When filming for "Scent of a Woman" wrapped up in early March, after almost six weeks of shooting, New York's icy winter was gradually being replaced by spring. Hollywood had also returned to calm after the excitement of the Grammy and Oscars. After experiencing some turbulence and vagrancy, Hugo finally adjusted to his life after time-traveling in the film.
After returning to Los Angeles from New York, Hugo finally had some breathing time. However, using the word "breathing" was inaccurate because Hugo had no work on hand. With his current reputation and without Tracey's help, it was almost impossible for a script to voluntarily knock on his door. Although Joseph could continue to seek audition opportunities for Hugo, finding another "Scent of a Woman" was not an easy task. It was more practical to wait for the media's reaction after the film's release before seeking new work.
Of course, this approach also had risks. If "Scent of a Woman" was unsuccessful, or if Hugo's performance did not receive approval from critics, his acting career would likely continue to decline. As Hugo's agent, Joseph had to come up with some solutions. Especially now that the post-production of "Scent of a Woman" had just begun, it was up to Universal Pictures to decide when the movie would be released. There was at least half a year of downtime in between, and if Hugo remained idle at home, they would soon run out of resources.
However, the problem returned to the original point: with Hugo's current reputation, he would not have any work voluntarily knock on his door. After thinking for a long time, Joseph finally decided to start with small things to increase Hugo's exposure and see if he could bring in work beyond the film, such as guest-starring in TV dramas or performing in programs.
Joseph had been busy before returning to Los Angeles, and he continued to be busy after returning, but it seemed that the progress was not going smoothly.
Seeing Hugo hang up the phone, Joseph hesitated for a long time before making a decision. However, he did not say it immediately. Instead, he asked, "What's wrong? Still no one's picking up?" Hugo frowned and nodded.
Since that night with Charlize, Hugo went to New York immediately, and threw himself into the shooting of "Scent of a Woman". He almost forgot about Charlize, and they had no contact for over a month.
After returning to Los Angeles, Hugo wanted to ask Charlize out for dinner since she was his only friend in the city. However, he called her three times, and nobody answered. He began to wonder if Charlize had moved away. But then he realized that Charlize was a model, and February and March were one of the busiest seasons for models. So he thought it was not surprising that she was not available. Hugo also felt the inconvenience of the early 1990s when there were no cell phones or computers, making communication difficult.
Putting aside Charlize's matter for now, Hugo turned to Joseph and asked, "Never mind, let's talk about it another day. What's up? Aren't you going out today?" Since returning to Los Angeles, Joseph had been busy running around frequently.
Joseph hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm planning to see Ron. Do you want to come along?" After much struggle, Joseph decided to seek Ron's help. Joseph had limited connections in the industry, and even with the company's resources, it was not easy to find Hugo a suitable exposure opportunity.
After some twists and turns, Joseph found out that Ron had a suitable movie premiere for Hugo to attend. Although Joseph was very reluctant to ask Ron for help because he was afraid that if Hugo listened to Ron, all of his hard work would go to waste, and the future would be uncertain.
But after careful consideration, Joseph knew that he did everything for Hugo's benefit, hoping that Hugo could get out of his current predicament and seek development. Of course, his success as a manager was also essential. So if seeking Ron's help could achieve this goal, Joseph felt that he should try his best because he knew that this was what a manager should do. Joseph was gradually becoming a qualified agent.
Hugo had heard of Ron Meyer for a long time but had never met him. After coming here, Hugo only had two friends he actively got to know: Charlize and Leonardo. But he couldn't contact Charlize, and after "Scent of a Woman", he had no chance to meet with Leonardo again. The recent film crew, on the other hand, got along very well. So Hugo thought that he should be more proactive and try to adapt to life here since he had already traveled through time.
Therefore, Hugo nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together."
Hugo's straightforward answer made Joseph sigh inwardly. It seemed that Hugo's trust in Ron had not completely disappeared. Joseph thought that things would be different after winning the Golden Raspberry Award, but... He quickly adjusted his mentality. After all, he had voluntarily asked Hugo if he wanted to go. There was no need to keep dwelling on it.
"Why do you want to see Ron? Is there something going on?" Hugo asked curiously. He only knew some simple things about Ron, Joseph, and his predecessor, but he didn't know the specifics. However, this did not prevent Hugo from making judgments: his current agent was Joseph, and he had no interests tied to Ron, nor were they friends, so it seemed unnecessary to meet.
Joseph didn't answer, but led the way out of the house, with Hugo following closely behind. They closed the door and walked downstairs together. Then Hugo heard Joseph muttering ahead, "Going to talk about a job."
Hugo rolled his eyes, not quite understanding what Joseph meant. Joseph was his agent, so why did he have to go to Ron for work? Was it because Ron's artists had jobs they could offer him? Hugo was originally curious and wanted to ask, but then he saw Joseph's serious expression and decided to keep quiet.
Looking at the white Volkswagen Golf in front of him, although Hugo strongly suspected it would fall apart the first time he rode in it, after riding it for a while, he actually thought it was pretty good. You should know that in the 21st century, there were people who were keen on collecting antique cars. When the retro trend was at its peak, owning a car with such a characteristic of the times was also a reflection of taste. Now Hugo was sitting in this car and had a sense of coolness - except for the occasional jolt from the shaking.
Thinking about his upcoming visit to ICM for the first time, Hugo's curiosity began to rise again. However, he couldn't ask Joseph about it, so he could only ponder it in his own mind. He didn't know what one of the top three talent agencies in the United States would look like, whether it would be magnificent or spectacular...
Crossing over Beverly Hills, heading southwest along Santa Monica Boulevard, you could see Century City, the most densely populated residential community in Los Angeles. Constellation Boulevard was located in the middle of Century Park, surrounded by lush greenery. Many artists had chosen to live here - it was not as expensive as the housing in Beverly Hills, nor was it far from the center of Hollywood, and the surrounding community facilities were even more perfect.
The international innovation management company is going to set up its headquarters on Constellation Avenue. It takes less than a quarter of an hour to drive from Joseph's residence to the company, which is quite close. This road passes through Beverly Hills and Century City, and many artists gather around, making it very convenient for the company's business to expand.
Joseph turned the car into Constellation Avenue, and Hugo soon saw a towering glass building, estimated to be at least thirty floors high. It was obviously an office building, but there was no name around the building. Hugo couldn't help but speculate, "Is the whole building owned by ICM?"
"Yes." Joseph said simply and clearly, leaving Hugo's mouth still open.
Hugo originally thought that he had a deep enough understanding of the company, but now it seems that ICM was much larger than he imagined. As the top brokerage company in the United States, the business and artists under ICM were definitely much bigger than Hugo imagined.
However, Joseph did not notice Hugo's strangeness. He skillfully drove the car into the parking lot, and then took Hugo into the elevator. The elevator flew directly up, and finally stopped on the twenty-third floor.
After entering the floor, Hugo kept looking around the busy scene. In fact, there was no difference between here and any ordinary company. The office space was mainly composed of transparent glass offices, and there was a corner for assistants outside. Other than that, there was nothing unusual.
"What, so curious, as if you have never been here before?" Joseph saw Hugo's appearance and said casually.
Hugo suddenly realized that he had relaxed his guard again, but this time he was not nervous. "No, it's just been a long time since I've been here, and I feel like there are some new faces here." He had been here for almost two months since he crossed over. Personnel changes during such a long time were normal, and this was especially true in the entertainment industry where people jumped ship frequently, even behind the scenes.
Joseph nodded in agreement. Immediately, Joseph stopped at the door of an office, and Hugo guessed that this should be Ron Meyer's office, but Joseph stood at the door and asked the assistant next to him, "Excuse me, who are you?"