The second important supporting actor confirmed is Ross Castorini, who plays Loretta's mother played by Cher.
Compared to Loretta's casualness and her father Cosmo's cunning, mother Ross is the backbone of the Castorini family.
After she married Cosmo, she was a typical good Italian wife who always took the greatest responsibility for the family. She took care of the grandfather who lived with them, and gave her daughter the best support. In Lore
After Ta's husband died unexpectedly, she always wanted to leave the house to her poor daughter.
In addition to being responsible, she is also very smart. She was the first family member to notice that her daughter had fallen in love with someone else, and she was also the first to find out that her husband had an affair outside the home.
However, for the sake of this big Italian family, she has been patient and did not reveal her husband's love interest.
After discovering that her husband went to the opera with his lover without her, Rose was filled with confusion. During dinner, she met Perry, a university professor with whom she had a good rapport.
After enjoying some intelligent conversation and the company of a man of high social status, she sent Perry away and returned to the family alone without destroying the family's morals.
This character is the key figure that ties together all the stories. If her performance is not believable, the structure of the story will fall apart.
The first person Julia Taylor recommended was an unsuccessful Broadway actor, Olympia Dukakis.
"Isn't she Italian?" Ronald read the resume behind the other person's photo, and then handed it to screenwriter Shanley.
"No, she is of Greek descent. The good thing is that you don't have to worry about her familiarity with the atmosphere of a big Italian family. Greeks are also famous for their big families." Julia Taylor knocked on the table.
"Oh, she played the role in 'The Raptors' in 1974, which was earlier than you entered the industry." Screenwriter Shanley exclaimed as he studied Dukakis' resume line by line.
"Then why hasn't she become popular after so many years in Hollywood?" Ronald also came up to take a look.
Julia Taylor pointed to her face and then made a ball shape on her chest.
"She has a face that is too mature, and her figure is not the type that Hollywood likes. So although she has always been loved by film critics, she has no leading role to play. When there are no film and television dramas, she still stays in New York for a long time.
Her husband is also a Broadway actor. The two of them have been acting part-time on Broadway."
"John and Mary?" Shanley seemed to have discovered some great secret, "Is it that romantic movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow? She and Dustin are about the same age.
Right? You can play Dustin’s mother?”
"At that time, she was only 38 years old, so she could play the mother of 32-year-old Dustin Hoffman?" Ronald secretly calculated the number of the two of them during the filming of "John and Mary" in 1969.
Age gap.
"It seems that she is a professional mother. I am more interested. You must let her try." Ronald was interested, and Julia Taylor happily called Dukakis and asked her to come quickly.
…
"I'm Greek, not Italian."
Olympia Dukakis has an ordinary face, but he looks like the intelligent type.
Ronald asked her to film an audition clip and was very satisfied with her appearance. After chatting with her about the role, he had to admit that Julia Taylor's taste in selecting actors was much better than his own.
Dukakis not only has an outstanding appearance, but also has a lot in common with the character of Ross in terms of personality and inner nature.
"It doesn't matter, Cher, who plays your daughter, is of Armenian descent. And our screenwriter Mr. Shanley said that after a little age, everyone is of Italian descent."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Olympia Dukakis put the back of his hand to his mouth and laughed.
Ronald was even more satisfied with this action. It was a gesture used by women with old-fashioned education to cover their mouths when smiling. It fit very well with Rose's background in the script.
"If you are willing to come, I will not audition other actors. Julia highly recommends you, and after seeing her, I also think she is right. You are a perfect match for this role."
"Interesting, I have to say, I never thought you were such a director, Ronald."
Olympia Dukakis couldn't help but remember that when she was talking about this opportunity with her husband at home, she still had doubts about Ronald.
After all, he is a director who started out by making music videos and low-cost exploitation films. Although it is very successful commercially and the hit "Top Gun" is still being released in theaters, it is about to win the box office championship of the year.
But after all, he is a serious dramatic actor, and Dukakis doesn't really want to play the kind of role in a popcorn movie.
Her husband was a Croatian immigrant. After marrying Dukakis, the two couldn't afford a house in Manhattan and settled in New Jersey.
After her husband learned that the call was from Julia Taylor, he still urged her to audition.
"Julia was Woody Allen's casting director, and she wouldn't recommend a bad role for no reason. And I hear Ronald is on good terms with Marty Scorsese, and he won't be a cast member forever.
From a director who makes exploitation films.”
"But..." Dukakis continued to shirk, she still found the Broadway role enjoyable.
"Dear, our eldest daughter Christina will go to college next year. Do you really have the heart to use a credit card to pay her tuition? Even if we use our credit cards to pay for her tuition next year, the big girl will be the next year.
Where is the son Peter? And the third child Stephen..."
"Oh... stop talking, I will sell my soul once." Olympia Dukakis and her husband are both good actors who pursue acting skills, but in this era, their income is not enough. Their income is enough
The housing loan is just enough to raise three children.
Nowadays, college tuition is expensive, and the two of them are really struggling to cope with having three grown-up children.
This time Julia Taylor said that Ronald's movie had a small budget, but the script had very high requirements for supporting actors. The price Ronald gave was very generous for a supporting actor. Julia knew that Dukakis was the most suitable actor.
He also knew that she was short of money, so he specifically asked her to be the first audition.
The couple had a deep relationship. For the sake of the future of their children, Olympia Dukakis made a decision that went against her own career pursuits. She wanted to succumb to the magic of money and act in an exploitation film.
I didn't expect Ronald to think so highly of himself when selecting people. This method of selecting actors based on temperament and first impression is similar to those directors on Broadway who pursue the highest level of acting skills.
Dukakis suddenly felt that the salary of tens of thousands of yuan did not seem to be so profitable that it made people feel sorry for the god of acting.
"I thought you were a typical Hollywood director..."
"Hahaha, Hollywood directors are very strict, you have to hurry up. You should know Julie Boisso, right? Yes, she plays your sister, and she will also serve as the accent coach of the crew. I hope to see it as soon as possible
You can speak with a fluent Brooklyn Italian accent.”
…
The next person to be confirmed was the role of the father, Cosmo Castorini. Ronald looked to Julia Taylor.
"Vincent Gardenia is a real Italian actor this time. He previously starred on Broadway in 'The Prisoner of Second Avenue' and won the Tony Award for Best Actor."
Taylor put a photo on the table and handed it to Ronald.
"Hahaha, I hired you. It is really the best decision I have made so far in this movie."
Ronald laughed out loud when he saw the people in the photo.
This casting is fantastic.
Vincent Gardenia has a particularly interesting face. At first glance, he looks honest and honest, but his slight smile is a little more cunning.
When you see him, you will be reminded of the owner of the hardware store in the community. He looks reliable, but when selling you things, he often sells you things that look good but you don't need.
When Ronald saw the real person, he felt even more that the casting was very good.
The real Vincent Gardenia, when communicating, in addition to the natural mixture of cunning and loyalty, also has a kind of lustfulness that is unique to Italian men.
That's not the kind of lustful person who wants to pursue a beautiful woman when he sees one, but the Italian type who likes to stick to a beautiful woman and beat her to death, while at the same time boasting and bragging about his own power.
His slightly chubby face also makes him look a bit lecherous.
"Oh, Ronald, why do you want me to play Cosmo? When I was young, I always played the leading role. Can't you let me play Cher's fiancé Johnny?"
"Hahaha, no. I just think you are playing her father."
"Oh, it really makes me sad when you say that." Vincent Gardenia pretended to be sad by Ronald's words, "I think I can do it once or twice."
Ronald was very satisfied. The performance of these lines on the scene fit Cosmo's character very well.
"No, you play Cosmo."
"Let's discuss it. If you don't let me play the sanctimonious university professor, I can at least fall in love with my mother, Rose. Look at me, it would be such a waste for such a handsome young man not to fall in love with the heroine."
"As for Cosmo, you also have a lover to play opposite, and besides, you play Rose's husband in the movie. Isn't that even better?"
"How is that the same? How can love and marriage be the same thing?"
Ronald was very insistent. Julia Taylor was right about this person, and her acting was oily. She was a natural choice for Cosmo.
Vincent Gardenia chatted a few more words half-jokingly, and seeing that Ronald insisted on not changing, he put away his Italian style.
"When do I need to join the group?"
"There are some non-Italian actors who are still learning their accents. When we start script readings and rehearsals, you can join us."
Vincent Gardenia was even more satisfied when he heard that Ronald had also arranged rehearsal time.
Many Hollywood movies do not have rehearsals, but put the performance on the spot. Although most of them are acting for salary, no actor wants to leave no room for acting in the movie.
…
Then, the actor who played the university professor found a sanctimonious actor, John Mahoney. There were also some other minor supporting roles, and Julia Taylor also found very suitable candidates.
Among the remaining main supporting characters, there is only one Loretta's grandfather, and the old man is difficult to deal with.
This character is usually confused, but very shrewd at critical moments. He usually raises a large group of dogs. He often cooks Ross steaks for him and secretly feeds them to the dogs. It is a very unique character. If there is an old actor of Italian origin,
, that will add wonderful style to the movie.
This role requires a relatively high level of performance, as well as unique appearance conditions. Ronald already trusted Julia Taylor's casting skills, "Julia, who are you looking for me this time? Who is Italian?"
An old actor?"
"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?"
"Hey, yes, because the rent bill is huge." Xueer straightened her posture and answered very formally.
"Hey hey hey..." David Letterman was a little surprised. Cher's answer was beyond his expectation.
"So, I thought, why not go meet this handsome guy, and then..." Xueer continued to answer.
David Letterman couldn't figure out for a moment whether Cher was real or a joke.
"Well, if you think The Late Show is going to pay your hotel bill, I think you're seriously misinformed." David Letterman frowned and formally rejected the idea.
"Like I said, our previous time slot, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, was very rich, and they could spend whatever money they wanted on guests. But our Late Show program was very poor, and they didn't even have a paper clip.
All must be reused.”
The audience laughed again.
David Letterman cleverly made the audience laugh, but he also quietly told Cher the reality of the show's crew. He really couldn't afford her so-called "sky-high hotel bill."
"So, are you living back and forth between California and New York?" He changed the subject.
"No, I mainly live in California. But in the past few months, I have been staying in a hotel in New York. I just returned. If you wanted me to be on the show, I flew over." Cher continued to half-jokingly want the show crew to
to reimburse.
"So, our program team agreed to reimburse your air tickets?" David Letterman asked the staff below.
"Of course," Cher nodded to Letterman on stage.
"No, we didn't agree." The staff below replied, causing another murmur from the audience.
"Oh, God, something is going to happen." Ronald's expression changed when he saw Cher. Is she really short of money? Did she perform in three movies in succession in order to make money as soon as possible?
Of course David Letterman also discovered something was wrong, and he wanted to go back and find it quickly.
"Putting all the joking aside, I would like to ask if you must have some reason. We have been looking for you for four and a half years, but you are still unwilling to be on my show. You must have had some change in your thinking, right?"
"No, actually, I always thought that I would never be on your show." Xueer's tone was already very bad.
"Why?" David Letterman thought Cher had another witty comment and hurriedly answered.
"Because, because you are a big asshole."
"Hey, hey..." David Letterman's face immediately fell. He lit his cigar and took two puffs.
"Hey, the audience is not booing me, they are cheering for Cher..."
After ten awkward seconds, David Letterman's professionalism allowed him to continue the show.
"If the audience in front of the TV didn't hear it, I am repeating it. Cher thinks I am a good person, yes... Cher... a famous singer and movie star. Everyone applauds..."
David Letterman was still angry. He ended the show hastily without giving Cher a chance to continue speaking.
"Rick, have you watched TV? What's going on with Cher?" Ronald quickly picked up the phone and dialed his agent Niceta. His wife, Paula Wagner, was related to Cher to some extent.
Cher's agents have formed an alliance to break up Cher and Tom Cruise, and they may know something about the situation.
Cher is the most important character in "Moonlight". No matter what happened to her tonight, she lost her temper, which is not good news for the crew.