Casting Call Audition
By Epiphany
Acting is a rough business. It is a battle to get in and a battle to even make it to "B" status let alone "A" and staying there can be a war.
Agents, Managers, Business Managers, Lawyers, Publicists, everyone wants a piece of the pie and there are fewer and fewer pieces for more and more actors.
The list of young attractive actors and actresses is the worst.
Looks fade so you have to make your mark early. You can't be just a "pretty face" because it's easy to become yesterday's news.
Those that rely on their appearance quickly learn that you have to have it all or you're a niche player.
You need looks, talent, the right connections, and, probably most of all, luck.
Well, a lot of young actors also learned that you have to fight for roles in a very real way for some producers and directors.
A "Casting Call" can be a wrestling match (wrestling normally doesn't leave as much evidence of damage as boxing and the looks matter).
Several young up and comers with some success were looking for a supporting part on an "A" list high budget movie.
These are the parts that get you noticed by the right people and can actually pay the bills for a few months even with the blood suckers taking a lot of what you earn.
This particular role was a very physical, be willing to drop trow and full monty so you better have the equipment and packaging in all of the right places, light weights need not apply.
There was also actually some decent dialogue and, again, "A" list big budget movie where you could prove you're more than just a pretty face but where your face (and everything else) are great too.
Your agent thinks there may even be Oscar buzz (or at least Golden Globes) plus the Teen type awards that can really start the money rolling.
Ultimately it came down to Chris Evans, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Kwanten, Matt Morrison, Joe Manganiello, Sam Worthington, Channing Tatum, and Shawn Roberts
A "auditioning" tournament was held over three days with simple rules. No hitting, biting, or disfiguring an opponent.
To make things interesting for everyone and for the casting staff to make sure the best specimen was represented, clothing was also forbidden.
These were to be full wrestling matches but ultimately there had to be only one finishing hold. The bearhug.
The guy who could crush his opponent to unconsciousness would win. You couldn't choke or sleeper a guy out then hug him he had to be conscious and go all the way out.
The four winners from the first day would fight on day 2 for semi finals with the big event taking place the next day in a best of 3 match.
All of the young actors were fanatics about their workouts. All of them had no choice. You had to have six pack abs, perfect chest and butt and couldn't have chicken legs but you also couldn't be so steroid muscled up that you didn't look "real".
There is nothing worse than seeing a bodybuilder next to a 70 pound actress who has starved herself to look thin. You had to look great but not so great that it didn't look at least partially human.
The first match was between Shawn Roberts and Ryan Kwanten. Ryan was a yoga master so he was very flexible. He also wasn't a weakling and, again, Aussie mean.
Shawn was a big surprise. He was ripped and hung. He was inches longer and quite a bit thicker than Ryan and he was also taller and looked a lot stronger.
The guys locked up and Shawn easily forced Ryan to the corner then let him go and backed off.
The other guys smiled. A clean break. This wimp won't last 5 minutes. Ryan, thinking this would be over soon, tried rushing Shawn. Shawn dodged easily and tripped Ryan as he went by.
Shawn was on him fast and slapped him in a Camel Clutch hurting Ryans back. He couldn't win with the hold but he could wear Ryan down and hurt him.
Several Minutes later Ryan couldn't break the hold and was panicking a bit. Shawn eventually let him go and brought Ryan to his feet (albiet wobbly ones) whipping him into the turnbuckle.
Ryan was really hurting when Shawn brought him off the ropes and grabbed him in a huge lifted frontal bearhug.
Shawns arms were massive and he had his biceps lined up against Ryans Ribs with his forearms bearing down on his back.
Ryan soon faded out. Winner, Shawn Roberts and actually pretty easily.
Match number two was between Sam Worthington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Jake had a ripped body from his workouts to get ready for his last Disney flick that did poor business.
Sam had a firm but not awesome body from his last pic but there was one big difference. Sam was a total Bear. Massive fur all up and down his body glistening and he had a sardonic smile.
Jake rushed Sam and Sam just picked him up and hugged him immediately. Jake couldn't breathe. Sam was rag dolling Jake and bouncing him up and down pouring it on. It looked like Jake was going to loose it when he slipped first one arm then the other in and reversed the hug.
Now his sculpted muscles came in to play squeezing Sam.
Sam used a surprise move to grab Jakes head and forced it against his massively hairy chest. Jake panicked. The hair was suffocating him (why did he shave his beard off). Jake threw Sam off of him but Sam rushed in and went for the full hug again hoping to finish Jake off but Jake sidestepped the rush and grabbed Sam in a lifted reverse bearhug.
Sam couldn't break the hold and eventually died out in Jakes arms.
Match number three was between Channing Tatum and Matt Morrison. Morrison was older with a hairy body that wasn't quite as ripped as Channing but was still impressive and he had a lot more man meat than Channing did.
Channing and Matt tied up and exchanged a few holds then Channing went for broke and hugged Matt Morrison. Matt broke the hold easily but instead of trying to hug Channing out went back to wrestling moves.
Everytime Channing would hug to try to hug Matt the hold would be avoided or easily broken. The match went on and on for over 40 minutes and then Matt Morrison got busy.
He started taking Channing Tatum apart like a lego building and finally he just did a standing bearhug on an exhausted Channing Tatum who just didn't have the stamina to compete or the wisdom to understand that sometimes winning takes time to do right.
The final match of day one was between Chris Evans and Joe Manganiello.
Joe was a relative newcommer to the auditioning process but was truly impressive standing six foot five and totally ripped thanks to getting his body fat index down to 8% or less for his True Blood role.
Chris had starred in a few roles and was a well known actor who was also ripped.
The guys locked up and Chris immediately switched it to a standing headlock on Joe who easily picked him up and threw him off.
Chris was a veteran of these auditions and had never experienced the kind of power Joe had shown.
The match continued. Chris came in thinking it would be another lock up but Joe spun him around and used his height and power to give Chris a huge Full Nelson.
Chris was fading fast when Joe threw him up and whipped him off of the ropes into a sidewalk slam picking him up immediately and giving him an over the knee back breaker.
Chris slowly got to his feet and there was Joe yet again. Whip to the ropes and then agony. Chris was suspended in a lifted bearhug and he felt his ribs being crushed. He wanted to scream but couldn't with no air.
Bouncing him up and down Joe forced the air from him more and more then slowly Joe lowered Chris into what looked like a standing bearhug but Joe wrapped his lege around Chris's waist. His superior height making this possible and he suddently jerked Chris's body upward still in the bearhug while holding his lower body down with his legs.
That did it. Chris was totally out. Total match time under 3 minutes and Joe not even sweating. After he dropped a totally limp Chris Evans to the matt Joe turned and gave Ryan Kwanten a measured look.
Ryan knew that look. It said loud and clear, "You see that, I OWN you Bitch" from one colleague of the same TV show to another. Ryans head hung in acceptance.
At the end of the first day the four semi-finalists were Jake, Joe, Matt, and Shawn.
Day two and the matches were between Joe and Matt and Jake and Shawn.
Joe and Matt entered the ring. Joe towered over Matt and looked like he could rip him in two. Matt had body hair and a great body of his own plus some better equipment but Joe was just so big.
Bigger doesn't always mean better. Matt had a marathon match teaching Channing Tatum a lesson in stamina the prior day. He knew he could last but could the tower of power Joe keep it up.
They circled and the match began and ended right away with Joe slapping on the hug and immediately going to the pogo stump puller forcing Matt out.
Matt fell heavily to the ground and Joe just smiled.
That left Jake and Shawn.
Shawn towered over Jake and his arms were huge compared to the "Prince". Jake was sweating and not from exertion before the match even began.
Jake tried running away in the ring to "Psych" out his opponent. Didn't work as Shawn caught him by the arm trapping him in a massive lifted full nelson masterlock and using his iron legs to spreadeagle Jake from behind.
Shawn wasn't pouring on the power just easily holding Jake in position. Jake strugged but couldn't escape. Shawn threw Jake up, whipping him around and straight bearhugged Jake out in 30 seconds. His massive muscles grinding away to Jakes initial scream.
The final would be between the tower of power Joe and the Canadian rock hard power of Shawn.
The next day the two guys entered the ring.
Joe standing 3 inches taller than Shawn and being totally cut but Shawn looking to have more power in his arms plus superior equipment down under and some body hair which was making a comeback.
The two relative rookies to the audition actually shook each others hands then went back to opposing corners.
This was going to go one of two ways. If someone made a mistake or totally overpowered the other this wouldn't take long or it could be a marathon.
Serious money was changing hands between various witnesses and there were two EMS people on hand with back boards and other equipment should it be needed.
Both of these guys had careers or promising ones so both were valuable properties but accidents do happen.
Joe didn't want the marathon. He wanted to just power it out and get the first fall over with.
Being taller he had greater reach so he came in arms wide hoping to get Shawn into a bad position.
Arms wide exposed his ribs and back and Shawn just poured on a full standing bearhug. Joe's height was working against him. He was screaming and clutching his back. He couldn't breathe. This smaller guy had serious power.
Joe felt Shawns biceps rock hard against his ribs and the fulcrum of his forearms crushing his Kidneys. At least it felt it for a little while.
When Joe woke up a few minutes later Shawn was back in his corner.
First fall Shawn Roberts. Pure Power and lots of it plus a stupid error on Joe's part gave him the first hug win.
Joe was pissed. He was bigger and, in his mind, stronger than Shawn. He was also down a fall. One more and it was all over so he knew he HAD to win it.
The two combatants circled and Shawn came in only to get his back forearmed while he passed.
That was okay. You weren't hitting with a fist but with a forearm so there wasn't going to be a bruise. It still hurt though as Joe's forearms were like metal baseball bats.
Shawn spun around and saw Joe rushing for him so he side stepped him hoping to give Joe a kidney shot while he passed.
Joe lunged out with his superior reach and snagged Shawn to whip him off of the ropes into a sholder block.
Joe then got a Boston Crab on Shawn.
Shawn made it to the ropes and Joe broke the hold.
Shawn got to his feet but touched his back.
Joe smiled. Maybe the Canadian rock had been broken a bit.
The guys looked like they were going to go for a lock up but Shawn ducked it which was a good thing. Joe was looking to try and do some damage.
The smile on Joe's face wavered.
Okay, I've got to win this fall to get a chance at the match. I have him hurt. Let's go for it thought Joe so he rushed Shawn and got him in a full lifted frontal bearhug.
Using the same rag doll bounce and slowly lowering Shawn for the Stump Puller Joe thought I've got this one in the bag and maybe he's hurt enough so that the next one is a piece of cake too.
Joe didn't notice Shawns arms slipping in at the armpit area until it was too late. Joe had done a lot of the work for Shawn by lowering him so that he could deliver another standing bearhug and deliver he did but he wasn't satisfied with a standing hug.
He powered Joe into a lifted hug and poured it on. Shaking, bouncing but, ultimately just squeezing with everything he had. His arms were massive and he went all in.
Joe knew it was all over. There was just too much power in Shawn Roberts.
Shawn kept pouring it on. He didn't hear the ref yell it was over until he felt his arms being pulled apart. The blood was rushing so hard in his ears he wasn't hearing anything beyond the roar of blood and his power crushing.
He had a full hard on as he dropped Joe like a sack of garbage. Joe was groaning and holding his ribs and back. The paramedics were there, 4 cracked ribs but he'd be okay. He was lucky Shawn hadn't broken his back.
Shawn was standing there, chest heaving to try and get the air in, Victorious. The role was his but, more importantly, he had announced his presence to the others.
They knew a new young lion had joined their ranks and was leading the pride, at least for now.