Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 268, Section 266: Cui Ping is Hard to Find

In November, the north wind howled through the capital, swirling up the remaining withered leaves on the ground and rushing towards hurried passersby.

Inside the Jingxin Building, the heating was on full blast, creating a stark contrast with the bleak atmosphere outside the window.

Wang Sheng sat behind his large desk, with the final casting list for the "Lurking" project spread out in front of him.

A thick stack of documents shows that almost all the main roles have been finalized. The names, written in black and white, stand out vividly, painting a breathtaking picture of the cast.

Yu Zecheng - Wang Zhiwen.

His reserved nature, which conceals a turbulent undercurrent and a sharp wit hidden beneath a calm surface, is a perfect match for the character of Yu Zecheng.

Wang Sheng could almost imagine him conveying countless unspeakable messages and emotions through those deep eyes.

Station Master Wu Jingzhong - Li Youbin.

Old Li still retains his youthful charm, but he has gained a more mature and shrewd air, making him a perfect fit to portray the cunning and ruthless head of the Tianjin station of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Li Ya - Chen Daoming.

Chen Daoming's aloofness and persistence, when transferred to Li Ya, the resolute spy, will create a highly charismatic and imposing adversary. His defeat will be more tragic and will further elevate the tone of the series.

Lu Qiaoshan - Feng Yuanzheng.

Feng Yuanzheng excels at portraying characters' shrewdness and cunning, making him a natural fit for the role of the scheming and treacherous deputy station chief.

Ma Kui-You Yongzhi.

You Yongzhi possesses an inherent fierce and reckless spirit, which perfectly matches Ma Kui's identity as the captain of the action team and his function as a "smokescreen" villain in the early stages.

Zuo Lan - Li Xiaoran.

Her temperament has become increasingly gentle and firm. As Yu Zecheng's first love and an outstanding underground worker of our Party, she is convincing in both image and acting skills, and can also add a bright touch to this revolutionary love story.

Manager Luo - Li Xuejian.

The way he stood there was the embodiment of the composure, loyalty, and spirit of sacrifice of underground workers.

Shopkeeper Qiu - Jiao Huang.

His addition ensured the dramatic tension and realism of the pharmacy liaison station storyline.

Late Autumn - Li Bingbing.

Her pitiful yet stubborn temperament is perfectly suited to portraying this tragic female character who is ultimately won over.

Xie Ruolin - Fu Biao.

Fu Biao's mercenary nature, greed, and dark humor will be a rare relief in the tense atmosphere of this drama, and will also profoundly reveal the survival philosophy of some people in that era.

Mu Liansheng - Lei Kesheng.

Lei Kesheng's character is both righteous and wicked, and he handles the traitorous businessman Mu Liansheng with ease.

The supporting roles, such as "Secretary Hong" and "Head of the Archives Section," were also played by a group of talented actors with solid acting skills, ensuring that every corner of the series could withstand scrutiny.

It can be said that, apart from the female lead "Cui Ping", the cast of "Lurking" is a top-notch lineup. Looking at the entire Chinese film and television industry, only Wang Sheng's current connections, resources and vision could have assembled such a team.

However, it was this last, and crucial, female lead that made Wang Sheng fall into deep thought.

The role of "Cuiping" is too difficult.

She was not a well-educated female student or a lady from a respectable family in the traditional sense. She was a guerrilla leader who came from the mountains. She was bold, straightforward, and had a wild and untamed air about her, and was even a little rude.

But at the same time, she must possess the simplicity, kindness, and absolute loyalty to the revolution of the working class. She needs to make a fool of herself while struggling to adapt to city life, and at crucial moments, she must demonstrate astonishing courage and wisdom.

Her relationship with Yu Zecheng began with the awkwardness and friction of being a "fake couple," but gradually transformed into a deep and loving bond through repeated life-and-death trials.

This role requires the actor to be able to let go of their image and go all out in their performance, both to amuse the audience and to deeply move them.

Fan Xiaopang did indeed subtly express her desire to act a few days ago. She's currently at a point where her popularity is soaring thanks to "Flying Colors" and "The Legendary Twins," and she's trying to challenge herself with different genres. But Wang Sheng rejected her offer almost without much consideration.

The reason is simple: their age and temperament don't match. Fan Xiaopang, who is only eighteen years old, can't hide her increasingly bright and youthful girlishness no matter how she dresses up, and can't portray the "mature" feeling of Cuiping who has experienced the hardships and has a rustic charm.

I might consider casting her as Wanqiu, but as Cuiping, there's absolutely no way.

Wang Sheng's fingers tapped lightly on the shortlist of candidates submitted by the casting director.

The list includes actresses who are currently talented, well-regarded, and whose age and acting style are potentially suitable: ...

Wang Sheng looked at the names one by one, then eliminated them from his mind one by one.

These actresses are all excellent, but they always seem to be missing something. Either their temperament doesn't match, their image is too fixed, or their fame or acting skills are not yet up to par.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy, and the casting director and several core planners dared not speak easily.

Wang Sheng closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with his fingers, constantly sketching out what "Cui Ping" should be like in his mind—not just plain rustic, but rustic in a vivid way, bold and lovable, reckless yet genuine, with a pure and passionate heart under the influence of revolutionary beliefs.

She needs to create an extreme contrast with Yu Zecheng, yet they must also be drawn to each other at the depths of their souls.

Wang Sheng picked up the list again, his gaze sweeping over several names before finally settling on "Jiang Wenli".

He suddenly recalled Jiang Wenli's portrayal of the prostitute Yan Hong in "Farewell My Concubine," with her blend of worldliness and ruthlessness; he also remembered her dedication to the role in "Springtime," where she gained weight and made herself look ugly. Her acting skills are undeniably versatile, capable of completely transforming into different characters.

The key is whether her potential as an excellent actress can be unleashed, thus overshadowing her somewhat bookish nature.

"Send an invitation to Jiang Wenli and arrange a special audition."

Wang Sheng finally spoke, breaking the silence: "The audition scene should be when Cui Ping first arrives in Tianjin, showing her fear and putting on a brave face in front of Yu Zecheng, and later, when facing Ma Kui's suspicion, she displays that fearless and bold spirit. Tell her that what we need to see is a 'village woman' completely different from any of her previous roles, not just in appearance, but in spirit."

The casting director immediately took note.

Wang Sheng's decision was undoubtedly bold.

The advantage of casting a well-known and talented actress like Jiang Wenli is that her acting skills are guaranteed, she can hold her own, and she can hold her own against Wang Zhiwen and Chen Daoming.

However, the risk lies in whether the audience can accept such a "subversive" portrayal of Jiang Wenli.

"In addition," Wang Sheng pointed to the names "Yu Hui" and "Wang Qianhua" with his finger, "we will also arrange auditions for these two. Yu Hui's simplicity and Wang Qianhua's down-to-earth nature may create some interesting chemistry. We need to be prepared for multiple possibilities."

Once the order was given, the entire casting team immediately sprang into action.

……

A few days later, in a makeshift audition room set up in the Jingxin Building, Wang Sheng witnessed the performances of the three candidates.

Yu Hui's performance was solid, and she captured the essence of simplicity, but she lacked the "fierce" spirit and comedic flair that Cui Ping should have, appearing overly composed.

Wang Qianhua, on the other hand, seemed too "simple and honest." She had a lot of energy for the lower-class women, but she was slightly lacking in portraying Cui Ping's quick thinking and even her "playing dumb to fool others" shrewdness as an underground worker.

Finally, there's Jiang Wenli.

When she walked in, wearing a bulky old cotton-padded coat, her hair deliberately made a little frizzy, and her face with two patches of "highland red" from the north wind, looking somewhat flustered yet trying to appear calm, Wang Sheng's eyes flickered slightly.

Her audition footage, from her initial bewilderment and embarrassment when facing her "fake husband" Yu Zecheng upon arriving in Tianjin, to her later outburst at Ma Kui, where she displayed a fierce and reckless protectiveness like a mother tigress after being provoked, was portrayed with distinct layers and rich emotions.

Especially those eyes, sometimes innocent, sometimes wary, and sometimes bursting with a wild light.

She even designed some lines and gestures with a local accent, instantly bringing the character "Cuiping" to life.

Wang Sheng knew he had found it.

With her superb acting skills and profound understanding of the character, Jiang Wenli successfully "torn off" her past labels and presented a Cui Ping who is both down-to-earth and has a flesh-and-blood soul.

Her audition with Wang Zhiwen also produced a wonderful chemistry. The dependence and feelings that started from awkwardness and gradually grew were already taking shape.

"She's the one." After the audition, Wang Sheng said confidently to the casting director and producer beside him, "Notify Jiang Wenli's team to negotiate the contract details as soon as possible. Cui Ping, she will play the role."

(End of this chapter)