Hollywood: From Razzie to Legend

"I'm just curious since the crew already had Tom Cruise as their first choice, and Tom doesn't seem to have declined yet, right? Then why did the crew seriously consider it when Jack suggested me?" Hugo was more interested in this point. Having personally experienced the chaos stirred up by Tracy Jacobs, Hugo knew that if there wasn't some special push behind the scenes, the crew would definitely choose Tom over him.

"Because they saw your outstanding acting talent." Alex, who had gone back to the room to look for pen and paper, returned and couldn't help speaking up. Noticing Joseph and Hugo both looking at him, Alex showed an embarrassed smile. "Sorry for interrupting your conversation. But I think, Hugo, your talent absolutely surpasses Tom Cruise's. It's absolutely wise of them to choose you."

Alex's words made Hugo laugh. Alex truly had a fan mindset steadfastly believing Hugo could handle any role. That kind of confidence was rare and precious.

Seeing Alex raise his hand as a sign he was about to leave, Joseph spoke up, "It's okay, you can stay. This isn't really a secret anyway." Although they had only just met today, Alex's friendliness came without any conditions, and Joseph didn't mind this loyal Hugo fan too much. Besides, it really wasn't a secret no need to be secretive.

Without looking at the excited expression on Alex's face, Joseph continued to explain, "Actually, Alex got part of it right. When Jack mentioned that you might be a good lead, Columbia Pictures immediately took notice you were that young guy who stole all the thunder from Basic Instinct at Final Analysis's premiere. They felt your temperament was fresh and sunny yet righteous indeed very suitable for the male lead in this project."

Hugo didn't quite understand at first. "Wait, how is Columbia Pictures involved in this?"

"This film is financed by Columbia Pictures. Their production Basic Instinct had its spotlight stolen by you at the premiere, so of course they noticed you." Joseph explained simply, which left Hugo somewhat dumbfounded. If Ron found out about this, his reaction would definitely be more than just lightly surprised.

Hugo had never expected that attending a Warner Bros. premiere would get him noticed by Columbia Pictures and invited to audition. No wonder Joseph had insisted so much on getting Hugo to attend that premiere aside from exposure and positive image, this kind of hidden follow-up effect was the most precious and important part.

"Also, Columbia Pictures has been in talks with Tom, but nothing has been finalized. I heard it's an issue of salary. So Columbia is making backup plans," Joseph added. That's why Jack suggested an actor to the crew. Otherwise, if the crew hadn't been considering other suitable options, then no matter how good Hugo was, Jack wouldn't have thought of recommending him. "Besides you, they've found a few backup candidates not many, maybe three or four. They'll see how the auditions go, and as for the outcome…"

Hugo nodded. Although Joseph didn't spell it out, he understood very clearly, "The outcome is not in our hands."

This audition was different. Hugo definitely needed to give his all, otherwise it would be a loss even before the battle began. But the issue was, no matter how outstanding his performance, if Tom and Columbia Pictures came to an agreement, the crew would undoubtedly choose Tom Cruise. So, aside from doing his best, Hugo could only hope that Tom and Columbia couldn't reach a consensus.

Hugo took a deep breath. "In any case, I have to do my best at the audition first."

Joseph nodded slightly. Hugo clearly saw the whole picture. Standing nearby, Alex also said excitedly, "Don't worry, Hugo! You'll definitely get the role! I believe in you!"

Hugo couldn't help but laugh at Alex's confident tone it seemed Alex had more faith in him than he did himself. "By the way, what's the name of the movie? And the audition when is it?"

"A Few Good Men With budget of 30 million dollars" . Joseph's words got Hugo's mind spinning, but the next sentence stunned him. "As for the audition, they'd like to have dinner with you tonight."

"Tonight?" Hugo really hadn't expected things to move so quickly. But thinking back, when he first crossed over, he was rushed into auditioning for A River Runs Through It the very next day. But to go straight to an audition today it still felt too sudden. "What about the script?"

Joseph shook his head. "No performance required maybe the audition is just casual conversation." In fact, audition formats varied greatly. Not every audition gave actors scripts in advance. Sometimes actors were asked to improvise, other times they were handed a script on the spot and asked to read a few lines.

But compared to auditions where you could prepare in advance, this kind of uncertain audition made people even more uneasy because without preparation, it tested an actor's true skill.

Hugo let out a light breath. "Well, at least I won't keep wondering what the scene would look like if Tom acted it." A joke that made both Joseph and Alex smile.

On the other hand, Hugo was recalling the movie A Few Good Men. He had watched it once before, though it didn't leave a deep impression. He only remembered it was a classic courtroom drama that had been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Jack Nicholson's performance in the movie was absolutely legendary, earning him yet another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

A Few Good Men starred Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, and the director Rob Reiner was also very well-known. Just one film When Harry Met Sally was enough to make him unforgettable. If Hugo remembered correctly, this film had done well at the box office back in the day. The cast was just too strong. The two male leads needed no introduction, and Demi Moore had just risen to A-list status thanks to Ghost, so her box office appeal couldn't be underestimated.

In fact, more than the plot, cast, or awards, what left the deepest impression on Hugo was the film's screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

As a screenwriter, Aaron was the creator of the iconic series The West Wing. Later, in 2010, he reached the peak of his career when his socially significant screenplay The Social Network won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

It was after watching The Social Network that Hugo became interested in Aaron, and only then did he discover A Few Good Men, which was Aaron's screenwriting debut. The film was met with widespread acclaim it was truly a sensational debut.

Recalling the basic information of A Few Good Men in his mind, Hugo couldn't help but sigh softly. He didn't remember much of the plot, just some scattered fragments. When he had previously auditioned for A River Runs Through It and Scent of a Woman, Hugo had subconsciously mimicked the original actors' performances, then presented them in his own way based on his understanding, achieving impressive results. Simply put, he had relied on imitation. But now, Hugo couldn't clearly recall Tom Cruise's performance in A Few Good Men, so continuing to imitate wouldn't be as easy.

But then he thought, during the filming of Scent of a Woman, he had already been working hard to rid himself of imitative traces, striving to interpret the role in his own style. Although Hugo had only truly exploded once during the scene opposite Al, and then returned to his usual self, clearly not achieving a real breakthrough

But at the very least, Hugo had successfully begun to explore something of his own, even if it was just touching the threshold. If he had the opportunity to shoot A Few Good Men again, perhaps Hugo could continue to explore his acting, deepen his understanding of performance, and seek a real breakthrough. Who knows, this might just be a great opportunity!

At that thought, Hugo suddenly realized if he could land this acting opportunity, then he would have the chance to act opposite Jack Nicholson!

Jack is undoubtedly one of the greatest American actors, on the same level as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Dustin Hoffman, with an indisputable place in the long course of film history. Purely in terms of Oscars, by the time Hugo had crossed over in 2014, Jack had received a total of twelve acting nominations and ultimately won three Oscars two for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor making him the most successful male actor in Oscar history.

Leaving all that aside, the iconic roles Jack has created throughout film history are countless. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of Hugo's favorite works, and in A Few Good Men, what impressed Hugo most was Jack's cunning, ruthless, and brilliant performance.

Working with Jack Nicholson after Al Pacino? Just imagining it made Hugo feel electrified. Although the challenge was immense, the opportunity to break through in acting was without a doubt more attractive to Hugo.

So even knowing that the chances of landing this audition were slim, and even knowing that he would be going up against the ever-popular Tom Cruise, Hugo still hoped he could get the role. A rare sense of confidence welled up in his heart more determined than ever!

Excitement and nerves made Hugo feel a bit lost. "But, dinner is tonight. So, what do I do now?" Hugo looked around at the empty room and the still-unopened boxes, suddenly feeling at a complete loss.

Joseph looked equally troubled things weren't much better upstairs. But this opportunity for A Few Good Men had come so suddenly and so fiercely. As the passive party, they didn't have many options.

At that moment, Alex, standing to the side, suddenly raised an extremely mood-killing question. "Hey, Hugo, can I ask what's your weight?"

.....

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