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The story of casting Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha as "Scab" and Kayky Brito as "Dollar" may certainly be the most interesting of everything I experienced during that process. As I have stated before, while a very challenging endeavor, casting turned out to be a boon to me for a number of reasons. I repeatedly became acquainted with folks who, whether they were right for this particular movie or not, developed an instant rapport with me and seemed to share similar artistic visions and goals. I was especially thrilled when I would engage with those very focused, yet easy-to-get-along-with artists who not only shared common sensibilities, but also seemed like I simply must find a way to get them into this movie. That was the case with Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha, and how we first connected is a story in itself.
Because I have several Brazilian friends in real life, and really enjoy the parts of their culture that I have been exposed to (I LOVE to eat, so FOGO de CHAO was my first focused Brazilian experience many years ago, and I still love eating there just because the food is so awesome and the experience is out of this world), as I wrote the story and screenplay for "The END of FUN", the idea of Jade Silver's Ex-boyfriend "Scab" being Brazilian became fixed in my mind. This was one detail of which I was pretty inflexible, even building the fact that he is Brazilian into his "nickname" of SCAB.
This idea was so inflexible that it was literally part of the casting call "Brazilian male, etc." I knew what I wanted and really wanted to GET WHAT I WANTED! (Wow, did a writer really just write that sentence?) I wanted Brazilian actors with Brazilian accents. Over the six or so weeks that I looked at auditions, I saw and communicated with some AMAZING ACTORS all over Southern California--who, while amazing were super-California (anytime someone even attempted to sound Brazilian, it was much more of an East L.A. Gangbanger type--missing it completely if they did try). However, also during that entire period, I was having regular ongoing conversations by email, phone, and text with Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha. And that had all started with the specificity of that casting call for Scab, "Brazilian Male".
RODRIGO!
Rodrigo, while born in Rio de Janeiro, has been in and around the entertainment business in the United States since the age of 15. With the aid of his amazingly supportive and nurturing mother, he successfully entered the MODELING WORLD in NEW YORK CITY. From this city, his lucrative career found him traveling ALL AROUND THE WORLD, expanding his mind, his knowledge of languages, culture and people. In the end, his desire to focus on acting and art brought him back to LOS ANGELES.
Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha is not focused only on his OWN success, but is very committed to helping many others achieve success in the entertainment world. Combine this attitude with his passion and skills-- NOT very hard to see why he is a great collaborative partner.
As we got to know each other better, we discovered that we both had strong passion for art, movies (crime movies in particular and both of us being crazy about the Godfather!), and helping others around us achieve success. He is one of the rare few people that I have met in this whole world, especially rare in the creative businesses sometimes, who strongly believes as I do that our success is interconnected with those around us. The MORE SUCCESSFUL ONE BECOMES, so do ALL the OTHERS BECOME SUCCESSFUL.
It really is just lucky for both of us that during those first few days of casting that I saw not just one, but two different Brazilian actors pop into my INBOX from BACKSTAGE. I quickly reviewed the profiles of each and then promptly sent both INVITATIONS TO AUDITION. As I was sending the first, I received an email from Rodrigo explaining that he was helping his Brazilian acting friends and supporting and assisting them as their agent, manager, and contact person in Los Angeles-- which is helpful because many like Kayky Brito who spend time going back and forth know they can rely on Rodrigo to take care of them here if they are away. He let me know that he had sent me not one, but two submissions back to back.
Rodrigo is trained in several style of fighting, and when he focuses his stare as "Scab", there is a cold intensity to his eyes that WILL NOT let you LOOK AWAY.
By that time I read this, though, I had already sent the second invitation, and he had even replied to that saying "just sent you an email explaining..."
Honestly, one of the first things to get my attention about the situation was Rodrigo himself. He was focused, knowledgeable, quick to reply, and just on top of his game all the way around. The more we discussed "The END of FUN" and how appropriate the various actors he represented would be for the role of Scab, the name we kept coming back to was Kayky Brito. After sending them both the script, both Rodrigo and Kayky became more intensely interested and locked onto the idea of participating in some way, NO MATTER how we had to work it out! This attitude, work ethic, and flexibility was something else that convinced me we should work together and became the foundation of a mutual respect between us.
As I write this, the Olympic Games are going on in Brazil right now. Promotional opportunities, along with a paying role in a play had lured Kayky back to Brazil and was keeping him incredibly busy as he and I tried to connect by SKYPE and finally have him audition for a role in the movie, whether for Scab or someone else. Throughout all of this, Rodrigo and I stayed in touch. Throughout all of this, Rodrigo continued to look at the script, and especially the "side" I had sent for Kayky to use in the audition. Throughout all of this, I explained to Rodrigo how I envisioned Scab and he would explain his understanding of the character.
Throughout the last few times we spoke, I thought to myself in kind of a joking manner "Well, shit. Worst case scenario, I will just have Rodrigo play the part." What you have to know is that by this time, we were becoming friends and he was offering us help on any level that we needed it REGARDLESS of who was finally cast as Scab. Again, this type of collaborative spirit is exactly what I look for when creating art in a team project like movie-making. Rodrigo, and as it turns out KAYKY TOO, has this in spades, and just proves his passion and helpful attitude over and over again. So, anyway, finally during the conversation before I actually got to have Kayky read and audition, I very much by accident let what I had been thinking actually slip out to be said aloud.
"Hey, depending on what happens with Kayky, would you consider getting back in front of the camera for me and actually playing the role of Scab?" Rodrigo's eyes about popped out, and he said to me "WHAT? Are you kidding? Man, you already know I'll do ANYTHING to help you make this movie!" And we really didn't talk too much more about it until after I met with and auditioned Kayky, who is also amazing, friendly, talented, focused, and really just awesome all the way around.
KAYKY!
Kayky and I had a great conversation on SKYPE and we read over parts of the script together. I was REALLY BOWLED OVER by the energy and skill he put into reading the part of Scab, and it was even more amazing since just minutes earlier and for the entire previous weeks, he had only been speaking Portuguese which is his native language. He asked me if I was at all concerned about his having an accent, and I told him that I had absolutely counted on it! We both had a great time with him in the role, but I had heard Rodrigo do it so many times that I also wanted to hear Kayky read a completely different part so that I could listen and focus without the direct comparison.
As BRAZIL ALREADY KNOWS, Kayky Brito has an energy and presence that simply JUMPS OFF the screen. His "DOLLAR" will knock you out!
He read the part of "DOLLAR", Scab's primary sidekick and we really both just cracked up at his delivery of a few of his lines and especially as we imagined him delivering them to Rodrigo as Scab. The more we talked about it, it really became kind of an organic decision that the THREE OF US MADE TOGETHER, and in just the strangest way possible! However, I do not think ANY of us could possibly be HAPPIER! The "Dollar" that Kayky will bring you is tough and cruel, but funny. I like the character so much more that I am actually expanding the part, just knowing Kayky is in control!
And the rapport between him and Rodrigo's "Scab" is not manufactured in the least way. These guys know and love each other, and are ALREADY REHEARSING together by phone and internet!
Like everyone on this production, Kayky brings a great spirit, work ethic, and amazing attitude to everything he does as an actor. Watching a professional like Kayky work is EXCITING!
Kayky Brito brings amazing acting talent and experience that he has cultivated across 17 years of Television and Movies in his native Brazil to our production. He is a great looking actor who is easy to work with, funny, focused, passionate, and DESTINED FOR STARDOM in AMERICAN CINEMA.
I am BEYOND EXCITED to announce that KAYKY BRITO will make his AMERICAN DEBUT in "The END of FUN". Just ONE MORE GREAT REASON to go tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW about this movie!
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#KaykyBrito #RodrigoRocha #TEOFCast #TEOFScab #TEOFDollar #KaraokeNoir
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