Offense and defense transitions

Silence. A tranquil hush filled the booth. Paul sneakily lifted his gaze from the menu for a quick scan. Renly, Andy, and Neal were all engrossed in studying the menu. Their focused demeanor resembled individuals making life-or-death decisions, creating an unusual sense of comfort within the quiet atmosphere.

Only Vin, impatiently flipping through the menu's pages, created swishing sounds that pervaded the peaceful air. His knitted brows couldn't conceal his annoyance and restlessness.

Paul was pondering how to ease the tension when he heard Renly's voice next to his ear, "Vin, when is another "XXX" filming? Can't you leave your post?"

This not only broke the stillness but also shattered the awkwardness. In an instant, Paul, Andy, and Neal's attention swayed toward Renly, and, of course, Vin too.

The corners of Vin's mouth itched, itching to answer but having to suppress it. The face before him still looked nauseating, and that mouth kept blabbering nonstop, "I watched "XXX 2" before, and my only thought was, why was this movie even made? Honestly, the extreme stunts from the first one really left me amazed. The scene of jumping off the bridge, was that you in person?"

"Yes." The response came before his brain could catch up. The emotions stirring within broke the dam of rationality. He began explaining without reservation, "The situation at the time was like this..."

Andy lowered his head, reassured, and continued browsing the menu, deep in thought about what to have for dinner. Faintly, he sensed the burning gaze fixed on him from above. Raising his head, he met Neal's inquisitive eyes, and with a smile, he raised the menu in his hand, as if asking, "Have you finished ordering?"

Neal also gestured with his menu and then lowered his gaze, seemingly engrossed in perusing the menu. In truth, his ears were attentive to the conversation. Vin's enthusiastic voice enlivened the atmosphere. Occasional interjections from Renly or Paul could be heard, but mainly it was Vin who was speaking.

It looked nothing like an audition; rather, it resembled a gathering of friends.

In Neal's mind, information about Renly emerged. He had only appeared in two works so far, and he was still two months away from turning twenty-one. In a span of a few short months, he had risen unexpectedly, starting with an Emmy Award and then Toronto. But aside from that, there was little information available about him.

Recalling the past couple of days in Telluride, "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network" were dominating discussions. However, the buzz around "Buried" and "127 Hours" was even more intense, although the two were quite distinct. Mentions of Danny Boyle from "127 Hours" were growing, while "Buried" seemed to be on everyone's lips, increasingly so.

And then there was tonight, where he had performed exceptionally well. Judging from Andy's reaction, he wasn't worried at all. However, if Neal had an actor like Renly, he truly wouldn't need to worry.

Steady, sagacious, and poised in every move, Renly displayed a rare air of a seasoned expert. He exuded neither the greenness of a novice actor nor the anxiety and fluster of an audition. From start to finish, he carried the air of a seasoned veteran, even during the conversation, subtly establishing an upper hand.

"Renly, you don't seem to have any connection with action movies. So, if you were to become an action actor, what would be your advantage?" After ordering, Neal took the initiative to steer the conversation, reclaiming control. Compared to Vin's earlier words, Neal's casual phrasing was gentle, yet carried an air of resolute decisiveness.

"Well, I can run a hundred meters in under twelve seconds?" Renly pondered briefly before delivering an answer that seemed unrelated. But soon, everyone detected the implicit message:

What advantages does an action actor need? The ability to fight, run, agile posture—those were the requirements. After all, finding a pure martial artist like Bruce Lee was impossible in Hollywood nowadays. These demands required physical prowess, something that Renly couldn't exhibit verbally at the moment. Hence, the absurdly off-topic response, which at least proved his exceptional physical coordination.

As the understanding dawned, Paul was the first to burst into chuckles, and soon the others followed suit.

Renly subtly arched his brow, his gaze shifting to Vin across the table. He and Neal were seated on the same side, and the movement of his eyes seemed oddly calculated. "I thought my appearance was an advantage," Renly's subsequent words surprised everyone once again.

It was still 2010 now. By 2014, even British gentlemen like Colin Firth had starred in "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and received acclaim. Looks were never a hindrance in action movies. Unfortunately, Renly couldn't cite Colin as an example at the moment.

But as Renly mentioned, the "Fast & Furious" series was a classic action franchise, albeit formulaic. It continued to follow the pattern of bigger scenes, larger explosions, and wilder car chases. Even casting was in line with this trajectory. Dwayne Johnson had entered the spotlight through the franchise's eyes. If the fifth installment had chosen Dwayne, what about the sixth?

As a matter of fact, truly remarkable action actors shouldn't be too bulky. Large builds could make actions appear sluggish, whereas a lithe frame offered certain advantages. Even Harrison Ford in "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" didn't fit the traditional action star mold.

"Or is it that your character's conception is vastly different from mine? Then, I can't quite see where this conversation is headed today," with just two sentences, Renly subtly shifted the initiative back into his hands and then tossed the question away.

Clearly caught off guard, Vin seemed to freeze for a moment. When did it begin? When did a rookie, who had only starred in one film, manage to reverse the roles in an audition and boldly raise counter-questions? When did an unknown youngster have the audacity to question a producer? How could he dare!

Hollywood had an abundance of actors. Even third- and fourth-tier actors who had appeared in one or two works were plentiful. Independent films were teeming with them. A throw of a stone could hit a nameless extra who had graced the stage at Sundance. During most auditions, actors didn't even have the time to introduce themselves. They were eliminated within a mere ten seconds. Audition directors would watch hundreds or even thousands of fresh faces in a day. Forget answering questions; they couldn't be bothered with pleasantries.

While it could be said that due to the standout performances in "The Pacific" and "Buried", as well as the spotlight provided by Toronto and Sundance, Renly had the opportunity for a face-to-face audition. Nevertheless, fundamentally speaking, he was still a complete newcomer. Neal and Vin had only heard the name "Renly Hall" for the first time today.

Renly's counter-question this time took Vin completely off guard. Poor Vin Diesel, sitting face to face with Renly. If it were Neal instead, the situation might have been better.

Neal calmly picked up the conversation again, "So, what's your take on character conception?" Vin immediately turned his head towards Neal, avoiding Renly's gaze. However, once he realized it, the smoldering anger deep within him began to flare up again. Who was this newcomer? Arrogant, ignorant, rude, self-important. Eliminate him! No doubt, eliminate him directly!

"Do you know the "Fast & Furious" series? If a character was interjected into it, how would you conceptualize it?" Still waters run deep. Neal followed Renly's lead and posed another question, further engaging the audition. Both Paul and Vin looked at Renly simultaneously. At this moment, the audition was truly underway.

Renly thought carefully, not avoiding the question, and directly provided an answer, "Jack Bauer." The protagonist of the classic American TV series "24", often dubbed as "Indestructible Cockroach" for his tenacity, Jack Bauer.

As a counter-terrorism expert, Jack was a quintessential character, combining intelligence and bravery, decisiveness in combat, calm wisdom, clear thinking, and straightforwardness. Kiefer Sutherland, who portrayed this role, wasn't a typical action actor when he took on the role in the first season. He didn't possess a muscular build, but his agile movements and the air of fierce experience around him contributed to Jack Bauer's iconic status.

In the kind of adrenaline-packed action movies like "Fast & Furious", discussing character depth and philosophical content would inevitably hinder the overall pace of the film. It was similar to how the later rebooted "Bourne" series, especially the fourth and fifth installments, lost their charm. Renly naturally wouldn't make this mistake.

Thus, selecting a well-defined character concept, finalizing and shaping the character style before filming, and integrating it seamlessly with the film's style were of paramount importance. The success of classic action movie series like "Bourne", "Mission: Impossible", "007", and "Die Hard" stemmed from this approach.

Renly's example was precise and clear. Neal instantly understood his point. The styles of Jack Bauer and Dwayne Johnson were vastly different, yet surprisingly, they suited Renly's demeanor. To be even more accurate, Neal thought it would be intriguing to see Renly take on a Jack Bauer-style role. In his mind, he couldn't help but think of Keanu Reeves in "Speed" and "The Matrix". Keanu wasn't a typical action star either.

It had to be admitted that Neal's curiosity had been piqued. However, he didn't reveal it outwardly but continued to inquire, "Then we could easily use Kiefer Sutherland. Compared to him, what advantages do you bring?"

"Heh." Renly chuckled lightly, without a trace of panic. He quirked the corner of his lips, a faint smile tucked there like a bud blossoming defiantly on a spring tree. "Not a disadvantage, right? You all know Kiefer but not me. This seems to be an advantage of mine as well." Renly turned his head, bypassing Paul, and looked at Neal. "Isn't that so?"