The Hugh Grant We Never Knew by Isla Hess
Nearly 30 years after ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ — and on the heels of Hugh Grant stealing every scene he graced in the latest Bridget Jones — let’s pause to appreciate Grant’s incredible career trajectory from foppish love interest to complex gangster.
I was watching About a Boy the other day, the 2002 adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel that showcases everything Grant had built until then: charming, bumbling (in spite of trying to be cool), and definitely a “journey” towards growth and fulfillment in his on-screen character. The film, co-starring a very young and endearing Nicholas Hoult, clearly ponders the perils of growing up, no matter what your age, a theme for any human, naturally, and in this case, the actor himself. About a Boy was released eight years after one of the most beloved films of the ‘90s—Four Weddings and a Funeral—where Grant officially cements his lovability. We’ve established we will cheer for him no matter what he does. 1999’s Notting Hill is a natural follow-up. Yet again, we want him to get the girl—so long as she can prove to us, Grant’s audience, that she deserves him. And, of course, there’s 2003’s Love Actually that made us all want to dance along to the Pointer Sisters and, yet again, cheer for him to find love and happiness.
Fast forward to 2018’s A Very English Scandal, where Grant portrays Parliament member Jeremy Thorpe, who, sometime in the ‘60s, began an affair with a young man named Normal Scott at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK. The stranger-than-fiction story follows both characters into court over the course of a decade, where Thorpe is eventually tried and acquitted of attempting to murder Scott. The limited series scored numerous nominations for both leading actors, including a Golden Globe nomination for Grant.
Moreover, this signaled a true turning point in Grant’s career where, when once we thought we knew what to expect, now all bets were off. Some choice roles following A Very English Scandal were 2019’s Guy Ritchie-directed The Gentlemen, where Grant showcases his ability to internalize his menacing bad guy (something he does as a political public figure in A Very English Scandal). This year we saw the newest Guy Ritchie-installment, Operation Fortune, showcase Grant in a similar role (Ritchie rarely veers too far from his own formula). And though we know what to expect from these films, Grant seemingly steps right into the aging arms-dealer persona, clad in a costume of slightly hunched-back stance and tinted glasses. The common thread throughout: Grant’s charm remains intact, peppered with a fun-to-watch dose of sociopathy.
As his movie persona has evolved, so has Grant’s—seemingly—private persona. Remember when he was arrested in 1995 for hiring a sex worker? Well, in 2023 he spoke openly about it on The View, noting that his beef with being arrested went much farther than the arrest itself, but rather a war against the unscrupulous behavior of the tabloid press, a decades-long battle. To make his point, he made a joke: "Everyone thinks, 'Oh, well he's just bitter because he got arrested with a hooker in 1995…'" The audience laughed along, before Grant seamlessly transitioned into a more serious point about invasion of privacy.
So, let’s back up for a second…he made a joke about his arrest and the audience laughed along. What a freaking relief for all of us. This is what the best of all cultural figures do, they reflect the best of us, as well. In 1995, when Grant was living his own very English scandal, most of us were completely shocked. How could stuttering, floppy-haired FW&AF Charles do this to Andie MacDowell’s Carrie??? Not to mention the fact that he was still in a very long-term relationship with Elizabeth Hurley. (Let’s just take a moment to recall that killer Versace safety-pin dress she wore to the Four Weddings… premiere, shall we?)
The takeaway goes far beyond acting and the roles we play. It’s maturing with grace in a way that’s perfect for you. We don’t know, still, anything about Hugh Grant as a person. We do know that he’s incredibly private—and who the heck can blame him? We also know that on-screen, he’s shown us how to take all that’s beloved and twist it in a way that’s authentically fresh. It’s not every day we see an actor surprise us in the way Hugh Grant has. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
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