The interview on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month went very smoothly. The agent, Zhao Hui, thoughtfully prepared two bottles of Moutai for Director Xu, which is said to be a series that is very difficult to buy on the market.
However, Director Xu firmly refused to accept it, and finally said that if Wei Changfeng succeeded in the audition, they could bring it to the celebration banquet after filming was completed so that everyone could drink together.
"Is it hopeless? They won't even accept our small token of appreciation?" Zhao Hui wondered to himself on the way back.
"Didn't Director Xu think my image was a good fit for the script? There was no acting test on the spot. I thought I would have to act out a scene. It was just chatting."
Wei Changfeng had never worked with Hong Kong or Taiwan directors before, so he couldn't figure out their methods for the time being.
"As far as I know, one of the male artists that Lao Wang is promoting is also one of the candidates this time. They will definitely give Director Xu a high-level reception."
Zhao Hui was referring to one of the top entertainment companies in China.
"Hey, don't think about it. We also wanted to give them a high-class reception, but they decided on the time and place. I've done my best, brother, and you've done your best too. Let things take their course," Wei Changfeng comforted the anxious Zhao Hui.
During the meeting, Director Xu's assistant asked Wei Changfeng about Du Shuang's situation and their relationship, and Wei Changfeng told the truth.
They met in their youth when they were both struggling in Beijing, some working on film crews and others focusing on preparing for film school entrance exams.
At that time, many young people lived near the Beijing Film Academy or the Central Academy of Drama. He, Du Shuang, and three others rented a room in the same residential building, and they became familiar with each other.
After they became famous, they gradually lost touch because they were both busy.
Zhao Hui subtly kicked him under the table, clearly unwilling for him to mention the decrease in contact with Du Shuang afterward. This was because he had told Director Xu's assistant on the phone that Wei Changfeng and Du Shuang were as close as siblings, with an extremely strong bond.
Wei Changfeng was well aware of his agent's ulterior motives, but he felt he couldn't speak too definitively. Du Shuang had already helped him once before, and he couldn't push his luck.
Director Xu seemed quite interested in Du Shuang, and Wei Changfeng gave her a brief introduction, praising her in every way.
Because he hadn't read the script yet, he had only heard his agent tell him the outline of the movie, and Zhao Hui also heard it from Director Xu's assistant.
The film is a spy movie set during the War of Resistance against Japan. The male protagonist is a PhD in radio engineering who has returned from overseas and is sought after by both sides.
The female protagonist has a dual identity: on the surface, she is a female agent working for the Wang Jingwei regime, but secretly she is a member of our side infiltrating the enemy.
She was tasked with both monitoring the male lead and trying to turn him against his own side. Little did she know, the male lead also had a dual identity…
Wei Changfeng felt that the image of the female lead was actually quite suitable for Du Shuang, but he had heard that Director Xu had already confirmed the female lead as Shi Xinxin, a popular A-list actress.
Shi Xinxin not only has a good appearance, but also a wide range of roles and solid acting skills. She has been in the industry for over ten years and has been a top-tier actress for five or six years. These qualifications are something Du Shuang cannot match for the time being.
So why would Director Xu be interested in Du Shuang? Did he want her to play the second female lead? Or did he want to use Du Shuang to contact her powerful backer and obtain funding?
Given Du Shuang's current status, she probably wouldn't be willing to play a supporting role in any film anymore.
Unless it's a star-studded, extremely important big-budget production, or a Hollywood film, then even a minor role is fine.
Bae Doona had relatively small roles in "Cloud Atlas," and Li Bingbing had relatively small roles in "Transformers: Age of Extinction" and "Resident Evil: Retribution," but they were still highly praised as Asian actresses entering the world of Hollywood films.
Wei Changfeng was not familiar with the specific details of Director Xu's film, so he was unsure whether the other party's interest in Du Shuang was to invite her to star in the film or for some other reason.
After the meeting with Director Xu and his team, Wei Changfeng called Du Shuang and told her that Director Xu and his team seemed to be very interested in her.
Du Shuang frankly admitted that Director Xu's assistant had indeed contacted her a few days ago and arranged a meeting time after she went north.
However, just like the news Wei Changfeng had heard before, the first thing confirmed for this drama was the choice of the female lead, which was none other than the top actress Shi Xinxin.
This is practically common knowledge, a done deal, and there should be no reason to change it. As for why she was contacted, she wasn't sure either.
Director Xu's assistant simply said he wanted to meet with her to discuss the film. She didn't want to ask too many questions over the phone, so she said okay, let's talk in detail when we meet.
Du Shuang thought that perhaps there were other roles suitable for her in the film. She wasn't someone who only wanted to play the lead role; if the work was excellent enough and the character was compelling, she was willing to take on a supporting role.
However, her agency didn't see it that way. They positioned her as a leading lady and rejected scripts for supporting roles without even looking at them.
The company also told her that it's easy to go downhill and hard to climb higher. Now that she's finally become the lead actress in a big production, there's no reason for her to play supporting roles for other actresses in other films. Otherwise, she'll have fewer and fewer opportunities to be the lead in the future.
The agency's words made sense, and Du Shuang was well aware of this, so she always followed the agency's arrangements.
Because of her background, her agency naturally spared no effort in supporting her.
Fortunately, Du Shuang is hardworking and ambitious, unlike some female celebrities who seem to have a sugar daddy and can live a life of ease without wanting to work hard or study their roles.
Being an actor can be really tough sometimes. Filming back-to-back is common, and it's especially tough when you're filming summer scenes in winter or winter scenes in summer.
Especially for outdoor scenes in winter, actors would put ice cubes in their mouths before speaking, regardless of the sub-zero temperature, to prevent their breath from wafting out when they spoke.
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