Chapter 311 Casting

The protagonist of "Departures" is set as an unemployed adult in his 30s in the script.

But generally speaking, if the male actor takes good care of himself, he can look like he is in his twenties or thirties even if he is in his forties or fifties. For example, the actor who played the protagonist in the original version, Masahiro Motoki, was actually 42 years old when he participated in the film, but if you watch the movie and say he is 25 years old, it doesn't feel out of place.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen did not set too many restrictions on the age requirements for male actors this time. The age released to the public is about 30 years old, but basically as long as the actor can show the state of this age group, he will allow him to audition. But there is also an upper limit, those over 45 years old should not come.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen also sighed. Yesterday, he received a call from Pu Cunxi, asking him if he could make an exception and let him try. In fact, Pu Cunxi's temperament is in line with the male protagonist, and his acting skills are definitely no problem, but he is over 50 this year!

Wu Yuchen named this male protagonist Lin Wu. Although he is 30 years old, he is actually introverted. Because he used to work in a band, he didn't have much contact with society. He was relatively simple and not very mature. When he lost his job and entered a completely unfamiliar funeral industry, he actually had to show the appearance of a young man in his 20s.

This is not only to shape his growth process after becoming a mortician, but also to facilitate the audience to show the mortician industry through the perspective of him as a completely newcomer.

Another point is that in the movie, there must be a bathing scene in the bathtub, except for the vital parts below, basically all have to be exposed. If you are too old, even if you take good care of your face, your body will leave marks. If you don't pay attention, your flesh may become loose, which will inevitably cause a certain sense of disharmony with the character.

So Wu Yuchen simply drew a line, and those over 45 years old should not come. Even Zhang Guorong, who had worked well with him before, was 2 years older, and was rejected by him.

I don’t know if it was influenced by the previous filming of “Blade of the Assassin” that changed his life trajectory. For example, he had no time to film “Inner Dimension” which was said to have aggravated his condition, so he did not commit suicide this year.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen also smiled. This can be regarded as a merit. Compared with this, it doesn’t matter whether Zhang Guorong is his leading actor or not.

“Director Wu, don’t I meet the requirements? I am also 33 years old! I have a good sense of music and rhythm, and I can also learn cello!”

Wu Yuchen waved his hand directly at Sun Honglei: “Huaqiang, when you appear on stage with this face, people who don’t know will think you are a gangster who came to collect debts!”

Sun Honglei was a little anxious when he heard it: “Director Wu, I am not bad looking! Give me a chance!”

Sun Honglei and Wu Yuchen are also old friends. They have known each other since the initial filming of the short film “Car 44”. Later, he also played “The Night the Comet Came” and Zhou Tienan in “Donkey Gets Water”, and his reputation also became famous.

However, because of the role of Zhou Tienan, others said that he was a weak-willed person who looked strong on the outside but was useless. Therefore, he simply took on the role of Liu Huaqiang, a gangster boss in "Conquer", which really became popular all over the country. Now the first impression people have of him is a gangster boss.

In fact, Sun Honglei himself is quite proud of himself. After all, the transformation from a coward to a ruthless role like a gangster boss also proves his acting skills.

He had no chance at all in the love movies such as "If Love Has Destiny" and "My Sassy Girl" shot by Wu Yuchen in the past few years, but this time it is not about love, so he thinks he should still be able to fight for it.

Wu Yuchen looked at his persistent look, thought for a while and said, "Go hold the cello for me to see."

Sun Honglei hurried over when he heard this, and then began to pretend to hold the cello affectionately under the guidance of a cello teacher.

Wu Yuchen looked at Liu Huaqiang playing the cello affectionately in front of him, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

After satisfying his own little evil taste, Wu Yuchen said to Sun Honglei: "Leizi, forget it. Don't pretend to be an artist. Let's pick up the sword~"

After Sun Honglei stood up, he looked at Wu Yuchen with a bit of resentment, but Wu Yuchen smiled and said:

"I heard that Xu Ke's "Seven Swordsmen" contacted you? Prepare for that role well. I think you have a good chance."

In recent years, Chinese martial arts films have been very popular both domestically and internationally. Therefore, basically all well-known directors have been invited by investors to shoot martial arts films. Xu Ke, who has previously shot many classics such as "A Chinese Ghost Story", "Swordsman" and "Once Upon a Time in China", is no exception. This "Seven Swordsmen" is said to have been prepared since last year. It has made a lot of noise. It is claimed that 7 big stars will be invited to play the seven swordsmen, which has also attracted widespread attention in the circle.

Sun Honglei is now doing better than in his previous life, and he is also very famous in the mainland. Therefore, Wu Yuchen estimated that the role of the villain Fenghuo Liancheng in "Seven Swords" would still fall into his hands.

Looking at the back of Sun Honglei walking out, Wu Yuchen also smiled. This kid is still very motivated now, and he is not at all obsessed with variety shows after more than ten years.

After a while, Liu Dehua walked in, and as soon as he came up, he put his hands together and bowed slightly to Wu Yuchen to greet him.

Wu Yuchen looked at Liu Dehua's appearance. He is 42 years old this year, but he has maintained himself well. It is no problem for him to play a 30-year-old young man.

Andy Lau's acting skills are not top-notch, but they are also good enough. During this period, Andy Lau seemed to be a bit 50-50, that is, you can't feel that he is very eye-catching, but no one thinks he is worse than the other person when he is with him.

For example, in "Infernal Affairs", when people mention acting, the most impressive thing is Liang Chaowei's melancholy eyes, but if you think about it carefully, Andy Lau is not bad.

However, after Andy Lau walked out, Wu Yuchen still shook his head. I don't know if Andy Lau has played too many commercial films or has been a star for too long, he lacks the literary style.

The next one who came was a literary temperament. Wang Zhiwen didn't rely on blushing at all, but on his style, and his acting skills were also very good.

After Wang Zhiwen walked out of the room, Wu Yuchen fell into thinking again. Wang Zhiwen's performance just now was quite good, but why did he feel that something was missing?

He went over the male lead Lin Wu in his mind again. Lin Wu is a somewhat contradictory person. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother in Shanghai. His mother educated him with Western values ​​since he was a child, but he is a traditional and introverted Chinese in his bones. He is a little cowardly and always looks cautious.

The past of the cellist represents his Western lifestyle, while the coffin ceremony is an Eastern tradition. The film is to show the collision of Eastern and Western cultures through the male protagonist Lin Wu, and finally combine the West and the East ingeniously. When facing death, no matter what culture, they all desire to be respected and blessed after death.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen also realized that Wang Zhiwen was not good enough. He did not have the Western airs and flavor.

Then, another actor known as the literary male god came in, Jin Chengwu. Jin Chengwu just turned 30 this year, and he is the youngest in this audition.

After seeing Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wu Yuchen smiled. He actually had dealt with him last time when he was selecting Shen Lian for "Blade of the Assassin". To be honest, if it weren't for Zhang Guorong, he might have considered Takeshi Kaneshiro at that time.

Wu Yuchen didn't let Takeshi Kaneshiro perform first, but chatted with him: "Awu, I remember you told me last time that you are usually a very dull person and like to be alone. What do you do when you go home?"

Jin Chengwu smiled a little embarrassedly and said: "I am just a otaku. I play video games, play the piano, play guitar, take care of small animals, and a day is gone."

Can you play the piano? Wu Yuchen remembered this in his heart, and then asked: "Have you studied in the United States before?"

Takeshi Kaneshiro nodded: "Yes, I stayed there for almost a year or two, and then I accidentally came into contact with shooting commercials..."

Wu Yuchen smiled and said: "It seems that your parents are very good to you, and they are willing to train you, and they also respect your choice~"

Jin Chengwu smiled and said nothing. His family background is a bit complicated. His father is Japanese and his mother is Taiwanese. They both divorced and had one son. After they reunited, they gave birth to the third child, Jin Chengwu.

He was born in Taiwan, but because his father is Japanese, he can only go to a Japanese school. The children there said that he couldn't speak Japanese and didn't play with him. When he returned home, the neighbor's children said that he was Japanese and didn't play with him. Therefore, he has been a bit dull and withdrawn since he was a child.

Wu Yuchen didn't ask him any more when he saw him like this, and let him start his audition performance. After Jin Chengwu bowed and thanked him and walked out, Wu Yuchen nodded and made a check mark behind his name. Takeshi Kaneshiro has met his requirements for this role in all aspects.

To be honest, although Jin Chengwu is known as an artistic male god, most of his protagonists in artistic films, including "Chungking Express", "Fallen Angels", and "Turn Left, Turn Right", are good-looking, pitiful, weak men. Most directors are using his appearance and his inherent melancholy temperament.

In terms of acting skills, it is not really the best. According to Wu Yuchen's observation, he may not be better than Liu Dehua, but as for the male lead, he is indeed more suitable than Liu Dehua.

Lin Wu, the male lead, has always been dissatisfied with his father in his heart, because his father divorced his mother and abandoned him when he was a child. This is a knot in his heart that he cannot untie. In the movie, when his father died, Lin Wu, as an undertaker, personally went to make up for him, which was also a big step for him to complete his personal growth.

So Takeshi Kaneshiro's inherent melancholy can be used, but it must be concealed at ordinary times. And this is why Wu Yuchen asked him about his family situation, wanting to know more about the actor's own growth experience.

"Hello, Director Wu! Hello, teachers. I'm Winston Chao!"

Looking at the gentle and handsome man in front of him, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile and said, "I called Director Li a few days ago, and he praised you highly!"

The Winston Chao in front of him didn't actually debut as a professional actor. He worked as a flight attendant after graduating from college. Later, Li An discovered him when he was filming "The Wedding Banquet" and later he became the male lead in Li An's "Eat Drink Man Woman". The role of Xue Shao in "The Story of the Palace of Eternal Life" two years ago also attracted a large number of female fans in mainland China.

Even in the entertainment industry, he can be called a handsome guy. Zhou Xun said that when he was acting in "The Story of the Palace of Eternal Life", he felt like falling in love with Winston Chao at first sight.

Wu Yuchen started chatting with him again. Hearing that he had also learned piano and lived in America for a few years, he also took note.

"Can you tell me about your family situation?"

Zhao Wenxuan did not shy away from it and said directly: "My mother was a concubine and lived under the same roof with my father and aunt, so many people said I was an illegitimate child when I was a child."

"Sorry..." Wu Yuchen cast a slightly apologetic look.

Zhao Wenxuan smiled and shook his head: "It doesn't matter, these are the facts. But my half brother is very good to me, and I will beat them away when I hear others talking about me."

"When I was a child, my father was the one I hated the most. He was very strict with me and often punished me. Every time someone praised me for my good looks, he would say that I looked evil. What's the use?

When I was in middle school, I was very interested in art such as painting and singing. I thought about becoming an artist, but my father scolded me and said that I was not doing my job properly. Later, I followed his idea and applied to the Industrial College to study mechanics. At that time, I really just wanted to stay away from him as much as possible. After graduation, I ran away to become a flight attendant, flying all over the world, and I was away from home all year round."

Wu Yuchen asked: "So, what happened between you and your father? Are there many gaps between us? "

"Yes, he is too strict and chauvinistic. I have never heard him say he loves me since I was a child. Later, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. I went home to accompany him. He told me that I just need to be happy in the future. This sentence really made me cry in my room and dissolve all the negative emotions that I had accumulated before.

After my father passed away, I quit my job and went to America to study again. It was there that I was fortunate to meet Director Li and embarked on my current path. "

After Zhao Wenxuan's audition performance, Wu Yuchen's smile became even brighter, and he made a big tick behind it. This is really great. His acting skills, image, and temperament are no worse than Takeshi Kaneshiro's. Even his personal experience can resonate with the male protagonist.