Actor Hugo Diego Garcia wins Big with the Dramatic Film “Tony”
It’s not everyday, year or even decade that we come across a talent that is as raw, captivating and refreshing as that of Hugo Diego Garcia. His diverse range means that every time he hits the screen we meet somebody different, all traces of Hugo disappear as he fully embodies his character. Giving fresh and unpredictable performances, Hugo seamlessly pull us into each story. With him on the screen, it becomes all too easy to forget that we are watching an actor.
Born and raised in Oyonnax, France in what he refers to as ‘a small city lost in the mountains’ Hugo was born to a Spanish father and an Italian mother, the result of which has given him an ethnically ambiguous appeal that is gorgeous, but more importantly in terms of his career, his unique appearance is what allows him to effortlessly take on characters from various ethnicities and cultures.
Earlier this year Hugo wowed audiences and film festival judges across the globe with his riveting starring performance in the dramatic film “Tony,” for which he earned seven Best Actor Awards, as well as numerous others from festivals around the world.
During an interview with Spietati earlier this year, famedItalian directors Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo named “Tony” as one of their “10 Best Movies of the Year.”
“It meant a lot because I admire their work so much and it came as a total surprise,” explains Hugo. “‘Tony’ will always have a special place for me because it’s about my dad and it’s my first movie as a director.”
“Tony” is evocative, layered, fast-paced and impossible to turn away from — Hugo Diego Garcia is impossible to turn away from. Taking place in France in the 80’s, the story follows Hugo’s character Tony, a rebellious teenager whose violent upbringing coupled with being made to feel like an outsider as an immigrant in the country he was born in, leads him to find camaraderie amongst a group of violent street kids, who often go too far.
Tony’s real name in the story is Vincent Medina, however his passion for dancing and the way he mimics the moves of John Travolta’s character Tony Manero in “Saturday Night Fever” earns him the nickname ‘Tony.’ Hugo definitely does not disappoint with the way he moves in the film either. It’s easy to see that Hugo is also boxer off-screen, as he knows how to move his body perfectly and when it comes to fighting he has it down.
The descendant of a Spaniard family headed by an abusive patriarch, Tony is caught in a constant struggle as he tries to balance two worlds — one where his affinity for violence and his need to fight back against the racist society that surrounds him makes sense, and the second being his strong inner morality. Though he manages to maintain his morals by exercising them within the confines of his intimate group of unruly friends, the film begs the question of whether this will be enough to keep on the ‘straight and narrow’ in the long run.
Hugo’s knock-out performance leads us to simultaneously fall in love with Tony and admire his struggle while also cringing at his poor choices and crossing our fingers that he’ll come to his senses and choose a path that will lead him towards a brighter future.
When asked what he hopes audiences take away from the story, Hugo explained, “That violence leads to more violence and once you put a foot in that door, there’s rarely a way out. That violence and abuses on children messes with them forever. That friends can be a second family. And that one can’t deny their heritage and roots.”
Putting on a performance as powerful as the one Hugo gave in “Tony” is a feat brilliant enough in itself, but to have directed the project as well, that says even more about what a rarely gifted talent he is.
About playing both the titular role, as well as being the director, Hugo says, “It’s the ultimate challenge because you’re always running, controlling everything and well, you can’t be behind and in front of the camera at the same time so you have to trust, delegate, and be prepared. It’s more challenging, but ultimately more rewarding because it gives you control.”
Clearly Hugo Diego Garcia was more than up to the challenge as the film “Tony” did astonishingly well on the film festival circuit. Earning 21 awards and seven nominations so far, the film has been lauded with awards from the European Cinematography Awards, Falcon International Film Festival, Feel The Reel International Film Festival, Festigious International Film Festival, Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Awards, The Monthly Film Festival, and Top Shorts Film Festival — many of which were directly received by Hugo in praise of his stellar performance.
He says, “They’re all really appreciated but I’d say my two favorite are the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival award for Best Actor of the year and the Best Actor of the Year from Top Short because of the volume of competition and the reviews and critics who totally got the character I was portraying.”
With an incredible range, flawless performances and captivating looks, not too mention the fact that he speaks several languages, it’s not at all surprising that Hugo is managed by industry heavyweight Luber Roklin Entertainment, which also reps Hayden Christianson and Sean Aston, as well as Global Artists, which serves as his talent agency.
Over the past few years Hugo has given a number of captivating performances in other films including “Imago” and “Cagnolino,” as well as the music videos for Malo Garcia’s “Fracture” and “Entitas.” In fact, Hugo’s work as both the lead actor and director on the music video for “Fracture” was so powerful that festivals around the world took major notice.
The video is set in a reversed world where minorities hold the power and the “white” people of the world experience widespread oppression. While Hugo’s character, the lead, is part of the minority group now in power, he is starkly aware of the fact that his group is guilty of reproducing the same social constructs and oppressive tactics that they experienced whilst marginalized. When they’ve gone too far, Hugo’s character is forced to make a choice.
“Hugo is very cerebral and brought nuances, layers, and depth to every character he plays,” explains cinematographer Ruperto Luis Sanchez, who worked with Hugo on both “Tony” and “Fracture.”
“The two roles, although different, needed subtle elements that only Hugo could bring to life. The intensity of the character in ‘Tony’ and how tormented the character is made it very difficult for any performers.”
Hugo’s gripping performance and overall work on “Fracture” earned numerous awards from the Alternative Film Festival, Direct Monthly Online Film Festival, Feel The Reel International Film Festival, LA Shorts Awards, Lionshead Film Festival, The Monthly Film Festival, and Woodengate International Film Festival.
Among numerous other acting projects, one of Hugo Diego Garcia’s upcoming projects that is due for release later this year is “Death Before Mourning” directed By Ruperto Luis Sanchez.
Sanchez says, “After seeing his work and collaborating with Hugo on several projects, I had no doubt he would be the best fit for the lead role in my movie, ‘Death Before Mourning.’ Ayala, his character, is complex and dark and Hugo possessed every quality required to play such a tortured role. His charisma, rugged good looks and ability to speak perfect English and Spanish made him my first choice directly. Ayala is also a boxer and so is Hugo, which made it even more interesting.”
