Ethan sat at his desk, tapping a pencil against his notepad, deep in thought. Casting for Silent Heroes was turning out to be trickier than he had anticipated. He and Liam had already gone over several names, but the constraints were beginning to feel tighter. The challenge wasn't just finding the right actors to fit the roles—they had to do it on a limited budget without compromising the quality of the show.
Liam sat across from him, his eyes on his laptop, scrolling through a list of potential actors. "We can't go for big names. We don't have the budget, and besides, we don't want the casting to overshadow the story itself."
Ethan nodded. "Exactly. This show isn't about star power; it's about the characters and the emotional depth. But that doesn't mean we can skimp on talent. We need actors who can carry the weight of these roles, even if they aren't household names."
They both knew that the Old Guard would be pushing for top-tier actors—C-rated, maybe even B-rated—to bring star appeal to the project. But that wasn't their vision for Silent Heroes. This wasn't a flashy, star-studded affair. It was raw, emotional, and grounded in authenticity.
"Luke Carter's out," Ethan said, glancing at Liam. "He's already tied up with another project, and even though he's a D-tier now, he's not right for this role. Plus, TRN will probably want fresh faces for a story like this."
"Agreed," Liam said, rubbing his chin. "But what about Rory Campbell?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Rory? He's E-tier, right? I know his role in Breaking Point went from supporting to minor in season two, but he's got the chops. He did great in those intense scenes with Luke in season one. He's been under the radar lately, though."
"Exactly," Liam said, leaning forward. "He's an E-tier actor, but he's been working hard. I've been keeping tabs on him. He's been training like crazy this past month—acting workshops, personal coaching sessions. He's even been working with Bryce Maddox."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Bryce Maddox? The B-rated actor and coach?"
"Yep," Liam said with a grin. "Apparently, Rory's been getting some serious mentorship from Maddox. He's not just training physically, either. He's been diving into emotional depth, working on his craft. Maddox has a reputation for pushing his students to their limits, and from what I hear, Rory's been rising to the challenge."
Ethan felt a surge of excitement. Rory might not have the ranking that TRN would typically want, but the kid could act. He had proven that during the first season of Breaking Point, where his rivalry with Luke's character had been one of the show's most gripping elements. Rory had a raw intensity that could work perfectly for one of the leads in Silent Heroes—someone haunted by their past, struggling to reconcile their experiences with the post-war world.
"He's perfect," Ethan said, scribbling down Rory's name next to one of the roles. "We need someone who can bring that emotional intensity without overacting. Rory's got that quiet power to him—he could easily pull off the role of Tommy Greaves, the sharpshooter who's trying to drown his trauma in alcohol."
Liam nodded. "That's what I was thinking. And the best part? He's E-tier, so he won't eat up the budget. We can use that extra money for other production needs."
"Good," Ethan said, already feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "That solves the problem for Tommy, but we still need to cast the others—Jimmy, Al, Sammy, and Carl."
Liam glanced at his notes. "I've been thinking about bringing in a few F-tier actors for some of the other roles. We don't need to go all-in on ratings; we just need the right talent. There are a few unrated actors who haven't been attached to any projects yet, but they're more suited for minor or supporting roles."
Ethan leaned back in his chair, considering it. "Yeah, we'll need some solid F-tier talent for the rest of the cast, but for the leads, we can't compromise too much. Jimmy is the emotional heart of the series—we need someone who can anchor the show. Al's the moral compass, and Sammy... he's the soul of the group."
"Agreed," Liam said. "But there's another name I've been thinking about—Connor Blake. He's F-tier, but he's got incredible range. He's done a few small indie projects, and I think he'd be perfect for Sammy Lee."
Ethan tapped his pencil thoughtfully. "I remember him. He was in that low-budget drama last year, right? The one about the family struggling with addiction?"
"Yeah, that's the one," Liam said. "He's got that young, vulnerable energy that would work perfectly for Sammy. He can play someone haunted but still resilient."
Ethan scribbled Connor's name down. "That could work. As long as he can carry the emotional weight of Sammy's arc, I'm on board."
They went through a few more names, but Rory remained at the forefront of their minds. If they could convince TRN and the studio that Rory Campbell—an E-tier actor—could carry a lead role, it would give them the flexibility to use lesser-known actors for the other parts. And Rory's connection to Bryce Maddox gave him credibility beyond his ranking.
"We should lock down Rory as soon as possible," Ethan said, already thinking ahead. "If he's on board, we can push back against any pressure to cast outside stars. We know the Old Guard's going to be pushing their actors, but if we have our own strong lineup, it'll be harder for them to force big names into the project."
Liam smirked. "We can spin it as a show about authenticity, about bringing in fresh faces and underappreciated talent. TRN is big on character-driven narratives, and that's what we're selling."
Ethan leaned forward, energized by the thought. "Exactly. Rory is our lead—he's been training for this, he's hungry, and he's got the talent. We just need to make sure everyone sees that."
They spent the next few hours fine-tuning their casting strategy, going over the list of potential actors for each role. By the time they wrapped up, they had a clear plan in place.
Rory Campbell would be their Tommy Greaves, and they would build the rest of the cast around him. With his recent training under Bryce Maddox and the hard work he'd been putting in, Ethan felt confident that Rory was the right choice, even if he wasn't a high-ranking star.
As the day ended and they packed up their things, Ethan glanced at Liam with a smile. "We're going to make this work. We're not going to let the Old Guard steamroll us on this one."
Liam chuckled. "No chance. We've got the vision, we've got the story, and now we've got our lead. Let's get this cast locked in and show everyone that we don't need big names to make something unforgettable."
With the casting strategy in place, they were ready to push forward.
The battle was just beginning, but Ethan and Liam were prepared to fight for Silent Heroes—and for the future they were building.