Crime Boss Investigator [RECAST 2]
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Project Overview
Ok everyone, prepare for a lengthy read, lol. I apologize, but getting this character's needs clear is super important for the plot, and the pay grade demands it (I think...)!
Shadowstrike (the role of this casting call) was previously cast, but it became clear that the actor wasn’t fully aligned with the character’s vision nor did he care to be, and failed to approach the role with the care, passion, and professionalism it deserves. This role is now open for someone ready to take on the challenge, master the emotional depth, and deliver a performance worthy of this pivotal character. If you can deliver it good enough, that's a solid $250 for you. However, if you blow me away with your audition and you play the character with phenomenal precision, that can bumped to a maximum of $500. This character is important to me, and I'll pay well to see him come to life.
So, in short, CBI is an innovative crime drama exploring a man's descent from the young boy avenging his family that was ruthlessly slaughtered by the Stick Mafia into a tunnel visioned, vengeance machine who never learned how to live like a human, how that lifestyle's consequences topple him to his knees, and his newfound partner Sadie's attempts to drag him out of a hell that perhaps they created for him... but one where he fed the flame gasoline. CBI takes place in the fictional city of Calymara which is positioned in Southern Illinois, USA, so the "Mafia" won't be an Italian kingpin's industry, just a gritty American crime group that's got a city under borderline war-level terror. The question is not the cliché, "can he save the city in time?!" but rather, "can he save himself in time." So, do not let the "cartoony" art style fool you. This is not a comedy, this has not been done before, and this will NOT leave you anything less than amazed.
This is your chance to step into a world where every line matters. Shadowstrike is a role that requires mastering the subtlety and intensity simultaneously, a warm mentor turned into a practically hellborn enforcer. Let me be clear as well, the "warm mentor" persona is very short lived, but also very vital for actors to nail. For the vast majority of this show, you'll be playing that psychotic bloodbath enforcer of the feared Mafia. More on him in the character description section.
Please ensure you have good microphone quality, and proper volume adjustments. Those with Discord are preferred, but I also accept anyone taking contact by e-mail. I mean, if you can send voice files and talk to me, it's most likely fine for me.
This isn’t just a read through, it’s a fully realized production where performances will define the tone and legacy of the series. The depth, darkness, and psychological realism of CBI are what make it stand apart, and Shadowstrike is a role that demands someone who can embody all of that while adding their own nuance and interpretation. So, the question is... are you the one I can trust to carry such a powerful legacy? Find out now, drop an audition.
P.S., forgive the terrible crop of the project thumbnail. It's a great poster, but... the aspect ratio doesn't match well, lol.
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Shadowstrike is a complex, layered character with one of the most intense emotional arcs in the series. He starts off as a warm, patient mentor who owns a welcoming dojo and cares deeply for his students. Life circumstances push him into the Stick Mafia, where he gradually evolves into a hardened, but still guilt ridden enforcer. After a catastrophic incident that leaves him physically and emotionally scarred for life, his trauma transforms into full blown, calculated madness, that of a deranged enforcer who kills without thought, all while maintaining this bizarre, trauma-induced, unwavering loyalty to Samuel Blackwood, leader of the Stick Mafia, whom he sees as a father figure.
An Important Note on Performance Style:
Shadowstrike is not a Joker-style, over-the-top, “gore is funny” character. He is vicious, aggressive, and deeply intelligent (though, outwardly, he'd seem like the kind of guy too manic to process a thought), relishing in calculated suffering rather than the chaotic "crazy clown" type. Actors should focus on conveying his (frankly uncontrolled) malicious intent, cold enjoyment of power and intimidation, and emotional depth and evolution from trauma to madness. Now, allow me to clarify; just because I'm against the clown archetype doesn't mean that you shouldn't act unhinged. That was not at all supposed to mean you should restrain your insanity. Let your voice shake with feral rage, scream your words with anger, hell, scream to mock people like your words spill blood (especially the rebar line, he's aiming to completely dismantle the protagonist and make him feel REAL fear for the first time).
Actors who try to perform him as a “funny insane clown” or anything generic or typical of the tasteless "crazy characters" we see in media will not be considered. We want someone who can deliver the dark, realistic, psychological menace that Shadowstrike truly embodies.
Disqualification Points:
• The aforementioned. He is definitely deranged and insane, but last time we auditioned this role we got way too many "crazy clown" archetypes.
• Mismatched accent, gender, or age. Look, I'm extremely flexible with other roles (many characters underwent race and gender changes for actors!), but a role like this must be pitch-perfect, to a tee, and identical to the script performance. I apologize, and mean no discrimination.
• A lack of enthusiasm or professionalism. The entire reason the last actor was fired was a complete lack of care for the show, and a gross misread of the character, as well as an unwillingness to change either. This also includes actors who come off as callous, angry, or like they're just "get the cash and go" types. I love paying people, but also want a community of passionate people. No need to be the living embodiment of joy, just don't be a jerk, and care about the role.
- english
- male young adult
- all american accents
- male adult
(Pre trauma, happy instructor, amused, playful. enunciate your "one, two" to sound slower, and the "see?" should be done similarly) "Bobby, buddy. You're fighting to survive, not swatting flies. C'mere. Like this, one... two. See? Now you try!"
(The hardened but guilt ridden Mafia member, afraid to resist authority. Try to make your voice tremble with fear. The "No... no" are one continuous sentence, he's just hesitant. Additionally, the "Shit." is not one of anger, but of exhaustion, incredulity.) "If I'm doing this... I'm doing it on my terms. No... no senseless killing. Alright? Shit."
(the earlier lines should read like you're speaking through teeth, as if you're both pissed off but restraining laughter at the same time. the lines should be aggressive yet restrained to create a deep, unsettling contrast to the rebar part, which you should scream with rage about preferably as loud as you can, like a switch inside you just flipped without warning) "Mmmhh... fuckin' IRON in that blood! How much rebar did Brickjaw shove down your throat?! *Cruel laugh, quick unstable transition mid-laugh to an enraged grunt* I'LL HANG YOUR JAW ON MY FUCKING WALL!"
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