Reborn in Hollywood

Lucas tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a habitual gesture he made when he was thinking.

"A very interesting interpretation, continue."

"So Anakin's struggle is essentially a story about 'choice'."

Li Rui continued, "Choose between following the rules and following your heart, between responsibility and love, between light and... the temptation of darkness. His ultimate tragedy of falling into the dark side was not because he was inherently evil, but because at every crucial juncture, he made the most 'human' choice—protecting his loved ones, fearing loss, and desiring to control his destiny."

The room was quiet. The other judges exchanged glances, while Lucas fell into deep thought.

"You're more insightful than I thought."

After a long pause, Lucas finally said, "Most auditionees just say, 'He's a hero seduced by darkness' or 'A young man driven mad by love.' But you see something more complex."

Li Rui bowed slightly: "Thank you. I think the reason Anakin is the core of the Star Wars series is precisely because he is so complex—he is both a savior and a destroyer; both a Jedi Knight and a Sith apprentice; both a selfish hero and a selfless lover. This complexity makes the character more real."

Lucas nodded. "Then let's see how far you can take this understanding, Rick?"

Producer McCallum pulled out two pages of the script: "We've prepared two scenes. The first is the conversation between Anakin and Padmé at Lake Naboo, and the second is his monologue after he dreams of his mother's peril. You'll need to act out your own scenes, and we'll have someone prompt you."

"Can I start with the second one?" Li Rui suddenly asked.

Lucas raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

"Because that was the key turning point in Anakin's emotions."

Li Rui explained, "At that moment, his desire for power, his fear of loss, and his questioning of the Jedi doctrine all came together. If I can act that scene well, it will be easier for me to get into character for the first scene."

This was a rather bold request—audience members usually perform in the order specified by the director—but Lucas seemed intrigued.

"interesting."

He said, "Then let's do it your way."

The staff moved a chair to the center of the performance area.

Li Rui walked over, but didn't sit down immediately. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

Memories of the dream world flooded back—not the Anakin I'd seen in the Jedi Temple, but an earlier Anakin, before the changes. The young man who would wake up in the night, drenched in cold sweat, his eyes filled with terror.

When Li Rui opened his eyes again, his shoulders were slightly hunched, his fingers were unconsciously clenched, and his eyes were unfocused and anxious—the state of someone tormented by nightmares and suffering from sleep deprivation.

He slowly sat down in the chair, looking down at his hands. The camera zoomed in, capturing the subtle expressions on his face.

"It's that dream again..." Li Rui began, his voice hoarse, still groggy from just waking up. "My mother is screaming... calling for help... but I can't reach her, I'm trapped..."

His fingers began to tremble. Not with large movements, but with subtle, uncontrollable tremors at the fingertips. The judges held their breath—such subtle physical control was rare among young actors.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi said that dreams are just dreams."

Li Rui continued, his tone growing increasingly agitated, "Jedi should not be ruled by fear... but what if it is? What if she is truly suffering, and I am just sitting here reciting the Jedi's doctrines—"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and helplessness. The look was so intense that even the experienced Lucas involuntarily leaned forward.

"strength!"

Li Rui's voice rose, but it wasn't a roar; rather, it was an outburst of suppressed emotion. "They keep saying I have power, that I'm the chosen one, that the Force is with me... but what use is that power if I can't even save my own mother?"

He stood up and began pacing in the cramped space. His steps were restless and heavy, each turn carrying an energy he couldn't release.

"I can feel her pain...like a thorn in her heart," he pressed his hand to his chest, his fingers digging deep into the fabric. "It gets clearer every night. What are they hiding? Or...do they simply not care?"

At this point, Li Rui suddenly stopped. He turned his back to the judges, his shoulders heaving violently, as if he were struggling to control his emotions. A few seconds later, he slowly turned around, his expression changed—anger subsided into a cold, resolute determination.

"If the Jedi Code can't give me the answer," he said softly, his voice barely audible but more powerful than his previous outburst, "then I'll find it myself."

As the last word fell, the performance ended.

Li Rui stood still, took a few deep breaths, and gradually detached himself from the role.

When he looked up again, he had returned to being the calm 19-year-old.

The studio was completely silent. Even the prompter forgot to speak.

"My God..." casting director Gurlan whispered.

Lucas took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and put them back on. He stared at Li Rui for a full ten seconds.

"Have you received Methodist training?" Lucas asked.

"I haven't studied it systematically."

Li Rui spoke frankly, "But I have studied the acting styles of Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro."

"I can tell."

Lucas nodded. "That kind of emotional construction from the inside out, and the subtle control of body language... it's not like a technique, it's more like you've really experienced those emotions."

Li Rui's heart tightened.

Lucas's intuition was surprisingly accurate—he had indeed "experienced" it, though not personally, but in the dream world, he witnessed a real Anakin.

"Do we need to act out the second scene?" producer McCallum asked.

Lucas waved his hand: "No need. Raphael, what's your understanding of the relationship between Anakin and Padmé?"

This is another key issue.

The success or failure of this romance in the prequel is directly related to whether Anakin's motives for falling to the dark side are believable.

After a moment's thought, Li Rui chose a unique perspective: "Their love was dangerous not because it was forbidden, but because of its 'imbalance.' Anakin loved too intensely, too desperately—Padmé was the only light in his dark childhood, his only connection to his life as a slave in Tatooine. So he clung to this love like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood, willing to do anything to hold on."

"As for Padmé..."

He continued, "She loved Anakin, but she also loved the Republic, and she loved her ideals and responsibilities. Her love was mature, but precisely because of this, she couldn't understand Anakin's almost obsessive possessiveness. This unequal understanding doomed the tragedy."

Lucas's fingers began tapping on the table again, faster than before—a sign of his excitement.

"One last question."

Lucas leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "If you got this role, how would you prepare?"

Li Rui knew that this was the moment that would determine success or failure.

"I will do three things!"

He stated clearly, "First, systematically learn swordsmanship—not stage fighting, but real combat swordsmanship. Anakin is a Jedi Knight, and every movement he makes should have the quality of a warrior."

"Secondly, I will study the psychological impact of 'prophecy' and 'fate' on a person. I will read relevant psychology books and may even explore some research on religious prophecies—what is the pressure like when the entire galaxy expects you to become a certain symbol?"

"third……"

He paused, "I will try to understand the 'temptation of the dark side.' Not simply turning bad, but experiencing that feeling—when you have power, when you believe that only you can protect your loved ones, when everyone tells you what to do, but your heart tells you another choice... that gradual slide into the abyss."

Lucas leaned back in his chair, a cryptic expression on his face.

He turned to the casting director: "Robin, what do you think?"

Gullan cleared his throat: "This is the best audition so far. He meets the requirements in terms of understanding of the character, acting skills, and physical appearance. However, we need to consider box office factors—Li Rui has only starred in one movie. Although 'Fast & Furious' had a good start, he is still a newcomer."

"Newcomers aren't a problem," Lucas said. "Ewan McGregor was a newcomer when he played Obi-Wan Kenobi. And..."

He looked at Li Rui again. "There's something special about you. It's not talent—there are too many talented young people in Hollywood. It's a kind of... maturity. Not like someone who's 19."

Li Rui's heart skipped a beat. Lucas's observation was indeed very sharp.

"You can go back now."

Lucas concluded by saying, "We'll hear from you in three days. Whatever the outcome, your performance today was commendable."

"It's an honor, Mr. Lucas." Li Rui bowed and turned to leave.

As he walked out of the studio, he could feel several gazes behind him—from other competitors waiting for their auditions, from the staff, and perhaps even from the judges peering through the glass.

In the parking lot, Li Rui didn't get into the car immediately. He leaned against the car door, quietly reflecting on his performance—a habit of his, a thorough self-examination.

In the audition just now, he used almost all the understanding he had accumulated in the dream world. That empathy for Anakin was not acting, but a real emotional memory.

"The chosen one..." Li Rui murmured to himself, recalling the blond boy he had brushed past in the corridor of the Jedi Temple.

If Anakin knew that his life would be made into a movie and watched, analyzed, and judged by countless people, what would he think?

His thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his phone. It was Alibaba.

"How is it?" the agent asked anxiously.

"The performance is over, and Lucas said he'll give us an answer within three days."

"How does it feel?"

Li Rui took a deep breath: "I've done my best. The rest is up to fate."

"Good heavens, you actually said 'it's up to fate'? That's not like you. Aren't you usually the most confident person?"

"This is not a matter of confidence or lack thereof."

Looking at the Hollywood Hills sign in the distance, Li Rui said, "There are some roles... you feel that if you miss them, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."