Ed Helms, the youthful face before him, would one day become a prominent and highly recognizable figure in the comedy world, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who saw him.
However, at this moment, he was merely a fledgling, inexperienced young actor.
Standing in the audition room, he was so nervous that he was at a loss, exuding an awkwardness that, coincidentally, perfectly matched the role of Napoleon in Kazir's script.
Kazir's lips curled into a subtle smile, then he turned and called out the door, "Jane, come in and give him a golden curly bob."
"It'll be done in a few minutes, please wait."
Jane, the makeup artist, responded crisply and quickly walked in, beginning to style Ed's hair.
Ed looked confused, his eyes full of questions, but he obediently stood still, allowing Jane to do as she pleased with his hair.
After all, the director specifically asked for a hairstyle change, which clearly showed some interest in him; it seemed he had passed this hurdle.
Soon, the styling was complete.
Kazir's eyes lit up; the Ed before him was exactly as he had described in his script, the endearing clumsiness perfectly captured.
However, Kazir still felt something was missing.
He pondered for a moment, picked up a pair of glasses from the table, and handed them to Ed: "Put on these glasses."
Ed put on the glasses as instructed, paired with the curly bob... perfect! At this moment, he was the spitting image of napoleon dynamite from the script!
As for acting, Kazir wasn't actually demanding.
When he watched "napoleon dynamite" in his previous life, he noticed that most of the actors in the film were amateurs who couldn't act at all, but that was precisely the feeling he wanted—that unpolished simplicity and authenticity.
"Ed, I only have one request for you: when you say 'idiot,' mumble it, as if you have something in your mouth," Kazir said seriously.
"Director, give me a few seconds to prepare," Ed quickly said.
"Hmm," Kazir nodded, signaling him to begin.
"Idiot!" Ed mumbled as requested.
"Again, this time with a bit of anger, but still mumble," Kazir continued to instruct.
"Idiot!" Ed tried again, and this time, there was indeed a hint of anger in his voice.
"Good, now say 'damn idiot'," Kazir made a new request.
"Damn idiot!" Ed enunciated each word.
At this point, Ed looked like a genuine idiot, his expression both comical and endearing.
He couldn't help but wonder if the director was playing a trick on him.
Without even a proper script, he was repeatedly asked to say "idiot"; what was the purpose of all this?
Kazir, however, knew very well that Napoleon said "idiot" no less than five times throughout the entire film!
He was quite satisfied with Ed's performance; what he wanted was precisely this amateurish feel, this untrained innocence and simplicity.
"Ed, the audition is almost over. I'll be honest with you, this film has a low budget, so I can't offer you a high salary," Kazir said sincerely, looking at Ed.
"Understood, I get it," Ed quickly nodded, but his heart was pounding.
From the director's tone, the lead role was likely his; at least, the director genuinely wanted to cast him.
"As long as I can play the male lead, any amount of money is fine."
He spoke with utmost seriousness, without the slightest hesitation.
For a small actor like him, getting a lead role was like a godsend; he wouldn't dare to be picky.
"That's good. Do you have an agent?" Kazir continued to ask.
"Yes, I'm signed with William Morris Agency (WMA)," Ed quickly replied.
Upon hearing the company name, something flashed in Kazir's mind, but he quickly dismissed it, not paying much attention.
"Can you dance?" Kazir threw out another new question.
"A little..." Ed tilted his head, a bit confused, wondering what the director was really up to.
"Contact your agent, but tell him not to be greedy," Kazir instructed.
"Okay! Absolutely!" Ed quickly nodded in agreement, his heart already soaring with joy.
Ed happily walked out of the audition room, immediately pulled out his phone, called his agent, and recounted the entire audition in detail.
"Are you sure you want to choose him? There are still several others who haven't auditioned yet!" Reiner couldn't help but ask Kazir after Ed left.
"Don't worry, he's a perfect fit for the role," Kazir said confidently.
As a reborn person, Kazir knew that Ed would go on to act in many comedies and definitely had talent in this area.
Over the next few days, they quickly finalized the other roles.
This process was not easy, taking a full three days to finally cast all the roles.
After Ed and his agent negotiated, his salary was set at 15,000. Other actors received less, but the crew provided food and lodging, which was considerate.
"Find a cheap motel in Idaho. We can't waste money; this is the investors' money," Kazir told Reiner.
In reality, the money came from his brother, but he was particularly frugal, as he had to be careful with his elder brother's money.
"Don't worry, I'll contact them right away," Reiner promised, patting his chest.
Soon, Kazir, along with a crew of twenty and the actors, flew to Idaho, ready to begin filming.
Among these twenty, five were interns hoping to make it in Hollywood; they were free labor, so it was a no-brainer to use them.
Upon arriving in Idaho, no one was in the mood to enjoy the scenery.
As soon as they reached the motel, Kazir urged everyone to calibrate cameras and prepare film, fearing any delay in the shooting schedule.
"Is this how the opening credits are done? Writing names on food?" Reiner and Harold were a bit uneasy and confirmed with Kazir again.
"Yes, once this is shot, we'll wrap up for the day. While the actors are still getting into character, let's shoot it quickly," Kazir said decisively.
Unfortunately, Ed, the main character, had no time to rest; he had to personally arrange the food on the table because the camera would be shooting from above, focusing on his hands.
Harold was in charge of props; he was busy preparing various dishes and had to write the actors' names on them.
This was a skillful task, requiring both the aesthetic appeal of the food and the clear visibility of the names.
Sandwiches, Napoleon placed on the table, done.
Mexican empanadas, writing with mustard, done.
Steak, same principle... This opening sequence looked simple but was very memorable.
After all, who had ever seen food used as a background for subtitles? The creativity was absolutely brilliant.
Luckily, Ed didn't have to act; he was just responsible for arranging the food.
Aside from the effort of preparing dishes and writing, the shooting went smoothly; on the first day, they filmed three minutes of footage, just enough for the opening credits.