Undercurrents

Alex was about five feet ten inches tall, and although he was somewhat thin, his features were not of the sharp, chiseled type. However, his cute baby face always wore a smile, which made people easily develop a good impression of him.

"So, you're saying that you left your job at the bank and came to Los Angeles to pursue acting because I inspired you to love performing?" Hugo looked at Alex, who was extremely excited, with disbelief.

At this moment, Alex still couldn't suppress his excitement. He sat five steps away from Hugo as if he was afraid that getting too close would wake him up from his beautiful dream. Joy overflowed from his face, and his gesturing was even more dazzling. "Yes. We always have to try new things, don't we? Life is too short. If we don't have real dreams, that's too pitiful."

Hugo admired Alex. Although he and his bandmates ran away from home ten years ago, they were just young and reckless kids with only a fervent passion. In the time they spent struggling in society, if Hugo said he never regretted it, that would be a lie. He even considered whether his life would be much easier if he followed his family's path.

Alex, on the other hand, gave up his stable job at the bank and resolutely left his hometown to pursue an uncertain acting career. This kind of courage is not something that anyone can have. What's even more surprising was that Alex was inspired by Hugo - who was currently only considered a second-tier actor in Hollywood. It was almost unbelievable.

For the first time, Hugo became curious about his past self. It could be imagined how talented his past self was, and how he created his own world in the acting industry. He could soar to great heights at any moment. He wasn't just a vase; he also had unlimited potential in acting. If given enough time, perhaps he could become an outstanding top actor. However, the shackles of life cut off all possibilities.

"So, have you found a suitable job now?" Hugo looked at the sunny and frank Alex in front of him, and he easily developed a good impression of him. This was a very affable young man, and his smile easily put people at ease.

Alex shrugged helplessly, but still had a smile on his face and didn't look discouraged. "I haven't had a job for two months. I've guest-starred in small roles in some TV shows before, such as "Hunter" and "Wiseguy", but there hasn't been anything since then. Does that mean they're not satisfied with my performance?"

Looking at Alex's lively expression, Hugo was amused. He had also gone through this stage before, but supporting roles or extras did not have much value to the crew. Even if it was you who played the role this time, changing to another actor next time would not make any difference, as it did not require much acting skills. Therefore, if you want to get more opportunities, you must establish good relationships with the crew, such as producers, screenwriters, and production assistants, so that you will have a chance to appear again in the future. This is the breeding ground for opportunities and rules. For new actors, opportunities are too important.

"Maybe your way of performing was too avant-garde, and they didn't understand it," Hugo said seriously, and Alex pondered it seriously, while Joseph standing next to them was struggling to hold back his laughter.

"Oh, by the way, I live in the room inside. Is it okay?"

"Of course, of course," Alex immediately jumped up like a spring and then bounced towards the inside of the corridor, shouting, "It's right across from the bathroom, but it's not damp, and the lighting is also very good." He vigorously recommended the room inside to Hugo.

Hugo pursed his lips and thought seriously, then said to Joseph, "Should I be worried that he'll come on to me at night?"

This serious question almost made Joseph burst out laughing. "You can sort out your luggage here. I'll go upstairs first. Karl is also about to arrive," Joseph patted Hugo's shoulder and showed a "Good luck" expression, then left the third floor in a leisurely manner.

"Hugo, do you need to add some furniture? I know there is a second-hand furniture market nearby with lots of things..." Alex walked out of the room again and stood in the corridor, asking loudly. However, he hesitated halfway through and asked tentatively, "Or do you prefer to buy brand-new furniture?"

Alex realized that what he liked did not necessarily mean that Hugo liked it. Even if he lived in a shared apartment, Hugo might still insist on his protagonist posture, such as choosing new and luxurious furniture. This made Alex hesitate.

Hugo looked at Alex's sincere and apprehensive expression and showed a big smile. "Second-hand furniture is an excellent choice. I need to buy a lot of things, so I may have to go to this market several times. If you have time, you can take me there once. After I recognize the way, I can go by myself."

Sharing an apartment means having to face roommate relationship issues. Although it is not necessary for roommates to become close friends, it is important to not be self-centered because living in the same space will inevitably involve differences in living habits. If one does not know how to compromise and adapt, sharing an apartment can become a disaster.

Alex's friendliness and enthusiasm, although a bit overwhelming, did not make Hugo feel uncomfortable. He was also willing to show his own friendliness.

Indeed, upon hearing Hugo's affirmative answer, Alex's face immediately broke into a smile. "Don't worry, I can accompany you a few times and help you move some heavy things," he said. Alex's previous worries were only momentary, and he quickly regained his usual sunny and outgoing personality. "Come on, take a look at what's needed in the room. Oh, right, there's also the living room and kitchen. There are too few furnishings here now. We can make a list and go to the market together."

Just as Hugo was thinking about what furniture he should buy to fill up the place, Joseph's voice could be heard from the door, "Hugo, Hugo!"

"Here, in the room," Hugo replied loudly, but his gaze remained on his empty room. Except for the mattress, there was no furniture at all. Several large moving boxes were still unopened, but the problem was that even if Hugo opened them now, there was no place to put anything. It would be better to leave them unopened like this.

Upon hearing Joseph's footsteps entering the room, Hugo said, "Alex said there's a second-hand furniture market nearby. Should we go today and see if there's any furniture? Otherwise, we have nowhere to put our things."

"We'll talk about that later." Joseph's breath was a bit uneven, which surprised Hugo as he turned his head to see Joseph constantly gasping for air. It looked like he had been running down from the fourth floor. "I, I just got a call from Bo." Here, he was referring to Bo Goldman, the screenwriter of "Scent of a Woman".

"Are there still scenes to be re-shot in post-production?" This was Hugo's first reaction. After all, the film had only wrapped up less than half a month ago, and post-production definitely would not end that quickly. "Or has Universal Pictures confirmed the release date?"

Joseph shook his head. He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "Bo has introduced you to a job, or more accurately, an audition opportunity."

Hugo suddenly became interested. Could it be that his luck was really turning around recently? He had originally thought he would be unemployed for a while after "Scent of a Woman", but now, after the unexpected success of the premiere of "Final Analysis", he had even received an invitation to audition. The aftermath of the Razzie seemed to have finally passed, and Hugo's acting career was gradually showing a promising situation.

"Well, you see, both Bo and Martin praised your performance on the set of "Scent of a Woman", and then Bo mentioned it to Jack Nicholson." Bo Goldman had previously worked with Jack Nicholson on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", and the two were good friends. "Jack also asked Al about you, and Al seems to have said a lot of good things about you to him. Now Jack is preparing for a new project that is about to start shooting, but the male lead has not been confirmed yet."

"Isn't Jack playing the male lead?" Hugo couldn't help but interrupt Joseph's question. Jack Nicholson was still one of America's best actors, and there was no problem with him playing the male lead. What kind of work could actually make Jack want to play a supporting role?

"He thinks there is more room for development in the supporting role, and his age is more suitable for a supporting role. Anyway, the male lead has not been completely confirmed yet." Joseph said simply and quickly. "The crew is currently negotiating with Tom Cruise, but the contract has not been finalized, so Jack recommended you to the crew, thinking that you might be suitable for the male lead."

"Tom Cruise?" Hugo realized how rare this opportunity was when he heard this name, but at the same time, he also realized how difficult it was.

Tom Cruise was currently at the peak of his career. Since he played in "Top Gun" in 1986, he had become an American idol. "Rain Man" and "Born on the Fourth of July" were both hugely successful, and the latter even earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. It could be said that he was in the golden period of his acting career.

"What's wrong? Don't you have confidence?" Joseph heard Hugo's voice full of doubt and thought that Hugo didn't have enough confidence in this competition.

But Hugo shook his head and showed a brilliant smile. "Before the producer makes a decision, everyone has a chance, including me, right? You see, now the opportunity has come knocking."