Brother Dan, it's your turn."
A staff member came over and respectfully told Zhen Zidan that he was the next actor to audition.
"Keep it up, Zidan!"
Zhao Wenzhuo offered his blessings, nodded to the people waiting in the conference room, and turned to leave.
As soon as he left Huayi Brothers, he called his management team.
"Danlu, find me some movies and books about modern soldiers and special forces. I need them right away."
"Hey, did you get the role, Zhuo-ge?"
On the other end of the phone, Zhang Danlu was extremely excited.
"Pretty much, the director is still considering it, but I have a very good chance."