"Still nervous?" Joseph looked at Hugo, who was adjusting his breathing in front of him, and couldn't help but find it amusing. "This isn't your first movie, so why are you so nervous?"
For the past two weeks, Hugo had been in a restless state, even teased by Charlize as "having his period." This behavior made Joseph quite entertained.
"This is my first movie!" Hugo really wanted to say that, but he couldn't. So he let out a long breath. "If you'd experienced the total failure of your last movie, then couldn't land a single job for eight consecutive months, and even dragged yourself into a whole bunch of trouble, then you'd understand how I feel now."
The smile on Joseph's lips faded. Over the past year or more, he had been by Hugo's side through everything no one understood better than him what Hugo had gone through. Moreover, in the past six months, Hugo had successfully kicked his addiction. The withdrawal symptoms had completely disappeared. Watching Hugo come this far step by step, Joseph knew how hard it had been.
"I'm sorry." Joseph couldn't ignore Hugo's emotions and apologized in a low voice.
Hugo tugged at the corners of his mouth and revealed a dry smile. "No need. If you have the energy, pray with me that the movie will succeed."
Although he believed he'd gained another chance after crossing over, a mule or a horse, it all comes down to how it performs today. This time, it wasn't just the crew judging it was hundreds and thousands of viewers, plus the ultra-picky and hard-to-please film critics.
Seeing Hugo smile, Joseph relaxed too. He raised his right hand, crossed his index and middle fingers, signaling that he'd already started praying, which made Hugo chuckle.
The rented black car came to a stop at the edge of the red carpet outside the Fox Theatre. The side door was opened by a security guard maintaining order. Hugo took one last deep breath, then stepped out of the car.
Although this was Hugo's second time attending a premiere at the Fox Theatre, the mindset and atmosphere today were completely different from six months ago at the "Final Analysis" premiere.
The moment both feet landed on the red carpet, Hugo felt the vivid red on the ground wrap around his soles like blazing flames, slowly rising upward. The pounding heartbeat echoed in his ears, making it feel like his blood was surging, with his temples and back muscles instantly tensing up.
Hugo lifted his head and looked at the crowd on either side. Not a large group roughly over a hundred but all of their eyes were filled with anticipation and hope as they looked at Hugo. Those bright, sparkling gazes lit up the dark night in an instant.
Only now did Hugo truly confirm: this was his movie premiere! Not anyone else's the lead was him!
The nervousness began to dissolve in that scorching light, and Hugo's lips curved into a big smile, blooming across his face.
"Hugo! Look here!" "Hey, hey, Hugo Lancaster!" "Here, here, here..." "Smile, give me a smile!" "Come over here!" ...
The reporters standing on the left side of the red carpet continuously raised their voices, trying all sorts of ways to get Hugo's attention. Some were even jumping in place with their hands up, hoping to make eye contact and capture the perfect photo.
"Hugo! I love you!" "Hugo, you're the best!" "You're really amazing!" …
Although the gathered fans weren't many, and the screams and shouts weren't loud—"noisy" would be a better description at least these people had come specifically for Hugo. Regardless of Hugo's current situation, whether they supported him for his looks or his acting, the fact that they still stood by him during his low point was especially rare.
By now, Joseph had also stepped out. Since it was Hugo's movie premiere, Joseph was also granted permission to walk the red carpet. Joseph wasn't a public figure, so his mindset was clearly much calmer.
Seeing Hugo still standing there, Joseph patted him on the shoulder, bringing Hugo back to his senses.
After hesitating for a moment, Hugo walked toward the fans on the right. He somewhat awkwardly and hesitantly stretched out his right hand, and the few young people in the front immediately reached out and grabbed his hand tightly.
The warmth in their palms felt incredibly real to Hugo.
"Hugo, trust me, you're going to succeed. You absolutely will! You're the best."
The petite girl standing in the center was no more than five feet four inches tall (162 cm), looking very small, almost as if she'd be swallowed by the crowd around her at any moment.
But she stubbornly straightened her back, tiptoeing, her lively eyes expressing her unwavering faith in Hugo.
Hugo's gaze involuntarily lingered on the girl because her determination reminded him of Alex.
Before leaving today, Alex had blessed Hugo with the same determined eyes he even had more confidence in Hugo than Hugo did himself.
"Thank you."
Not only did Hugo not pull back his hand, he even took a step forward.
Thankfully, he wasn't some top-tier superstar at the moment otherwise, fans from all directions would have swarmed over. Hugo's movement didn't cause much of a chain reaction.
He even raised his voice to ask a question, "What's your name?"
"Meredith Molins."
The girl became instantly excited when Hugo asked her name, shouting it out loud in her high-pitched voice.
Even amid all the surrounding noise, it stood out a little but it made Hugo smile.
Although Hugo knew that the girl's support wasn't because of his efforts, but because of the person he replaced just like Alex it still felt wonderful to know someone out there supported him so sincerely.
So Hugo leaned in and gave Meredith a hug.
"Hope you'll enjoy the movie."
Meredith's body froze in an instant.
She could see Hugo's handsome face gradually approaching, smell the minty scent of his body wash. Her heart immediately locked up in that moment.
By the time she came back to her senses, Hugo had already turned away to walk toward the reporters.
Looking at Hugo's tall figure, Meredith was a little dazed.
Today, Hugo hadn't chosen formal attire. Instead, he wore a casual young man's outfit: a large plaid shirt in blue, red, and purple, black straight-leg jeans with the cuffs rolled up to reveal a teal inner lining, and bright blue low-top canvas shoes.
He topped it all with a light gray casual blazer.
This Hugo didn't have any sense of distance. He looked like someone you might bump into walking down the street.
But his handsome features and radiant smile gave him a sunny aura, making it impossible to look away.
Broad shoulders paired with a perfectly shaped chest, long and powerful legs outlining a well-proportioned physique whether standing or walking, he had the elegant, poised lines of a sculpture.
He didn't need any added accessories he was like a magnet, effortlessly drawing everyone's attention.
Meredith squeezed her hand the warmth from Hugo's palm still lingered, making her heart skip like a deer running wild.
"Hugo, do you have anything to share about the filming experience for this movie?"
Facing the reporters' microphones, Hugo was being interviewed.
This kind of standard question was fairly common, especially since Hugo hadn't been in the news much lately. The reporters were behaving themselves too.
"I must say this was a very pleasant and magical experience. Working with Martin went very smoothly, and acting opposite Al you know—I learned so much. I truly hope I'll have the chance to work with them again." Hugo was speaking from the heart; this was his genuine feeling during the filming of Scent of a Woman. But in the ears of the reporters, it sounded like routine, official small talk, not much worth digging into.
"What expectations do you have for the movie's prospects? This is the first role you've taken after winning the Golden Raspberry Award. Do you feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders?" This question was a bit sharper, actually something of a trap. If Hugo didn't answer well, it could be seen as dissatisfaction with the Hudson Hawk crew, potentially stirring up controversy.
However, Hugo, still a rookie, didn't think that far ahead. He simply answered as a matter of course, "I'm very nervous and under a lot of pressure. After all, I don't know if I can represent the audience. I like this film, so I hope the audience does too. Go into the theater and enjoy the movie-going experience."
Hugo's answer wasn't exactly by the book, but he didn't fall into the trap either. The reporters were eager to dig out more juicy content, but unfortunately, the red carpet interview time was far too short. Soon, Hugo was pulled into the Fox Theatre by Joseph.
Actually, the premiere of Scent of a Woman wasn't very formal. Although the ceremony was held at the Fox Theatre, the movie was only being shown in twenty theaters during its first week, so the overall scale of the release wasn't big. The premiere, rather than a promotional event, felt more like a ceremonial milestone. Once the ritual was completed, the lucky guests who had the chance to be the first audience to watch the movie began filing into the theater.
Al came up to Hugo with a hug, smiling as he said, "I've heard all about it from Jack. You gave a great performance."
Hugo chuckled, his expression full of joy. Although A Few Good Men had wrapped a few months ago, the thrill of his breakthrough in acting hadn't completely faded. "I've been working hard."
"Don't worry. Once our movie hits theaters, everyone will see what you can do," Al said with confidence. But Hugo just laughed, "Al, you're the one they'll see!" Scent of a Woman was essentially Al's big stage for an explosive performance, and naturally, the spotlight wouldn't fall on Hugo.
Faced with Hugo's praise, Al didn't shy away. He simply laughed heartily and accepted it.
The movie was about to begin. Compared to the version of Scent of a Woman Hugo remembered, what would this version with Hugo's addition turn out to be?
...
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