Hugo's honesty plunged the conference room into silence. Although he had chosen to tell the truth, his inner frustration was already churning.Hugo realized that he was still inexperienced. Faced with a real opportunity, he had let nervousness dictate his emotions, and somehow, inexplicably, he had arrived at this point.This left Hugo feeling somewhat helpless. He knew that "scent of a woman" was a huge opportunity, and he knew he longed to act opposite Al Pacino to learn from him up close, but in the end, nervousness had ruined it.Only God knew when the next opportunity would come if he missed this one. Even if Hugo knew which works were the real "pies in the sky," if he couldn't grasp them, then it was all just empty talk.Allen was somewhat surprised by Hugo's honesty, especially when she saw the look of frustration on his face, and couldn't help but smile. This was completely different from the Hugo seen in the media over the past three years. The Hugo before her was more like the big boy before he starred in "dead poets society"—green, sincere, earnest, yet full of fighting spirit and longing. One could clearly feel the youthful energy in him.In fact, Hugo's performance just now was excellent; not only that, it could even be called outstanding. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left time for Hugo to give such a long speech, and the Director and Screenwriter certainly wouldn't have spoken up.Hugo hadn't just come to participate in a movie audition; he also had his own understanding of the script and the character. At the same time, he wouldn't blindly try to override the script and boss people around. On the contrary, he was clear about his shortcomings and knew his strengths, and was able to carry them through the entire audition process.Allen could see Hugo's nervousness, but the confidence displayed amidst that nervousness was more like an instinct. This made the Hugo before her seem like a piece of uncut jade waiting to be carved, full of promise.Such a Hugo had already achieved a certain alignment with the character of Charlie from the very beginning.Although Hugo's audition content just now was only thirty seconds long, as he had said, it fully displayed the essence of the character Charlie.The honest, kind, and fresh image was full of the bookish aura of a student, which was refreshing.Such a Hugo vaguely allowed Allen to see once again the rising star of an Actor full of infinite possibilities before "dead poets society."Presumably, Director Martin and Screenwriter Bo had also seen this, which was why they had asked questions for the first time today; this was a signal that they were satisfied with Hugo.Allen lowered her head and saw Bo, on her right, draw a checkmark on Hugo's resume. She glanced at Bo and knew that Bo was satisfied with Hugo. Subsequently, Allen looked over and saw dense notes on the resume in front of Martin. It was evident that Martin had been recording his thoughts on Hugo throughout the entire audition process. What did this mean?It meant that Martin was already thinking about what it would be like to have Hugo on set.Sure enough, as soon as Martin raised his eyes, he met Allen's gaze. The smile in his eyes traced an arc at the corners of his mouth, and then Martin nodded slightly and tapped on Hugo's resume, meaning "this is the one."Martin believed that whether it was temperament or attitude, including Hugo's own sincerity, everything had successfully moved him. Hugo already possessed the potential that an excellent Actor should have; what remained was to see the sparks that would fly during the collaboration between the director and the crew.However, Allen still had some hesitation, and that was Hugo's Golden Raspberry Awards.Although it was said that the Golden Raspberry Awards were just an entertainment award and did not possess real authority, it could not be denied that for producers, the Golden Raspberry Awards were still a negative factor. Hugo didn't have many points to begin with, and with this deduction from the Golden Raspberry Awards, it was estimated that the producer of "scent of a woman," Universal Pictures, would likely have some complaints.If this were a commercial movie, perhaps the Golden Raspberry Awards could become a factor for hype, but "scent of a woman" was not. A Worst Actor trophy would inevitably become an obstacle.Moreover, Hugo's poor performance in his past three works would also shake people's confidence in his acting skills.Who could guarantee that Hugo's brilliant performance today wasn't just a flash in the pan, and that once "scent of a woman" started filming, his Golden Raspberry Award-level terrible acting wouldn't return to being the norm?Allen drew a circle on the position of "hudson hawk" on Hugo's resume, then placed it between Bo and Martin, signaling them to look.Sure enough, both Bo and Martin were also somewhat hesitant and couldn't help but pause.Looking at the four people in front of him, everyone was silent, just quietly exchanging glances. Hugo could still see the pens in their hands swaying over his resume. Hugo realized that he really, really wanted to seize this opportunity. Although he had made some mistakes earlier due to nervousness, at the same time, Hugo also knew that he had shone in certain areas; otherwise, Martin and Bo wouldn't have spoken up on their own.Hugo knew he couldn't give up. Since he had decided to strive with all his might, he had to give it his "all." Giving up now was not Hugo's style."Sir... sirs, and Madam."Hugo spoke again, capturing the attention of all four people, including Lily, the representative from the Screen Actors Guild. He took another deep breath to calm his nervous emotions, returning to the state he was in when he first described the character of Charlie, because Hugo knew this was what he wanted and what he wanted to do; he would not give up easily."I would like to talk about my understanding of the movie 'scent of a woman.' I know this is not my job, but this is the reason I love this movie, and it is also the reason why I so hope to act in this movie."Hugo didn't know if this kind of explanation would be useful at all. Anyway, when he participated in auditions for supporting roles in the past, he would never have had such an opportunity. But now, he had come to Hollywood, he had come to 1992, why not try hard to see?At least, none of the four people in front of him spoke to interrupt him; this was a very good start."I really like the movie 'dead poets society' because this movie teaches us to have free thoughts, to strive for our own dreams, and to make our lives more meaningful, so that when life ends, we don't realize that we never really lived at all."Hugo's tone was so resolute because he was so eager for today's opportunity. He would absolutely not surrender; he would rather fight until the last moment and then fail, which was far better than giving up voluntarily without even trying."And 'scent of a woman' teaches us to stick to our principles, not to change our correct beliefs because of worldly and realistic pressures; otherwise, you will no longer be yourself."Hugo spoke very quickly, not only because he was eager to express his inner thoughts, but also because his brain was occupied by this firm belief at this moment. There was no nervousness, no panic, no hesitation; there was only an indomitable belief. "The students in these two movies are both children in preparatory schools, and both have scenes where the school intimidates or entices the students, making them do things against their own will!""In 'dead poets society,' that group of children, under extreme helplessness, pointed out Mr. Keating (John Keating); but in 'scent of a woman,' Charlie stuck to his principles—absolutely never betraying a friend!"Hugo spoke rapidly. When he reached the excited part, he didn't raise his voice, but those light brown eyes were sparkling with a crystalline light, and the smile on the corners of his mouth bloomed proudly, making people involuntarily enter his rhythm of speaking. "I know the entire movie 'scent of a woman' explores more and deeper content, but from Charlie's perspective, the story he understands is about principles. Perhaps in the future, he will encounter countless difficulties and countless darknesses, because society will always exceed one's imagination, but only by sticking to his own principles will he not lose himself in this vast world.""So..." Having said this, Hugo finally paused and took a breath. "So I really want to be a part of this movie. No, I want to become Charlie, just like I wanted to become Neil back then."Hugo's long string of words was finally finished. He was panting slightly, not because he was tired, but because of excitement. He looked at the four interviewers in front of him with his sparkling eyes.Hugo knew that he had strived with all his might. The rest had to be left to the other party to decide. If he succeeded, he would cheer; if he failed, he would have no regrets.Looking at Hugo in front of him, Martin showed a big smile, but he didn't say anything to Hugo. Instead, he turned to look at the two partners on his left. "How about it, are you willing to bear such consequences?"Bo and Allen both knew what Martin meant. If they chose Hugo to play the role of Charlie, it meant they had to bear the serious negative impact brought by the 12th Golden Raspberry Awards.Although some time had passed since the Golden Raspberry Awards, once "scent of a woman" became Hugo's first work after "hudson hawk," it would inevitably become a huge target.This risk had to be borne by the entire team, including the director, producer, Screenwriter, and the production company.This was not easy; it required courage, a lot of, a lot of courage.It had to be said that from the moment Hugo walked in today, he had attracted the attention of everyone present and had convinced the heart of every interviewer in the most direct and sincere way.Bo shrugged and showed a smile. "As a Screenwriter, I vote in favor. After all, Universal Pictures hasn't been optimistic about this script since it started preparation, and even with Al's joining, nothing changed. Now, adding a little more burden doesn't mean anything to me."As the casting director, Allen ultimately had to serve the crew, so she naturally had no objections, let alone the fact that she had already nodded in agreement in her heart.Therefore, after receiving affirmation from the director, producer, and Screenwriter, Allen turned to look at the anxious Hugo in front of her, smiled, and said, "Hugo, your performance today was exceptionally brilliant. We are very grateful for your visit. If there is any news, we will notify you as soon as possible."Hugo was still waiting for what would come next, but Allen had already stood up and walked towards the door. Apparently, the interview was over.What? That was it? He had just heard that conversation and almost thought he was about to succeed, but now it seemed, no.One in three hundred—was breaking through really that difficult?
