Comedies like "napoleon dynamite" don't really demand high acting skills; instead, they rely on a kind of "awkward humor."
Actors need to portray a foolish, dazed state, yet still cleverly hit the audience's funny bone, making people laugh out loud.
Reese Witherspoon stood in the audition room, utterly bewildered, completely unsure why Director Gray had her say such a nonsensical line.
Though her mind was full of questions, she quickly thought that since Director Gray had arranged it this way, there must be a reason, and she just needed to follow instructions.
Actually, this line is quite crucial in the movie... well, it's just there to make the audience laugh. After all, it's a comedy, isn't it all about giving the audience a good laugh?
Kazir watched Reese; he saw her close her eyes slightly, brewing emotion for a few seconds.
Actors, after all, need to find their feeling before getting into character; those who can instantly switch emotions are truly rare. Kazir couldn't help but ponder to himself that in his previous life, he lived for most of his life and never personally witnessed such a divine person.
'Only America's Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, at that level, might be able to instantly get into character? But I haven't seen it with my own eyes... Oh, right, Leonardo DiCaprio hasn't reached god-like status yet; Cameron's massive ship has only just begun construction.' Thinking of this, Kazir's thoughts drifted a bit.
He remembered that "Titanic" took over two years to film, all because Cameron insisted on building a real cruise ship!
Fox and Paramount, these two major studios, were almost driven crazy by him, constantly having to add tens of millions in investment, all for that ship!
Soon, Kazir pulled his attention back to Reese, his gaze fixed on her.
Then... "Um... hello, do you want to be like me?" Reese slowly opened her eyes and said softly.
This simple line, delivered by Reese, was quite on point, at least much better than the previous few actresses. Although Kazir didn't immediately express his opinion, he already had a good idea—if no one auditioning later performed better, the role would go to Reese. He didn't have very high demands for this role; as long as the actress was cute and sweet and could deliver the lines smoothly, it would be fine.
"Thank you, Reese, we'll let you know the result within three days. Thank you for coming," Kazir said politely.
"Ah? Okay! Thank you, Director Gray!" Reese was still confused; she really didn't understand why the audition only required her to say such a simple line, without even knowing what emotion to convey, so she could only bravely feign shyness. With a mind full of questions, she left the audition room looking puzzled.
"There are three more after this; we'll decide after seeing them," Kazir said, turning to Reiner.
In Hollywood, actresses are as numerous as the stars, with thousands dreaming of fame and fortune. These minor actors are willing to do anything to land a role—of course, as long as it doesn't cross the line.
"Director Gray... when you're done, can we talk?" At this moment, a woman with prominent features, before leaving, flirtatiously and sweetly said to Kazir.
Kazir shrugged, not taking it seriously at all.
Having struggled in the lower echelons of Hollywood for so long, he was very clear about the tricks of this industry.
The unspoken rules, or "transactions" as they're called, certainly exist in this circle. It's not uncommon for some actresses to sleep with a director or producer to get a role.
There were even rumors that Julia Roberts made a similar "transaction" to get the role in "Pretty Woman" back then. Of course, these are just rumors... Hollywood is a very realistic place; talent alone is far from enough.
Unfortunately, this woman with prominent features miscalculated—Kazir's focus on his work far outweighed everything else. After weighing things in his mind, he still felt that Reese was more suitable for the role.
'I'm not a saint; who can resist the temptation of a woman? But not now; this film must succeed.' Kazir secretly warned himself; he wouldn't let this small temptation ruin something big. Besides, that woman's eyes were dull, and it was clear she couldn't act; even if he gave her the role, she might not perform well.
"With our small-budget production, we can't offer Reese a very high salary," Kazir said with a bit of worry.
"Don't worry, even if it's not much money, she'll probably be happy to come. I reckon she just needs an opportunity," Reiner patted his chest, confidently assuring that they would pay the actors minimum wage.
"That's good," Kazir nodded.
In Hollywood, musicians and artists often look down on "face-time" work, but minor actors are different; they rely on it to gain recognition and secure more opportunities.
"We definitely have to pay; we can't exploit people," Kazir reiterated.
"Alright, the auditions are over. Call in the male actors!" Kazir said to Reiner.
"Okay," Reiner responded and went out to make arrangements.
Two key roles were still undecided. One was the protagonist, Napoleon, and the other was his friend, Pedro Sanchez. As for the Kip role, someone had already been chosen.
For the role of Napoleon, they needed to find a taller actor, not too tall, around 1.8 meters would suffice. As long as they met this condition and their acting was decent, Kazir would use them. As for the role of Pedro Sanchez, just by the name, it was clear he was of Latin descent.
'This role will probably be a bit difficult to find,' Kazir mused to himself.
Just as he thought this, the first male actor pushed the door open and entered.
"Hello, I'm Pedro Pascal. I saw the casting call for young Latin actors, so I came to try out," the actor said politely.
"Hmm?" Kazir looked up and was momentarily stunned.
"Pedro Pascal?" He had heard this name in his later years and was quite surprised to see this future big star auditioning here.
He narrowed his eyes, carefully scrutinizing the young man in front of him—he was completely different from what he remembered. This young man was very young, with a smooth face, and his characteristic mustache hadn't grown in yet; he looked nothing like the mature, steady, and charming Pedro Pascal he remembered from the 2010s.
'So young...' Kazir couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Before Pedro could speak, Kazir raised his hand and called out, "Call Jane over; she'll do his hair."
"Alright," Reiner replied and went out to get the makeup artist.
A few seconds later, the makeup artist Jane walked over and styled Pedro's hair according to Kazir's request.
A few minutes later, Kazir looked at Pedro, whose hair was done, and nodded in satisfaction: "Aside from being a bit short, this look is tailor-made for Pedro Sanchez!"