Actor Hugh Grant marks his 65th birthday, transitioning from a leading romantic role to a menacing antagonist in various film projects.
Hugh Grant, the British actor born on September 9, 1960, turns 65 today. Known for his charming roles in romantic comedies and his occasional foray into villainy, Grant's career has been marked by success, controversy, and a fair share of provocative comments.
Grant began his acting journey with roles in Merchant-Ivory films, notably "Maurice" in 1987 and "What Remains of the Day" in 1993. However, it was his breakthrough role in the romantic comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in 1994 that established him as the sympathetic, educated, slightly bumbling, self-deprecating British character. The film, written by Richard Curtis, grossed over 245 million US dollars.
Grant's role in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" catapulted him to international fame, but it was his character, Daniel Cleaver, in "Bridget Jones - Schokolade zum Frühstuck," opposite Renée Zellweger's Bridget Jones, that solidified his place as a memorable on-screen villain. In recent years, Grant has taken on more villainous roles, such as Phoenix Buchanan in "Paddington 2" and Mr. Reed in "Heretic."
Throughout his career, Grant has not been notably recognised for convincing villain roles in films over the past ten years based on available information. Despite this, he continues to challenge himself, as demonstrated by his performances in more villainous roles.
Grant's career has not been without controversy. In 1995, he was arrested in Los Angeles for receiving a blowjob from a sex worker named Divine Brown in a public place. In interviews, he has been known to make provocative and off-topic remarks, as demonstrated at the 2023 Oscars where he made light of his former co-star Andie MacDowell's appearance, described her as "still stunning," claimed he had never used moisturizer in his life, and said, pointing to his own face, "basically a scrotum."
Grant has also made controversial comments about his co-stars. He described Drew Barrymore's singing in their film "Music and Lyrics" as "simply terrible" in 2023. He made a controversial comment about his "Notting Hill" co-star Julia Roberts, saying she had "literally a big mouth. When I kissed her, there was an echo."
Despite the controversies, Grant's romantic comedy roles have been a mix of successes and forgettable films. He continued to act in a series of romantic comedies, some of which were successful ("Notting Hill," "Actually... Love"), while others were forgotten ("Have You Heard About the Morgans?").
Grant attended Wetherby High School, where Princes William and Harry also studied. He studied English literature at Oxford University. After a series of romantic comedies, Grant expressed dissatisfaction with playing the nice guy role, stating, "I've had enough of playing the nice guy, and I think everyone else has too."
Today, Grant is married to Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein and is a father of five. Despite his age, Grant shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to take on challenging roles and making headlines for his controversial comments. As he celebrates his 65th birthday, Grant's career and personality continue to captivate audiences worldwide.
