Rebirth: I Became Mr.President's Beloved-Chapter 338: The Preselected Role

Tang Li understood the implication behind Wang Wenluo’s earlier words.

Auditioning with the script is a fundamental step in the casting process, but now, the other party had dismissed her with a mere sentence, clearly not intending to give her the chance to audition.

The producer continued, "Before entering the palace, Bao Xin was a gentle and amiable young girl. Even after she later became the most favored amongst all the concubines, fighting with the others, her ruthless character still retained a touch of innocence. When you came in just now, neither your aura nor your appearance gave me that impression."

Zhao Zhenglei suddenly spoke up, "Why do you want to play Mrs. Bao?"

Of course, the question was directed at Tang Li.

After that, Zhao Zhenglei lowered his head and flipped through Tang Li’s résumé: "Aside from the drama version of ’Original Sin’, you are currently filming Director Qi Liang’s ’Mihesha River Action’."

As he spoke, he intertwined his fingers and rested them on the edge of the table, his kindly gaze returning to Tang Li: "Being chosen by Director Qi indicates that you have certain potential. Since you’ve already moved on to acting in movies, why still audition for a TV drama, and even for a supporting role?

In this industry, there’s always a sort of anchoring effect, which is ’TV actors are not as influential as movie actors’, especially for newcomers. By coming to audition today, in the eyes of others, it’s akin to ’lowering your own value’, and you’re also telling everyone that you belong to the ’lower-end actors’. This type of impression is not good."

Considering what the producer had said, Tang Li guessed that her audition today was just for show.

Thus, hearing Zhao Zhenglei’s question, she didn’t bother with pleasantries: "Playing a villainous role is a greater test of acting skills and an actor’s mental fortitude, because if you perform well, you’re bound to be criticized. For me, a role like Mrs. Bao not only hones my acting skills but also tempers my mental resilience."

Having said that, Tang Li also looked directly at Zhao Zhenglei: "The most important point is that I am still a newcomer. Neither ’Original Sin’ nor ’Mihesha River Action’ will appear before the audience any time soon. A true actor should not just wait for high prices."

Zhao Zhenglei nodded, "You’re right. Good actors don’t just focus on making money when they’re popular. They care more about the quality of the production itself."

"Director Zhao," the producer interjected from the side, "if you have no further questions, we can call the next person."

Zhao Zhenglei, however, looked at Tang Li and asked, "If you were Mrs. Bao, what would be your state of mind when you first met Emperor Zhou Qing?"

In the synopsis of ’Phoenix Concubine’, it only mentioned that Mrs. Bao was taken back to the palace by Emperor Zhou Qing and the subsequent favor she received. The specifics of the characters’ emotions were not detailed.

Although Tang Li had seen a few episodes of ’Phoenix Concubine’ in her previous life, her only impression of Mrs. Bao was through an emoticon package that netizens made for the character. The package turned several lines into internet slang, so to say she understood the romantic storyline between Mrs. Bao and Emperor Zhou Qing was a stretch.

Emperor Zhou Qing must have cherished Mrs. Bao, but what about her?

After a moment’s thought, Tang Li answered, "She probably liked Emperor Zhou Qing very much."

"Why do you say that?" Zhao Zhenglei was intrigued.

"Mrs. Bao grew up by the seaside, with her family living off fishing. Even though Emperor Zhou Qing is older than her own father, he’s been the emperor for over twenty years. The charisma of his personality cannot be overlooked. Mrs. Bao, uneducated and with limited experiences, suddenly encountering an academically accomplished and physically attractive middle-aged man, it would be hard not to be attracted."

Visit freewe𝑏n(o)v𝒆l.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience