Before Timothee Chalamet, before Chris Evans, and even way before Robert Pattinson, there was Hugh Grant. He was the then crush of all the ladies and his name was synonymous with the phrase- Romantic hero. From Notting Hill to Four Weddings and A Funeral, the actor has a lot of classic hit films in his filmography.
However, it looks like he didn’t quite like being the leading man, and moreover, he was never quite sold on the premise of romcoms. Shattering the hearts of many, Grant further revealed that villain roles are the most interesting to him.
Hugh Grant Didn’t Ever Want To Be A Romantic Hero In Hollywood?
Romcoms are those films you watch on a rainy day or when your day has been the worst. While The Notebook seems to still be a favorite, movies by Hugh Grant have their own place in people’s hearts. However, when the actor confessed that he didn’t even believe in the premise of romcoms, things became awkward. The actor said:
“The big question is whether the whole idea of a man and a woman belonging together — and this being something we are all desperate for — is true, or a big fat lie. And I have a feeling it might be a big fat lie — despite having made a whole career and fortune out of it.”
The actor also revealed that if his romantic comedies got a sequel today, they would probably begin with a divorce lawyer. It looks like there’s acrimony regarding the films he has done. So does he feel that he could have done more? Certainly. He said:
“I wish I had been more ambitious. I wish I’d had sharper elbows. Honestly, I think I’ve been too lackadaisical. I could have tried much harder when I was very bankable and popular in Hollywood. I could have made any film I wanted… but really I just wanted to watch the football.”
While Grant was joking at the end there, an actor having self-doubt is not new at all. However, it looks like playing villains has scratched the kind of itch the actor had for a long time.
Hugh Grant Has Found A New Life As A Villain Rather Than A Love Interest
In HBO’s The Undoing, Paddington 2, and the recent Dungeons and Dragons, Hugh Grant has played a villain. His days of Love Actually and Bridget Jones’ Diary are long over it seems, and the actor couldn’t be happier.
“Slimy villains do suit me rather well. I have enjoyed myself a bit for the first time in the last six or seven years since I got too old and ugly to be the hero. Actually, it’s how I began — doing characters and silly voices. And suddenly I got sidetracked into being a leading man, and I never thought I was particularly well-suited to that.”
The actor admitted that he found it hard to be the main hero even though he did appreciate the kind of pay that came with it. As for playing villains, the actor never had a concrete plan to do these kinds of roles specifically, they just came to him. He’s probably glad it did because it helped him experience a kind of career renaissance.
Source: Wion
