From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

In Steven's view, the most difficult and core problem in making the "Catch Me If You Can" project lies in:

Casting.

Little Frank Abagnale is such a legendary figure that if the movie is made, the audience might exclaim nonsense, but he actually appeared in real life.

How to present his charm, his struggles, and the motives behind all his criminal behavior will be the core of the entire movie.

Steven and the screenwriting team had in-depth discussions and, based on their personal life experiences, found an entry point: the father-son relationship.

Little Frank Abagnale's initial impression of crime came from Old Frank Abagnale (Frank Abagnale Sr.), and he was always troubled by the impact of his parents' divorce; and FBI agent Carl Hanratty was finally able to successfully arrest Frank because he saw through this point.

Thus.

Frank and Carl, one a criminal and one a detective, are like a cat and mouse, you escape and I chase, but they miraculously establish a kind of father-son relationship.

This will become the core of the entire movie.

It is conceivable that the actors playing these two roles will bear enormous pressure and will determine the success or failure of the movie.

Initially, the role of Carl Hanratty was determined to be played by James Gandolfini.

Even though Gore Verbinski withdrew from the project, James stayed on out of loyalty; but he did not expect the project to be delayed again and again, so much so that it delayed James' own filming schedule—

James Gandolfini, the male lead of the classic HBO series "The Sopranos."

Due to schedule conflicts, James had to fulfill his contract and go to film "The Sopranos."

Helplessly, he had to withdraw from "Catch Me If You Can" with great regret, so that when Steven took over, everything had to start from scratch.

Without much hesitation, Steven found Tom Hanks.

With "Saving Private Ryan" before and "Band of Brothers" after, Steven and Tom were in their honeymoon period in the past two years, and they frequently met in work and life.

Steven believed that Tom was the perfect candidate for the role of Carl Hanratty, and after Tom carefully read the script, he also nodded and agreed.

From August to September, "Catch Me If You Can" was undergoing a full-scale recasting, but the most critical and core role, Little Frank Abagnale, was still vacant.

In Steven's view, Leonardo was the perfect candidate.

After all, the actor needs to have personal charm, match Little Frank Abagnale's ever-changing temperament, and also be able to show the character's inherent sense of youth; in addition, he needs to be able to act with Tom Hanks, and not be at a disadvantage in the scene, so that the two actors can create a chemical reaction.

Under such standards, their choices in Hollywood are not many, at least, not as many as imagined.

Unfortunately, "Gangs of New York" was still being filmed, and Leonardo was unable to split himself.

Steven also had a headache.

At a party, Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov unexpectedly gave Steven a choice:

Anson Wood.

Steven didn't know Anson.

He hadn't seen "Friends" or "The Princess Diaries."

Anson entered Steven's vision for the first time.

For such an unfamiliar young actor, for such a crucial role, Steven believed that they needed to change the audition mode.

Of course, Steven didn't even need to speak.

Even if he just released the news, Anson's agent should actively come to audition; but in this way, it is often filled with information that the agent has inquired about in advance and pre-set modes, and you can't see the actor's self.

Little Frank Abagnale is a cunning, versatile, yet charming character.

Steven needs to see the actor's own color and original appearance, so that he can build the character's edges and corners on the basis of the original color, construct the scene of the actor confronting Tom in his mind, and look for creative inspiration.

This is not just any role, but the key to determining the success or failure of the entire movie.

The "Catch Me If You Can" project has experienced too many ups and downs, and Steven has also given up too much for this project.

He needs this project to get on track and avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Therefore, they need an opportunity, an occasion, to put Anson in an unprepared state, giving Steven the opportunity to observe him up close.

It just so happens that Little Frank Abagnale's mother, Paula Abagnale, is French.

Because this is an autobiographical movie, Steven hopes to be faithful to the original work and restore reality as much as possible, so he hopes to invite a French actor to play the role.

So, Steven and Tom appeared in Paris.

On the one hand, auditioning actors for Paula.

On the other hand, seeing Anson in person.

Everything is completely confidential.

Steven believes that even now, Anson and Edgar probably don't know what's going on, but when they turn back, Edgar should start asking around.

It was precisely because of this that Tom just saw Anson's calmness and composure in the rearview mirror, without any anxious inquiries.

He not only calmed down to escort Anna into the car, but also did not rush after Anna left, which made him look at him differently.

This young actor really didn't look like an eighteen-year-old.

So, what is Steven's "but"?

Tom didn't rush to urge him, just waited patiently.

After a while, Steven himself said, "But, he's too young."

The reason is not worth mentioning, but it does exist.

Tom chuckled, "Steven, Little Frank Abagnale was only fifteen years old when he committed his first crime, and he was only in his early twenties when he was finally arrested, twenty-two? twenty-three?

You even want to find a French actor to play Paula Abagnale, so in terms of age, Anson is perfectly suited."

"In fact, from an age perspective, Leonardo is already twenty-seven years old this year, which is not suitable for this role.

Anson is closer to the facts."

Facing a big shot like Steven, Tom didn't need to worry and directly collided back.

Steven's face was a little unsustainable, "Tom, you know what I mean, it's not just a simple age."

"Indeed, from an age perspective, we need to find an actor around eighteen to twenty years old, but such actors are often young and lack experience.

Look at Anson, he has only starred in one series and one movie so far, and he will have difficulty digesting such a complex role."

Here, the "young" that Steven said is not so much age as it is experience.

At this time, looking back at Steven's initial impression of Anson in the studio, "child," you can see the clues.

Accurately speaking, it is precisely for this reason that Steven still prefers Leonardo—

Young enough, but also experienced enough, has personal charm, and also has acting skills.

It is said that Steven's directorial talent is mainly reflected in scheduling, composition, and narration.

In his works, the audio-visual experience has always been a pleasure.

He has never been a director who is good at training actors, so he needs the actors to understand the role themselves and present the performance themselves.

Tom understands Steven's concerns.

He is not only an excellent actor, but also has tried directing, but this time, "I don't agree with your opinion."