Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 311 Casting
The male protagonist in "Departures" is portrayed in the script as an unemployed adult in his 30s.

However, generally speaking, if male actors take good care of themselves, they can look like they're in their twenties or thirties even if they're in their forties or fifties. For example, the actor who played the male lead in the original version, Masahiro Motoki, was actually 42 years old when he participated in the film, but if you watched the movie and he said he was 25, it wouldn't feel out of place.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen didn't impose too many age restrictions on male actors this time, publicly stating around 30 years old. Basically, he's allowing any actor who can portray the look of someone in that age group to audition. However, there is an upper limit: those over 45 shouldn't apply.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen sighed. Just yesterday, he had received a call from Pu Cunxi, asking if he could make an exception and let Pu Cunxi give it a try. Actually, Pu Cunxi's overall demeanor was quite suitable for the male lead, and his acting skills were definitely not a problem, but he was already over 50 this year!

The male protagonist, named Lin Wu by Wu Yuchen, is 30 years old, but he is actually introverted. Because he used to work in a band, he didn't have much contact with society, and he is relatively simple and not very mature. When he loses his job and enters the completely unfamiliar funeral industry, he actually has to act like a young man in his 20s.

This is both to depict his growth process after becoming an embalmer and to allow the audience to see the embalmer profession from the perspective of a complete newcomer.

Another point is that movies often include bathing scenes, where almost everything except the genitals is exposed. Even if you take good care of your face, your body will show signs of aging, and your skin can easily sag, which will inevitably create a sense of incongruity with your character.

So Wu Yuchen simply drew a line: no one over 45 should come. Even Leslie Cheung, with whom he had previously worked quite well, was two years over the age limit and was rejected by him.

It's unclear whether the filming of "Brotherhood of Blades" affected her life trajectory, but she didn't have time to film "Inner Senses," which many said aggravated her condition. Therefore, she did not attempt suicide this year.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen smiled. This could be considered a good deed. Compared to this, it didn't matter whether Leslie Cheung played his male lead or not.

"Director Wu, am I not up to the task? I'm 33 years old too! I have an excellent sense of music and rhythm, and I can even learn the cello!"

Wu Yuchen waved his hand at Sun Honglei and said, "Huaqiang, with your face, anyone who doesn't know better would think you're a gangster coming to collect a debt!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Honglei became a little anxious: "Director Wu, I'm not bad-looking either! Please give me a chance!"

Sun Honglei and Wu Yuchen have a long-standing friendship. They met when they first filmed the short film "Car 44". Later, Sun Honglei also acted in "The Night the Comet Came" and played Zhou Tienan in "Mr. Donkey", which made him famous.

However, because of his role as Zhou Tienan, people said he was all bark and no bite, a useless coward. So he later took on the role of Liu Huaqiang, a gangster boss, in "Conquest," which made him an instant national sensation. Now, everyone's first impression of him is that of a gangster boss.

In fact, Sun Honglei himself is quite proud, after all, his transformation from a coward to a ruthless gang leader is a testament to his acting skills.

In the past few years, Wu Yuchen had no chance with romantic movies like "The Classic" and "My Sassy Girl," but this time it's not about romance, so he feels he can still give it a shot.

Seeing his persistent and clingy manner, Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "Go and bring the cello so I can take a look."

Upon hearing this, Sun Honglei hurried over and, under the guidance of a cello teacher, began to pose as if he were holding his cello with deep affection.

Wu Yuchen couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Liu Huaqiang playing the cello with such deep emotion.

After satisfying his own slightly perverse sense of humor, Wu Yuchen said to Sun Honglei, "Lei, you should just give up. Stop trying to act like an artist. Let's just stick to our 'knife-wielding' attitude."

After Sun Honglei stood up, he gave Wu Yuchen a somewhat resentful look, but Wu Yuchen smiled and said:
"I heard that Tsui Hark contacted you about 'Seven Swordsmen'? Go and prepare well for that role. I think you have a good chance."

In recent years, Chinese martial arts films have been incredibly popular both domestically and internationally. As a result, virtually every well-known director has been invited by investors to make martial arts films, and Tsui Hark, who previously directed classics such as *A Chinese Ghost Story*, *Swordsman*, and *Once Upon a Time in China*, is no exception. His new film, *Seven Swordsmen*, reportedly began preparations last year, boasting a large-scale production and claiming to cast seven big stars as the seven swordsmen, which has attracted widespread attention within the industry.

Sun Honglei's career is thriving now compared to his previous life, and he's quite famous in mainland China. Therefore, Wu Yuchen estimates that the role of the main villain, Feng Huo Liancheng, in "Seven Swords" will still fall into his hands.

Watching Sun Honglei walk away, Wu Yuchen smiled. This kid is still very ambitious, not at all like the guy who will be hopelessly addicted to variety shows more than ten years later.

A moment later, Andy Lau walked in, put his hands together, bowed slightly to Wu Yuchen, and greeted him.

Looking at Andy Lau, Wu Yuchen noticed that he is 42 years old this year, but he is well-maintained and could easily play a 30-year-old.

Andy Lau's acting skills, while not top-tier, are still respectable. During this period, Andy Lau seemed to have a somewhat balanced performance; he wasn't particularly outstanding, but he didn't seem inferior to anyone he was with.

Take "Infernal Affairs" for example. When people talk about acting, the most memorable thing is Tony Leung's melancholy eyes, but if you think about it carefully, Andy Lau is actually not bad either.

However, after Andy Lau left, Wu Yuchen shook his head. He wondered if Andy Lau had been acting in too many commercial films or had been a star for too long, because he lacked that slightly artistic flair.

The next one to arrive had a refined, artistic air about him. Wang Zhiwen didn't rely on blushing to gain popularity; he relied on his charisma, and his acting skills were also quite good.

After Wang Zhiwen left the room, Wu Yuchen fell into thought again. Wang Zhiwen's performance was quite good, but he felt that something was missing.
He went over the male protagonist, Lin Wu, in his mind again. Lin Wu is a somewhat contradictory person. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother in Shanghai. His mother raised him with Western values ​​from a young age, but deep down he is a traditional and introverted Chinese man. He is somewhat timid and always seems cautious.

The cellist's past represents his Western lifestyle, while the encoffining ceremony is an Eastern tradition. The film uses the protagonist, Lin Wu, to depict the clash between Eastern and Western cultures, ultimately cleverly combining the two. When facing death, regardless of culture, there's a desire to receive respect and blessings even after death. Thinking about this, Wu Yuchen realized something about Wang Zhiwen; he lacked that Western air and presence.

Then, another actor, Kim Sung-woo, who is known as an "artistic heartthrob," entered the audition. Kim Sung-woo is only 30 years old this year, making him the youngest among those auditioning.

Upon seeing Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wu Yuchen smiled. He had actually dealt with him before when they were casting Shen Lian for "Brotherhood of Blades." To be honest, if it weren't for Leslie Cheung, he might have considered Takeshi Kaneshiro instead.

Wu Yuchen didn't ask Takeshi Kaneshiro to perform first. Instead, he started chatting with him: "Takeshi, I remember you told me last time that you're usually a rather quiet person and like to be alone. So what do you do when you get home?"

Jin Chengwu smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "I'm just a homebody. I play video games, play the piano, play the guitar, and take care of small animals. That's how my day goes by."

"Can you play the piano?" Wu Yuchen noted this down, then asked, "Did you study in the United States before?"

Takeshi Kaneshiro nodded: "Yes, I stayed there for about a year or two, and then I came across shooting commercials by chance..."

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "It seems your parents are very good to you, willing to invest in your upbringing, and also respect your choices."

Kim Sung-woo smiled but didn't say anything. His family background was a bit complicated; his father was Japanese and his mother was Taiwanese. Both of them were divorced and had a son each. After remarrying, they had their third child, Kim Sung-woo.

He was born in Taiwan, but because his father was Japanese, he could only attend a Japanese school. The other children there said he couldn't speak Japanese and wouldn't play with him. When he went home, the neighborhood children also said he was Japanese and wouldn't play with him either. As a result, he became somewhat sullen and withdrawn from a young age.

Seeing his reaction, Wu Yuchen didn't press further and let him begin his audition performance. After Jin Chengwu bowed, thanked him, and left, Wu Yuchen nodded and put a checkmark next to his name. Jin Chengwu had met all of Wu Yuchen's requirements for the role.

To be honest, although Kim Sung-woo is known as an art-house heartthrob, most of his leading roles in art-house films, including "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," and "Turn Left, Turn Right," are portrayed as handsome, pitiful, and weak men. Most directors have capitalized on his physical characteristics and his inherent melancholic aura.

In terms of acting skills, he's not exactly top-notch. In Wu Yuchen's observation, he might not be better than Andy Lau. However, as for the male lead, he is indeed more suitable than Andy Lau.

The protagonist, Lin Wu, harbors resentment towards his father because his father divorced his mother and abandoned him when he was young. This is a knot in his heart that he cannot untie. In the movie, when his father passes away, Lin Wu, as an embalmer, personally applies makeup to him, which is also a major step in his personal growth.

Therefore, Takeshi Kaneshiro's inherent melancholy can be used, but it must be concealed in daily life. This is also why Wu Yuchen asked about his family background—he wanted to learn more about the actor's upbringing.

"Hello Director Wu! Hello teachers, I am Zhao Wenxuan!"

Looking at the gentle yet handsome man before him, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile and say, "I called Director Li a couple of days ago, and he raved about you!"

The actor in front of us, Winston Chao, didn't actually start out as a professional actor. After graduating from university, he worked as a flight attendant. Later, Li An discovered him while filming "The Wedding Banquet," and he subsequently became the male lead in Li An's "Eat Drink Man Woman." A couple of years ago, his role as Xue Shao in "Palace of Desire" attracted a large number of female fans in mainland China.

Even in the entertainment industry, he can be considered a handsome man. Zhou Xun said that when she saw Zhao Wenxuan for the first time while filming "Palace of Desire", she felt that she was going to fall in love with him.

Wu Yuchen started chatting with him again, and when he heard that this person had also studied piano and had lived in the United States for several years, he made a note of it.

Could you tell me about your family situation?

Zhao Wenxuan didn't shy away from the topic and openly stated, "My mother was a concubine, and she lived under the same roof as my father and aunt, so many people said I was an illegitimate child when I was young."

"I'm sorry..." Wu Yuchen gave him a slightly apologetic look.

Zhao Wenxuan smiled and shook his head: "It's okay, these are the facts. But my half-brother is very good to me, and he will chase away people if he hears them talking about me."

"When I was a child, I hated my father the most. He was very strict with me and often punished me physically. Whenever someone praised me for being good-looking, he would say that I looked evil and what good it was?"

When I was in middle school, I was very interested in art, such as painting and singing. I even thought about becoming an artist, but my father scolded me severely, saying I was wasting my time. In the end, I followed his advice and enrolled in a technical college to study mechanical engineering. At that time, I really just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. After graduation, I became a flight attendant, flying all over the world, rarely home.

Wu Yuchen asked, "So, there's quite a bit of a rift between you and your father?"

"Yes, he was too strict and very chauvinistic. I never heard him say he loved me once in my life. Later, when he was diagnosed with liver cancer, I went home to be with him, and he told me that all I needed to do from now on was to be happy. Those words really made me go back to my room and cry my heart out, which released all the negative emotions I had accumulated."

After my father passed away, I quit my job and went to America to study again. It was there that I was fortunate enough to meet Director Li, which led me to my current path.

After Zhao Wenxuan finished his audition performance, Wu Yuchen's smile widened even more, and he put a big checkmark next to his name. This is really great! His acting skills, image, and temperament are all just as good as Takeshi Kaneshiro's. In fact, his own experiences resonate with the male lead.

(End of this chapter)