Only now did Hugo truly realize how powerful his talent agency was.
In early 1990s Hollywood, there were only three top-tier talent agencies: the oldest and strongest William Morris Agency (WMA), along with two rising stars—Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and International Creative Management (ICM). These three were the only agencies bold enough to charge a 10% commission, a testament to their prowess.
In essence, a talent agency's responsibility was to leverage its connections to provide clients with intermediary services and earn profit by taking a commission from their clients' pay. The stronger the agency, the richer its resources and the wider its network, which naturally led to more abundant work opportunities and greater prospects for the client. The fact that these three agencies dared to charge 10% was proof of their unmatched capabilities.
Before signing with a talent agency, rookie actors in the U.S. could rely on the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to act as unions. These organizations not only provided abundant job opportunities but would also arrange agents to assist with contract signings when needed—all with the core goal of protecting the actors' interests.
Hugo's very first project, "Diner," came through the help of the Screen Actors Guild. Afterward, he was brought to International Creative Management (ICM) by Ron Meyer. To be fair, Ron had real skills—he pushed Hugo step by step into the spotlight as a rising acting star, which eventually paid off with "Dead Poets Society."
The following three films—"Desperate Hours," "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane," and "Hudson Hawk"—certainly had Tracy's influence, but Ron's role as an agent was even more critical. Unfortunately, all three films flopped unexpectedly, which was truly disheartening.
Just before "Hudson Hawk" was released, Hugo's contract with Ron expired. Ron then transferred Hugo's representation to Joseph, still within ICM, but clearly a step down in terms of rank. Hudson Hawk's failure ultimately confirmed Ron's foresight.
One could say that Hugo being cast as Charlie in "Scent of a Woman" was thanks in no small part to Joseph and the agency behind him—ICM.
For the first time, Hugo felt truly lucky. Having lived through everything himself, he understood just how crucial it was to have a powerful agency and an outstanding agent. This was also the first time he genuinely appreciated the benefits of inheriting his predecessor's legacy—aside from, of course, the handsome appearance.
Speaking of talent agencies, Hugo suddenly remembered the girl he had met earlier—Charlize. He had been so focused on preparing for the "Scent of a Woman" audition over the past few days that he had completely forgotten about her.
"Joseph, let me ask you something. Do you know an agent by the name of… uh…" Hugo wrinkled his brows, racking his brain to recall the name of that agent, but no matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't come.
Joseph stood off to the side watching Hugo's pained expression with no reaction whatsoever. After a while, Hugo had no choice but to give up and began rummaging around for the agent's business card. But he couldn't even remember where he'd put it.
Joseph had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as he sat down on the mattress, watching Hugo turn the whole place upside down—first checking his own pockets and wallet, then the jackets in his wardrobe, followed by the nightstand and his desk. Finally, Hugo smacked his forehead and flipped open his Scent of a Woman script. Sure enough, he found a stiff little card tucked inside and instantly lit up with delight. "Oh, I remember now! His name is Kal El!"
That was Superman's real name, but since Hugo didn't know much about American comics, he hadn't made the connection through memory association.
Hearing Hugo's declaration, Joseph couldn't hold it in anymore—he rolled his eyes. Seriously? That's not remembering. You literally just read the name off the card. You couldn't even remember where you put the card in the first place…
"Joseph, do you know him? He said he's an agent with ICM," Hugo asked excitedly, walking up to Joseph and handing over the business card.
Looking at the enthusiasm and confusion on Hugo's face, it was clear he hadn't even realized how scatterbrained he was being. Joseph could only sigh inwardly as he accepted the card.
"There's definitely a Kal El at our agency. We all call him Superman." Clearly, that name worked better for Americans.
Joseph glanced at the card and nodded. "Yeah, this is his card. What's up?" He suddenly had a thought, and his brows furrowed as he scrutinized Hugo. "Don't tell me… he handed you his card and told you that you have acting potential?" If that were the case, it'd be a real joke. Hugo had already starred as the male lead in three films. If an agent couldn't recognize that and mistook him for an average person, it'd be quite the blunder.
Hugo quickly understood what Joseph was getting at and waved his hands. "No, no, it wasn't me. It's a model friend I just met. Kal thought she had real acting potential and gave her his card. But I wasn't sure if he was legit or just some scammer. When I saw he's from our agency, I figured I'd ask you."
Joseph nodded in sudden realization. "Kal joined the agency around the same time I did. He's actually doing worse than me right now. At least I've got you under my wing," Joseph didn't add that Hugo's current situation wasn't exactly great either, "but Kal used to manage two actors, and both turned out poorly. They ended up firing him. Now he doesn't have any clients left, so he's back to scouting on the streets."
"Fired?" Hugo raised his eyebrows. He suddenly realized that a agent was actually just a hired assistant. He was the real boss, and the agent worked for him. Of course, an excellent agent could bring more opportunities to an actor, thereby earning the actor's trust in return. So, it worked both ways.
Joseph felt a bit uneasy under Hugo's meaningful gaze. Hugo had never really trusted him—despite Joseph being his agent, Hugo had repeatedly bypassed him to consult with Ron. On the surface, Ron gave a few suggestions—which Joseph felt were completely irresponsible—but behind the scenes,Ron had warned Joseph more than once: "Keep your actor under control. I don't work for free." Then Ron even took a cut of Joseph's salary as a consultation fee to settle the matter. Now, hearing Hugo say this, Joseph quickly averted his eyes and replied stiffly, "That's an actor's right."
Hugo was a little confused. He had only made a lighthearted joke, and Joseph didn't seem like someone who couldn't take a joke. So why was he acting so serious now? Hugo chuckled twice, "But our partnership is just getting on the right track—it's our honeymoon period, right? That kind of thing won't happen."
The mention of a "honeymoon period" made Joseph roll his eyes dramatically, but his serious expression eased a little. A faint, almost imperceptible smile even appeared at the corners of his mouth. "The success of Scent of a Woman is indeed something worth celebrating."
"Joseph, what do you think of Kal? Should my friend give him a call? Or should I just introduce her to you instead?" Hugo said as he thought it over. The top-tier agent usually had more than one actor under them. If he introduced Charlize to Joseph, it should be perfectly fine.
Hearing Hugo's words, Joseph's expression finally relaxed for real. Hugo was willing to introduce a friend to him—that meant Hugo trusted him. That was progress. "Oh, Kal's a really nice guy. He takes his work very seriously and is someone you can trust." Joseph knew that he wasn't yet capable of managing two actors at once, so if Hugo's friend could sign with Kal, that would be a good outcome.
"Then why did the previous two actors leave?" Hugo didn't hold back and voiced his thoughts directly.
Joseph didn't try to hide anything either—these things could be easily found out around the company. "Kal is a very serious person. He expects his actors to fully commit to every job. Because of that, his personality can be a bit stubborn, which often leads to conflicts."
Hugo nodded. He could picture it—Kal seemed like a very particular guy. That kind of personality could be a liability in interpersonal relationships. But once he got the job done, the results would likely be more outstanding than others.
"Also," Joseph continued, "Kal has always believed that overnight fame isn't hard to achieve. With the right timing and a bit of luck, it can happen. But fame earned through shortcuts and calculated moves doesn't last. Even if you become famous overnight, the path forward still depends on your own strength—otherwise, you'll just be a pretty face with a short shelf life." Joseph glanced at Hugo. "So, you know, not everyone can accept that kind of thinking."
Indeed, many people came to Hollywood with dreams of instant stardom. Kal, on the other hand, kept telling them to start from the bottom and work hard. That was naturally off-putting to many. The saying "honest advice is hard to take" seemed quite fitting here.
In Hugo's eyes, Kal actually seemed like a very capable agent—at the very least, he genuinely cared about his actors. Maybe it was because Kal hadn't reached the peak of the industry yet and hadn't been corrupted by profit-driven rules. The question was whether he could maintain this personality over time. If he could, then he'd be a rare gem in the industry.
"So, are you willing to introduce your friend to Kal?" Joseph asked casually, though he was actually a little nervous inside. From a certain angle, he and Kal were quite similar. Otherwise, the two of them wouldn't still be in such poor shape even after more than a year in the business. So, Hugo's recognition of Kal was also, in a way, a recognition of Joseph himself—which meant a lot to him.
But Hugo wasn't thinking that deeply. He simply nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world and said, "Of course. Why not?" Hearing those words, the tension in Joseph's expression quietly melted away, replaced by a faint sense of joy. Hugo, ever the oblivious one, didn't notice a thing. He kept talking, "I should give Charlize a call…"
...
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