China Entertainment: Been working as a director since 03

Chapter 664: The Real Old Artist
In fact, even if Li Yu didn't fool Li Xuejian, Li Xuejian would still fall into the trap.

Because Li Yu wrote this script so well.

Li Xuejian is a real actor and a real veteran artist.

He is not the kind of young actor who relies on traffic and fan economy for a living, and he is afraid that playing a villain will affect his image in the eyes of his fans.

He really likes this kind of challenging and meaningful role.

No matter how much I complain, I will still accept the response.

"I'm very curious about who will be playing opposite me, the rebellion-suppressing marshal Chen Kuochuan. Who does Director Li plan to ask to play the role?" Li Xuejian was very curious about this.

Judging from the script, the role of Chen Kuochuan is no less difficult to interpret than the elderly Huang Chao.

Because Chen Kuochuan in the script is a very complicated person.

He would use any means necessary to win. After gaining power, he began to become ambitious when he saw the increasingly weak imperial court. However, the outcome of Huang Chao's rebellion was still fresh in his mind, so he did not dare to really rebel against the imperial court.

When playing this role, the actor needs to perform ruthlessness, shrewdness, evilness, cunningness, and also his deeply hidden ambitions.

It is extremely difficult to perform all of these well at the same time.

"Wei Zongwan." Li Yu said a name.

After hearing the name, Li Xuejianran nodded in agreement and couldn't help but sigh that Li Yu's vision was indeed very sharp.

When he was reading the script just now and saw the character of Chen Kuochuan, the face of Wei Zongwan came to his mind.

Wei Zongwan is an admirable veteran actor and veteran actor.

The Sima Yi he played is shrewd and calculating, and is able to master all the strategies.

His performance as Gao Qiu was equally awesome, portraying Gao Qiu's sophistication, treachery, and sinisterness just right, and the treacherous minister's demeanor was perfectly captured.

Like Li Xuejian, Wei Zongwan became a "rat crossing the street" in people's eyes after the broadcast of "Water Margin" because of his vivid portrayal of Gao Qiu. He did not dare to go out for a walk during that period.

This is the strength of the old-fashioned bones. One is because Song Jiang doesn't dare to go back to his hometown, and the other is because Gao Qiu doesn't dare to leave the house.

What is even more admirable is that Wei Zongwan basically does not take on commercial films, is indifferent to fame and fortune throughout his life, has been an actor for decades but cannot even afford to buy a house, and still lives in a rented house.

Moreover, Wei Zongwan has achieved an achievement that is difficult for other actors to achieve. The director knelt down to invite him to film a movie.

This is true. In 1992, in order to invite Wei Zongwan to play the role of the old ghost in the play, the director of "Sanmao Joins the Army" knelt down when he arrived at Wei Zongwan's home, which scared Wei Zongwan's wife silly.

He said that he had only seen actors kneeling before directors in order to get roles, but he had never seen directors kneeling before actors in order to invite them to film.

There is a saying circulating in the director circle about Wei Zongwan: there is no role that Wei Zongwan cannot play well.

Li Xuejian would be excited just thinking about it if Wei Zongwan could really be invited to play Chen Kuochuan.

How exciting would it be to act with a super veteran actor?

His acting skills are almost at the ceiling level in the country, and he has a bit of the Dugu Qiubai feeling. Most of the time, he is the one with the best acting skills, and he crushes anyone he faces, which is a bit uncomfortable.

It would also be a challenge for him to act with Wei Zongwan.

"Director Li, you have a good eye. Teacher Wei can definitely play the role of Chen Kuochuan well." Li Xuejian said with a little excitement.

Everyone believes that there is no role that Wei Zongwan cannot play well. This kind of capable minister with a bit of evil is Wei Zongwan's comfort zone, and the effect of his performance is absolutely explosive.

"Of course it would be best if we could invite him. I heard that Mr. Wei basically doesn't take on commercial films. If he doesn't want to act in our film, there's nothing I can do," said Li Yu.

For most veteran actors who are unwilling to act, Li Yu can use the tried and tested method of increasing their salaries.

After all, the money-raising layman told everyone that as long as the money was paid, it could be done at any time. But for an old artist like Wei Zongwan, Li Yu didn't want to use the money-raising method.

For an old artist who has never accepted any advertisements, almost never taken any commercial films, and does not care about money and fame, throwing money at him is the biggest insult to him.

Li Yu usually believes that most problems can be solved if more money is given.

But he also didn't say that money can solve all problems.

Li Yu would never use money to insult a respected old artist.

So if old man Wei Zongwan refused, Li Yu would not bother him anymore.

The fire in Li Xuejian's heart was half extinguished. Li Yu was right. Wei Zongwan was indeed difficult to invite.

"I will also help you lobby him and see if I can persuade him. If you can't persuade him, and I can't persuade him, then you can only find someone else." Li Xuejian said.

"In short, Mr. Wei is definitely my first choice. If I have to choose him, I can consider Bao Guoan.

In fact, with Mr. Bao’s acting skills, it is not a problem for him to play the character of Chen Kuochuan well.

The biggest problem is that after Mr. Bao played Cao Cao, he was completely tied to Cao Cao.

After Cao Cao, no matter what role he plays, it is difficult to get out of Cao Cao's shadow, which is a problem that cannot be ignored."

Li Yu shook his head and said.

This is also the important reason why Li Yu rarely invited Bao Guoan to film after "Guan Du".

In "Guandu", Bao Guoan played Cao Cao, and there is nothing wrong with that.

People all tacitly agree that the historical Cao Cao did not look like him, and that must be a problem with Cao Cao himself.

It would be a bit weird to ask him to play any other role, and the audience would be distracted.

When he was acting opposite a young and beautiful actress in the play, the audience was afraid that he would ask the actress if she was willing to spend the night with him the next second.

He has a tall and powerful bodyguard by his side, and the audience will wonder whether he will use his skill to harm the three sages in one shot in the next plot.

He is clearly playing the role of a loyal minister, but the audience feels uncomfortable no matter how they watch him. They think that his loyalty is definitely fake and there will definitely be a reversal later.

This is also the reason why reporters would always ask him how he played Cao Cao no matter what role he played.

There is no way. His image of Cao Cao is too deeply rooted in people's hearts, and there has been no character that can match him later.

"It seems that Director Li really put a lot of thought into making this movie well." Li Xuejian joked.

"Isn't this the director's job? If a director doesn't bother to put in the effort to think about his own work, how can this movie be watched?" Li Yu asked in return.

……

Afterwards, Li Yuzhen invited Mr. Wei Zongwan to play the role. He even visited him in person and asked him to play the role of Chen Kuochuan.

Fortunately, this time, Li Yu did not need to kneel like the director of "Sanmao Joins the Army". After reading the script of "Thief", Wei Zongwan praised it highly and said that he liked the script very much.

Li Xuejian called him again and told him that he would also star in this movie.

So after some hesitation, Wei Zongwan agreed to take part in the performance.

At this point, the two most important actors in "Thief" are in place.

For the remaining roles, Li Yu plans to pick some middle-aged actors with talent and fame, so that the audience will not be unable to find familiar names in the cast list.

(End of this chapter)