"No, I found a Russian of Russian descent for you, Fedor Chaliapin."

"Ah? Russian?"

…

Ronald met this old Russian actor. He was very thin, but it was obvious that he must have been a handsome guy when he was young.

Ronald learned from Julia that Fedor Chaliapin's father was the most powerful bass in the opera world in the 1920s. He was also a great Russian aristocrat during the First World War.

Although his family property and apprentices were later confiscated, he did not hate the leaders at that time, but maintained sympathy for the workers and peasants.

Unlike his father, Fedor Chaliabin mainly debuted as an actor and made many films in the European film industry.

Fedor Chaliapin was eighty-one years old this year and his legs and feet were a bit handicapped. Ronald asked him to sit down and wanted to have a few words with him to see the effect.

"I noticed that you shot a lot of movies in Italy and worked with Fellini?"

Ronald came up and talked about one of the other party's greatest achievements, his collaboration with the legendary Italian director Fellini.

"What did you say?" Fedor Chaliabin asked in confusion.

"I asked, are you... collaborating with... Fellini..." Ronald had to raise his voice.

"Ah... yes, I have acted in many movies with him. He is a very talented director, just like you."

Fedor Chaliapin's voice was already a little weak when he spoke, and he put his hands on the cup of coffee to warm his hands.

"What about your Italian accent? ... Italian accent?"

Ronald had no choice but to ask a few simple questions loudly so that the other party could hear them.

"Ah...I can speak Italian accent, but it's not as good as real Italian"

Fyodor Chaliabin stretched out one ear with great difficulty. His hearing was severely reduced, and he could only hear clearly if he was very close.

"Thank you for coming today, Mr. Fedor Chaliapin."

After chatting a few questions, Ronald had to stand up and see him off. His agent, a young man, helped him stand up. When Fedor Chaliabin turned around, he smiled at Ronald

.

"This smile..." Ronald originally planned to change the person, but with such a hearing condition, it would be difficult to match the role.

But the smile of the other party in the end is very similar to those old people who are sometimes sober and sometimes confused. Their wisdom in life is profound, but because they are old and weak, they sometimes pretend to be confused, so don't overly arouse the resentment of the younger generation.

, it just adds inconvenience to your life.

"How's it going? Is it suitable for the role of the old man?"

Julia Taylor was attracted by this quality in Fedor Chaliabin.

"But he's also too deaf."

"This is not a serious problem. He doesn't have many roles."

"But every scene is important." Ronald and Julia Taylor had different opinions on casting for the first time.

Next, Ronald asked Julia to recommend several elderly actors, but none of them had the usually confused and occasionally wise qualities of Fedor Chaliapin.

He was very much like Fedor Chaliabin, but the other person's hearing made him hesitate.

"Nicita, in the movie 'The Child of God' you are talking about, how did the heroine Marlene Matlin play? How does a deaf person play the opposite role?"

Ronald asked his agent Niceta who came to see him.

This movie reflects the life of a deaf girl, and many of the characters in it are played by real deaf-mute people. It was just released in New York, and Ronald went to see it. The story and performances were very good.

"I heard that the male protagonist William Hurt's mother is deaf, so he knows sign language. He and Marlene communicate with each other through sign language. I heard that they got to know each other because of the movie and officially lived together."

Niceta told what she knew about the situation.

Film acting is actually about acting out one's own reaction in response to the other's reaction. The two male and female protagonists spent a long time getting to know each other before filming and communicated in sign language every day. When filming started, they naturally developed a good rapport.

There is a tacit understanding, with natural reactions to each other's subtle body and expressions.

Therefore, in the movie, the couple played by the two is particularly believable. Especially the deaf people have more irritable tempers, and Ronald felt that they were well recreated.

"You're worried about Fyodor Chaliapin's hearing. Has he been in any movies lately?"

"Yes, he has acted." Ronald suddenly thought that Fedor Chaliapin has been frequently participating in movies recently. If deafness really affects his performance, then it should soon be

It’s just that no one asked him to act.

It is not known how long he had been severely deafened.

"Why don't you ask the director or actor who has worked with him to ask about the situation?" Niceta reminded.

"I don't know him, do you know him?" Ronald thought, if he could have a private chat with his colleagues from the previous film, he might be able to find out the truth.

"I know him. The last movie he starred in was The War with Sean Connery. Sean became our number one star in CAA." Niceta took out the phone book and dialed back to Los Angeles.

Contact Ronald.

The so-called number one star actually does not refer to Sean Connery's popularity, but because when Michael Ovitz, the chairman of CAA, started his business, Sean Connery was the first person he signed.

Star actor. In the CAA office, a large office was also reserved for Connery.

"Hello, Ronald, I heard from Michael that you want to call me if you have something?" Sean Connery spoke with a strong Scottish accent and was very arrogant.

It’s not that he doesn’t know other accents that are easier to understand, but he deliberately shows off his Scottish origins and speaks this dialect that is difficult to understand.

"Uh, yes, Mr. Connery. I would like to ask if you are familiar with Fedor Chaliapin? I would like to cast him in a movie, but I am worried that it will affect his hearing."

"Young man, if you ask me, my answer is, sign him quickly."

"Why?" Ronald reluctantly understood Connery's opinion, but what he actually wanted to know were some details about Fedor Chaliapin's presence on the set, rather than an arbitrary judgment.

"You don't believe me, young man?"

"I just want to know more details. This role is very crucial to the movie and I need a good actor."

"Let me tell you, sign him now. He's old and deaf, but as soon as he's in front of the camera, he steals all my scenes."

Sean Connery did not give any details. After saying this, he urged Ronald to sign Fedor Chaliabin and then hung up the phone.

"Mr. Bond is a man with a bad temper, but he has already given his opinion, hasn't he?" Niceta listened to the entire conversation and nodded to Ronald, saying that although Connery was a bastard, he was right

I want to tell the truth about the performance.

This bald Bond, who has to wear a wig to act, is quite conceited about his acting skills. It is not easy for him to say such words of praise for other people's acting skills.

Ronald went to the cinema again and watched "The War", which had not yet been released. Sure enough, in this movie shot last year, Fedor Chaliapin's acting skills were very good, turning Sean Conn into a

Nally was pressed to death.

In this case, Ronald agreed with Julia's judgment and signed a contract with the last major supporting actor, Fedor Chaliabin.

In this way, all the important roles have been determined. Ronald took a half-day off on the weekend, waiting for everyone to gather together for the first time to read the script, and then began to practice and correct the Brooklyn Italian with the help of Julie Boisso.

accent.

Diane Lane returned to New York and happened to visit Ronald. The two were sitting together in the hotel watching TV.

Ronald needed this kind of daily life to relax the director's tense nerves during filming.

"I always feel that I am a bit similar to the heroine Loretta in this movie. It seems that I have bad luck. Every time a big production is made, as long as I participate in it, the box office will not be very good."

Diane hung Ronald's arm around her neck, then leaned into Ronald's arms and straddled one foot on the back of the sofa.

When there are no outsiders, Diane has never been able to sit well.

"Don't say that. If you think too much, it might actually happen. Knock on wood and get rid of the bad luck."

Ronald knocked on the wooden coffee table twice instead of Diane.

"Hehe, why didn't you come to me for this movie?"

"There is no suitable role. This is a love story for middle-aged people." Ronald thought for a while, "There is only one scene where Ronnie works in the bakery. There is a young girl who also works in the bakery and has a crush on Ronnie.

.Would you like to make a cameo?"

"If I don't want to, I won't be able to act."

Diane twisted twice on the sofa, picked up the remote control and changed the channel. This is the case in Hollywood. The less you can make blockbuster movies, the less good scripts you can find.

"Look at the Late Show. Cher will be on David Letterman's show tonight." Ronald asked Diane to stop and watch NBC's Late Show together. His friend Letterman will ask Cher to be the host today.

Guests.

After a burst of welcoming applause, Cher wore a white crew-neck top, black tights, a conservative hairstyle, and hugged David Letterman.

The two sit down separately. After the audience's applause disappears, Letterman usually asks an ice-breaking question to let the guests relax and get into the mood.

"You are the guest I have most wanted to invite since my show started. You have never agreed to be on the show. Why are you willing to come to the Late Show after four and a half years of our constant invitations?" David Letterman said in response.

For good words, ask Cher.

"Ha...hehehe..."

Xueer suddenly burst out laughing, "I don't know, I think maybe there is a reason... I have to pay my hotel rent."

The audience was amused by Cher's humor.

David Letterman followed her words and continued, "Are you telling me that you are living in a hotel in New York and don't have enough cash to pay the hotel rent?"
To be continued...