Chapter 41: No State

The following days were calm and uneventful. That encounter with Tracy that night indeed did not result in anything, at least nothing that could affect the "Scent of a Woman" crew. Instead, it was Nicholas's behind-the-scenes article in the Los Angeles Times that sparked some discussion.

In this report, Nicholas slightly exaggerated Hugo's comments about the Golden Raspberry Awards, suggesting that Hugo was "defending" the Razzies. This kind of concept-twisting narrative quickly stirred heated discussion across major media outlets and gave the Los Angeles Times a pleasing boost in circulation. However, it also turned public scrutiny toward Hugo once again.

Strictly speaking, Nicholas's report did express quite a bit of admiration for Hugo, but in order to generate buzz, he deliberately highlighted the controversial parts. In the current climate of 1992 when the Golden Raspberry Awards had yet to be widely accepted by the public—this topic was particularly sensitive. The Academy types certainly didn't want to see a "Worst Actor" nominee being praised as a role model.

As a result, the discussion quickly split into two camps: one side supported Hugo's point of view, arguing that the Razzies were simply for public entertainment and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Going further, even the Golden Globes, the Oscars, etc., were entertainment spectacles—after all, this was the entertainment industry. The other side believed that Hugo was blurring the issue. Since the Razzies entertain the public by naming the worst films each year, the focus on "worst" should not be overlooked. Just because the show was entertaining didn't mean its message should be dismissed. It's just like how the Oscars, despite being entertainment, still carry undeniable authority—the same logic applies.

Whether Nicholas meant well or not, there was no denying that Hugo once again caught the spotlight. Naturally, attention for "Scent of a Woman" surged as well. The crew was delighted, and Martin even took a moment to praise Hugo, leaving Hugo both amused and helpless.

The filming of "Scent of a Woman" progressed very smoothly, and the New York scenes were soon approaching their end. The upcoming scene was the most explosive in the entire film, and also the most challenging of the New York shoots.

After arriving in New York,Charlie troubled and anxious due to his school issues was eager to return, and at the same time began to notice something was off with the Colonel. Then Charlie discovered the Colonel's plan to commit suicide. It turned out the Colonel believed his life had lost all meaning, so he intended to burn through all his savings, meet his estranged brother one last time, and then end his life. This realization left Charlie panicked and distraught, but unable to persuade the Colonel to change his mind. All he could do was try to make the Colonel happy.

This particular scene involved the Colonel preparing to go through with the suicide. He sent Charlie away from the hotel suite, changed into his military uniform, and prepared to shoot himself. But just as Charlie reached the hotel lobby, he sensed something was wrong and rushed back. Charlie tried to convince the Colonel to hand over the gun, but the stubborn Colonel refused and even threatened to kill Charlie first before taking his own life. With no other choice, Charlie risked using force to snatch the gun, sparking a physical altercation. Emotions exploded in that moment.

The first half of the scene, the persuasion part, took an entire morning for Hugo and Al to film. But the later portion, involving the physical struggle and emotional climax, ran into trouble—Hugo simply couldn't get into the right state. This was when the gap between Hugo and Al became glaringly obvious.

If Hugo's scene partner had been an actor of comparable skill, his performance might not have seemed so problematic. But unfortunately, the two couldn't generate enough chemistry to carry such an emotionally charged scene. Al's performance level was clearly several notches above Hugo's, and throughout the entire scene, Al held the reins, while Hugo's weaknesses were fully exposed. Lacking depth and emotional weight, Hugo's acting appeared feeble and hollow next to Al's explosive portrayal. As a result, the pivotal scene fell completely flat.

"Cut!" Martin's normally energetic voice had become utterly dejected, and there was a faint trace of frustration behind his expression.

Hearing Martin's shout, Hugo looked lost. Aside from muttering "Sorry," he didn't know what else to say. He himself could feel how terrible the performance had been—he'd probably feel embarrassed just watching the playback at the monitor.

"Hugo, you have to release all the emotions inside you, you understand? It's like you're a bomb exploding completely." It wasn't just Martin—Al was also getting anxious. He directly jumped in to explain the scene to Hugo. So far, they'd shot it seven times, two of which were due to issues on Al's part. But the other five were all because Hugo's performance couldn't meet the mark.

The most crucial point was that Hugo's mistakes weren't caused by unexpected circumstances. It was purely due to inadequate acting—he simply hadn't entered the character. That's what made it so frustrating.

Martin stood to the side with a bitter smile. He had already talked himself hoarse trying to help Hugo, but progress remained minimal. "Hugo, you must cry. Not tears of sadness or pain, but a release of your emotions," Martin repeated once more. In truth, he was normally a very calm and friendly person, but at this point, even Martin couldn't help growing impatient.

Martin did believe in Hugo's ability. Putting aside his impressive audition, Martin had seen Hugo's potential throughout the recent filming. But right now, Hugo didn't seem to know how to present it. That was the biggest problem. It wasn't a matter of talent or effort—it was more like he was missing an opportunity, or a spark of inspiration. That was what frustrated Martin the most: he didn't have the luxury of waiting for Hugo to slowly find his inspiration.

Faced with the bombardment from both Al and Martin, Hugo felt helpless. After hearing the director shout "Cut!" three times in a row, Hugo started to feel nervous, and the more the scenes were halted, the more pressure he felt building up inside. Only now did Hugo truly understand how tough the acting profession really was.

Becoming a pretty face wasn't hard. Becoming a competent actor wasn't that grueling either. But to become an outstanding actor was a long and difficult road. Hugo was now walking that thorn-covered path, and this was only the first obstacle—yet it already had him drenched in sweat.

At that moment, the staff members on set were showing more or less distracted expressions. For them, filming delays meant longer work hours today, which was not good news—no one welcomed that. However, they were all seasoned pros in the crew and had seen it all before. Still, since the one causing the delay was Hugo, it all seemed especially laughable.

Who was Hugo? Lately, whenever someone mentioned him, they would inevitably add "Razzie Award Winner for Worst Actor" before his name, often with a mocking "tearfully grateful" prefix to show their disdain. Such an actor, lacking in both acting skill and box office appeal, wasn't welcome by production companies or film crews—because he could seriously impact both the film's quality and the pace of shooting.

When Hugo joined the "Scent of a Woman" crew, just as the media said, no one was optimistic about his prospects. Hugo had disappointed people three times already, and a fourth seemed just around the corner. What's more, this time Hugo was up against Al Pacino—Al's brilliant performance only made Hugo's shortcomings more glaring.

The current scene only confirmed the media's concerns. Hugo was indeed no match for Al and was seriously affecting the filming schedule. Although the scene had only been shot seven times so far, it had already wasted three full hours. The entire morning, the crew had made almost no progress, stuck inside the luxury suite at the Waldorf Hotel, watching Hugo fall apart again and again in front of the camera.

In truth, the "Scent of a Woman" crew didn't have anything against Hugo, since he wasn't the lead—Al was. As a supporting actor, Hugo's impact on the production was minimal, and the crew wasn't particularly displeased with him. At most, they'd gossip about it. Moreover, once Hugo joined the crew, his cheerful personality helped him quickly get along with everyone, making his time on set quite enjoyable.

But today was different. Hugo wasn't just a regular guy he was an actor at work, and he wasn't doing his job well. His mistakes were now affecting the whole crew's progress. In this kind of situation, even friends might start to complain, let alone coworkers.

The crew couldn't help recalling Hugo's poor track record. Not only had he ruined three films in a row, but he'd also made a fool of himself at the Razzies. "Sigh, seems like this terrible performance wasn't just a fluke."

"You get used to it. We'll probably be stuck here all day."

"He's a decent guy as a person, but as an actor…"

"God knows how Martin and Ellen chose him. Was there some kind of backdoor deal?"

"Sigh, this is so frustrating. We've been trapped in this room the whole time, just watching him make stupid mistakes... I bet Martin's going to scold him for a while. I'm going out for a smoke."

"Me too." "I'm coming as well…"

The scattered whispers among the crew floated into Hugo's ears. Although they weren't outright scolding him, their doubts about his competence and acting ability were undeniable. However, at this moment, Hugo didn't have the energy to react to what they were saying—because standing before him were Al and Martin, both looking like disappointed mentors, trying to guide him with heartfelt patience, hoping to lead him down the right path and finish this scene properly. Hugo had to refocus and dive back into understanding this scene.

But… he just wasn't in the right state. His mind was almost completely blank.

.....

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