Hugh Grant
Born	Hugh John Mungo Grant September 9, 1960 (1960-09-09) (age 47) Hammersmith, London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Actor, film producer
Years active	1987–present

Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is a Golden Globe-winning British actor and film producer. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies.

He achieved international stardom after playing the alter ego of writer-director Richard Curtis in the sleeper hit Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). An alter ego ( Latin, "the other I" is a second self, a second Personality or Persona within a Person For the former state representative from Washington State see Richard Curtis (politician Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British Romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. ^[1] He used this breakthrough role as a frequent cinematic persona during the 1990s to deliver comic performances in mainstream films like Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and Notting Hill (1999). The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes is a 1999 film directed by Kelly Makin. Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate an English auctioner living in New York City Notting Hill is a 1999 Romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999 He established himself, by the turn of the 21st century, as a prominent leading man skilled with a satirical comic talent. The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Leading man or leading gentleman is an informal term for the Actor who plays a love interest to the Leading actress in a film or play ^[2] In recent years, Grant has expanded his oeuvre with critically acclaimed turns as a cad in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), About A Boy (2002), and American Dreamz (2006). A rake is defined as a man habituated to immoral conduct Rakes are frequently Stock characters in novels Bridget Jones's Diary is a British 2001 Romantic comedy film, based on the novel of the same name written by Helen Fielding About a Boy is a 2002 English film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the book of the same name American Dreamz is a 2006 comedy / parody film that satirizes both American Politics and Popular entertainment ^[3]

Grant has been criticised by students of cinema for putting emphasis on nuanced mannerisms, for the predictability of his movies, and for his unwillingness to stretch as an actor. ^[4] Within the film industry, he is cited as a movie star who approaches his roles like a character actor, with the ability to make acting look effortless. The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking i For other uses including various songs titled "Movie Star" see Movie star (disambiguation. A character actor is an Actor who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones ^[5] Hallmarks of his comic skills include a nonchalant touch of irony/sarcasm and studied physical mannerisms as well as his precisely-timed dialogue delivery and facial expressions. Irony is a literary or Rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity or Discordance between what one says or does and what one means or Sarcasm is stating the opposite of an intended meaning especially in order to sneeringly slyly jest or mock a person situation or thing

Widespread media speculation about Grant's reportedly very strong personality and life off the big screen has often overshadowed his work as a thespian. ^[6][7] Over years of fame, he has been identified in popular culture as a figure of charisma,^[8] charm,^[9] sharp tongue,^[10] and wit,^[11] who is very vocal about his disrespect for the profession of acting and his disdain toward the culture of celebrity. Acting is the work of an Actor or Actress, which is a person in Theatre, Television, Film, or any other Storytelling A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention ^[12] He is equally infamous for his grumpiness, political incorrectness, hostilities with the media, and bad temper. ^[13][12] In a career spanning 20 years, Grant has repeatedly claimed that acting is not a true calling but just a job he fell into,^[14] while his movies have earned more than $2. 4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. ^[15]

Contents 1 Ancestry and early life 1.1 Education 1.2 Young earner 2 Movie career 2.1 Filmmaker 2.2 Attitude towards acting 2.3 Critical and peer review 2.4 Work ethic 3 Celebrity and media relations 3.1 Libel lawsuits 3.2 Image 4 Personal life 4.1 Public scandals 4.2 Athletic interests 5 Awards and honours 6 Filmography 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

Ancestry and early life

Grant was born at Hammersmith Hospital in London, England, the son of Fynvola Susan (née MacLean) and Captain James Murray Grant. Hammersmith Hospital is a major Teaching hospital in West London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[16] Genealogist Antony Adolph described his family history as "a colourful Anglo-Scottish tapestry of warriors, empire-builders and aristocracy. Anglo-Scot, Anglo-Scotch or more rarely Scoto-English are terms applied to a variety of things that are identified with both England and Scotland "^[17] Grant is a descendant of the Grants of Glenmoriston from a long line of Scots military men, doctors and explorers, including William Drummond and Dr. Glenmoriston is a river glen in the Scottish Highlands, that runs from Loch Ness, at the village of Invermoriston, westwards to Loch Cluanie, The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. William Drummond 4th Viscount Strathallan (1690 &ndash April 16 1746) was a Jacobite army officer and fourth son of Sir John Drummond of Machany and Margaret James Stewart. ^[18][17] John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Rt Hon. Sir Evan Nepean, and former British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval are a few of his notable maternal antecedents. John Murray 1st Duke of Atholl KT, PC ( 24 February 1660 &ndash 14 November 1724) was a Scottish Nobleman Heneage Finch 1st Earl of Nottingham, PC ( 23 December, 1621 &ndash1682 Lord Chancellor of England, was descended from the old family Sir Evan Nepean 1st Baronet PC ( 9 July 1751 or 1753 St Stephens near Saltash, Cornwall &ndash 2 October 1822 Spencer Perceval, KC (1 November 1762 &ndash 11 May 1812 was a British statesman and Prime Minister. ^[19] Grant's grandfather, Major James Murray Grant, DSO, a native of Inverness in Scotland, was decorated for bravery and leadership at Dunkirk during WWII. The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland. The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British was the Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[20] Grant's maternal grandmother, Margaret Isabel Randolph, was the sister of Barbara Bertram, who was the wife of novelist Anthony Bertram and the great-grandmother of actor Thomas Sangster. Anthony Bertram (1897 – 1978 was a British writer known particularly as an Art historian. Thomas Brodie Sangster (born May 16, 1990) is an English Actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Phineas and Ferb ^[21]

Grant's father, Capt. Grant, was trained at Sandhurst and served with the Seaforth Highlanders for eight years in Malaya, Germany and Scotland. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst ( RMAS) commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is the British Army officer initial training centre This page is for the historical Scottish regiment For the Canadian regiment of the same name see The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ^[22] He ran a carpet firm, pursued hobbies such as golf and watercolouring, and raised his family in Chiswick, West London, where the Grants lived next to Arlington Park Mansions on Sutton Lane. Watercolor ( US) or Watercolour ( UK) (and "aquarelle" in French is a Painting method Chiswick ( IPA /ˈtʃɪzɪk/ is an area of West London, located west of Charing Cross, which covers the eastern part of the London Borough of Hounslow West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. ^[23][24] In September 2006, a collection of Capt. Grant's paintings was hosted by the John Martin Gallery in a charity exhibition, organised by his famous son, called "James Grant: 30 Years of Watercolours. "^[25] Fynvola Grant was the great-granddaughter of Sir Evan Colville Nepean (CB), whose father, Rev. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George Canon Evan Nepean, served as the Canon of Westminster and was Chaplain In Ordinary to Queen Victoria. A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανωνικος 'relating to a rule' is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. The Ecclesiastical Household is a part of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ^[26] She worked as a schoolteacher and taught Latin, French and music for more than 30 years in the state schools of West London. State school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. ^[27] She died at the age of 63, after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer, in 2001. Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the Pancreas. Each year about 37680 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition and 34290 ^[28]

Grant's famous RP accent is an inheritance from his mother and, on Inside the Actors Studio in 2002, he credited her with "any acting genes that [he] might have. Received Pronunciation ( RP) is a form of Pronunciation of the English language (specifically British English) which has long been perceived as Inside the Actors Studio is the Emmy-nominated longest-running original series on the Bravo Cable television channel hosted by James Lipton "^[24] Both his parents were children of military families,^[29] and Grant has referred to his own upbringing as very ordinary middle class. ^[30] He spent his childhood summers in Scotland, shooting and fishing with his grandfather. ^[23] Grant's elder brother, James "Jamie" Grant, is a successful banker as Managing Director, head of Healthcare, Consumer, & Retail Investment Banking Coverage, at JPMorgan Chase in New York. JPMorgan Chase & Co ( is the largest Banking institution in the United States by deposits and market capitalization and is one of the oldest operating New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[31]

Education

Grant started his education at the pre-preparatory Wetherby School. Wetherby School is a private school for boys in Notting Hill, London. From 1969 to 1978, he attended Latymer Upper School on scholarship and played 1st XV rugby, cricket and football for the school. Latymer Upper School, founded in 1624 by Edward Latymer, is a selective independent school in Hammersmith, west London, lying between King Street ^[32][33] He also represented Latymer on the popular quiz show, Top of the Form, an academic competition between two teams of four secondary school students each. Top of the Form was a BBC radio and television quiz show for teams from secondary schools which ran for a remarkable 38 years ^[34] Chris Hammond, his form teacher in 1975 and later the assistant head of Latymer, told People magazine that Grant was "a clever boy among clever boys. People (full name People Weekly) is a weekly American Magazine of Celebrity and human interest stories, published "^[33][35] In 1979, he won the Galsworthy scholarship to New College, Oxford where he studied English literature and graduated with 2:1 honours. New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The term English literature refers to Literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by Writers not necessarily from The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for Undergraduate degrees ( Bachelor's degrees and some Master's degrees ^[36] Grant is remembered as a famous face at Oxford, with actress Anna Chancellor recalling, "I first met Hugh at a party at Oxford. Anna Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress Family Chancellor was born in Richmond Surrey, England There was something magical about him. He was a star even then, without having done anything. "^[37] Viewing acting as nothing more than a creative outlet,^[38] he joined the Oxford University Dramatic Society and starred in a successful touring production of Twelfth Night. The Oxford University Dramatic Society ( OUDS) is the principal Funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on Twelfth Night Or What You Will is a Comedy by William Shakespeare, based on the Short story "Of Apolonius and Silla" by ^[39]

Young earner

After making his debut as Hughie Grant in the Oxford-financed Privileged (1982), Grant dabbled in a variety of jobs: he wrote book reviews,^[40] worked as assistant groundsman at Fulham Football Club,^[41] tried his hand at tutoring, wrote comedy sketches for TV shows,^[42] and was hired by Talkback Productions to write and produce radio commercials for products such as Mighty White bread and Red Stripe lager. A groundskeeper is a person who maintains landscaping gardens or sporting venues (and their vegetation where appropriate for appearance and functionality Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. ^[43] To obtain his equity card, he joined the repertory theatre Nottingham Playhouse and lived for a year at Park Terrace in The Park Estate, Nottingham. The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham England. It was first established as a Repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema The Park Estate is a private residential estate just to the west of the city centre of Nottingham, England that was built in what was once the Deer Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. ^[44] Bored of small acting parts, he created his own comedy revue called The Jockeys of Norfolk with friends Chris Lang and Andy Taylor. Chris Lang is a Writer, Actor, and producer for British Television. The group toured London’s pub comedy circuit with stops at The George IV in Chiswick, Canal Cafe Theatre in Little Venice and The King's Head in Islington. Chiswick ( IPA /ˈtʃɪzɪk/ is an area of West London, located west of Charing Cross, which covers the eastern part of the London Borough of Hounslow Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. ^[45] Starting on a low note, The Jockeys of Norfolk eventually proved a hit at the Edinburgh Festival after their sketch on the Nativity, told as an Ealing comedy, garnered them a spot on the BBC2 TV show called Edinburgh Nights. Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for several simultaneous arts and cultural Festivals which take place during August each year in Edinburgh, For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. For the film see Ealing Comedy (film. For the film comedies see Ealing Comedies. ^[46] During this time, Grant also appeared in theatre productions of plays such as An Inspector Calls, Lady Windermere's Fan, and Coriolanus. An Inspector Calls is a play written by English Dramatist J B Lady Windermere's Fan A Play About a Good Woman is a four act Comedy by Oscar Wilde, first produced 22 February 1892 at the Coriolanus is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Gaius Martius Coriolanus.

Movie career

Grant's first leading role came in Merchant-Ivory's 1987 Edwardian drama, Maurice, adapted from E.M. Forster's namesake novel. Merchant Ivory Productions (1961-) is a film company founded by director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Class and society Socially the Edwardian era was a period during which the British Class system was very rigid Maurice is a 1987 film based on the novel of the same title by E Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH (1 January 1879–7 June 1970 was an English novelist Short story writer Essayist, and Librettist He and co-star James Wilby shared the Volpi Cup for best actor at the Venice Film Festival for their portrayals of Cantabrigian collegians Clive Durham and Maurice Hall, respectively. James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English Actor for Film, TV and stage. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest Film festival in the world The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Grant balanced small roles on television with rare film work, which included a supporting role in The Dawning (1988) and a turn as Lord Byron in a Spanish production called Remando Al Viento (1988). The Dawning is a Film released in 1988, based on Jennifer Johnston 's book The Old Jest about an Irish Republican

In 1992, he appeared in Roman Polanski's film Bitter Moon, portraying a fastidious and proper British tourist who is married to Kristin Scott Thomas but finds himself enticed by the sexual hedonism of a seductive French woman and her embittered, paraplegic American husband. Bitter Moon is a 1992 film starring Hugh Grant ( Nigel) Kristin Scott Thomas ( Fiona) Emmanuelle Seigner Kristin A Scott Thomas, OBE (born 24 May 1960) is a highly acclaimed Olivier Award, BAFTA winning and Academy Award The film was called an "anti-romantic opus of sexual obsession and cruelty" by the Washington Post. ^[47] His other work in period pieces such as Ken Russell’s The Lair of the White Worm (1988), award-winning Merchant-Ivory drama The Remains of the Day (1993) and (as Frédéric Chopin in) Impromptu (1991) was largely unnoticed. Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born 3 July 1927 is an English Film director. The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988 film based on the novel by Bram Stoker. Merchant Ivory Productions (1961-) is a film company founded by director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. The Remains of the Day ( 1993) is a Merchant Ivory Film adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro Impromptu is a 1991 movie based on a screenplay written by Sarah Kernochan, directed by James Lapine, produced by Daniel A He later called this phase of his career "hilarious," referring to his early movies as "Europuddings, where you would have a French script, a Spanish director, and English actors. The script would usually be written by a foreigner, badly translated into English. And then they'd get English actors in, because they thought that was the way to sell it to America. "^[48]

At 32, Grant claimed to be on the brink of giving up the acting profession but was surprised by the script of Four Weddings and a Funeral (FWAAF). Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British Romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. ^[2] "If you read as many bad scripts as I did, you'd know how grateful you are when you come across one where the guy actually is funny," he later recalled. ^[1] Released in 1994, FWAAF became the highest-grossing British film of all time with a worldwide box office in excess of $244 million,^[49] making Grant an overnight international star. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, and among numerous awards won by its cast and crew, it earned Grant his first and only Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for film television television craft video games and forms of animation It also temporarily typecast him as the lead character, Charles, a bohemian and debonair bachelor. Grant and Curtis saw it as an inside joke that the star, due to the parts he played, was assumed to have the personality of the screenwriter, who is known for writing about himself and his own life. ^[48][50] Grant later expressed:

“

Although I owe whatever success I've had to 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' it did become frustrating after a bit that people made two assumptions: One was that I was that character - when in fact nothing could be further from the truth, as I'm sure Richard would tell you - and the other frustrating thing was that they thought that's all I could do. I suppose, because those films happened to be successful, no one, perhaps understandably, . . . bothered to rent all the other films I'd done. [2]

”

1995 saw the release of Grant's first studio-financed Hollywood project, Chris Columbus's comedy Nine Months. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century Christopher 'Chris' Columbus (born September 10 1958, Spangler Pennsylvania) is an American filmmaker For "nine months" as the duration of human pregnancy see Pregnancy. Though a hit at the box office, it was almost universally panned by critics. The Washington Post called it a "grotesquely pandering caper" and singled out Grant's performance, as a child psychiatrist reacting unfavourably to his girlfriend's unexpected pregnancy, for his "insufferable muggings. "^[51] The same year, he played a supporting part as Emma Thompson's suitor in Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and a bumbling cartographer in early twentieth-century Wales in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. Emma Thompson (born April 15 1959 is an Academy Award - Emmy Award - BAFTA Award - and Golden Globe -winning Anglo-Scottish Actress Ang Lee ( (born October 23, 1954) is an Academy Award -winning Film director from Taiwan. Jane Austen (16 Sense and Sensibility is a 1995 British Drama film directed by Ang Lee. The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 movie written by Ivor Monger and directed by Christopher Monger.

Grant then reunited with the director of FWAAF, Mike Newell, for the tragicomedy An Awfully Big Adventure that was labeled a "determinedly offbeat film" by the New York Times. Michael Cormac Newell (born 28 March 1942 is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for Television. An Awfully Big Adventure is a 1995 drama film of a theatre company in Liverpool. ^[52] Grant portrayed a bitchy, supercilious director of a repertory company in post-World War II Liverpool. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Critic Roger Ebert wrote, "It shows that he has range as an actor,"^[53] but the San Francisco Chronicle disapproved on grounds that the film "plays like a vanity production for Grant. Roger Joseph Ebert (iːbɝt born June 18, 1942) is an American film critic and Screenwriter. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H "^[54] Janet Maslin, praising Grant as "superb" and "a dashing cad under any circumstances," commented, "For him this film represents the road not taken. Janet Maslin (born 1948 is an American Journalist. She is best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times Made before Four Weddings and a Funeral was released, it captures Mr. Grant as the clever, versatile character actor he was then becoming, rather than the international dreamboat he is today. "^[52]

Grant made his debut as a film producer with the 1996 thriller Extreme Measures, a commercial and critical failure. For the DS9 episode see Extreme Measures (DS9 episode. Extreme Measures is a 1996 Thriller film based After a three year hiatus, in 1999, he paired with Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, which was brought to theatres by much of the same team that was responsible for FWAAF. Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28 1967 is an American - Academy Award winning Film actress and former Fashion model. Notting Hill is a 1999 Romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999 This new Working Title production displaced FWAAF as the biggest British hit in the history of cinema, with earnings equalling $363 million worldwide. Working Title Films is a British film production company based in London, England. ^[49] As it became exemplary of modern romantic comedies in mainstream culture, the film was also received well by critics. CNN reviewer Paul Clinton said, "Notting Hill stands alone as another funny and heartwarming story about love against all odds. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Paul Clinton (1953 in Columbus, Ohio – January 30, 2006 in Los Angeles) was CNN. "^[55] Reactions to Grant's Golden Globe-nominated performance were varied, with Salon's Stephanie Zacharek criticizing that, "Grant's performance stands as an emblem of what's wrong with Notting Hill. Saloncom, part of Salon Media Group ( often just called Salon, is an online What's maddening about Grant is that he just never cuts the crap. He's become one of those actors who's all shambling self-caricature, from his twinkly crow's feet to the time-lapsed half century it takes him to actually get one of his lines out. "^[56] The movie provided both its stars a chance to satirize the woes of international notoriety, most noted of which was Grant's turn as a faux-journalist who sits through a dull press junket with, what the New York Times called, "a delightfully funny deadpan. "^[57] Grant also released his second production output, a fish-out-of-water mob comedy Mickey Blue Eyes, that year. Mickey Blue Eyes is a 1999 film directed by Kelly Makin. Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate an English auctioner living in New York City It was dismissed by critics, performed modestly at the box office, and garnered its actor-producer mixed reviews for his starring role. Roger Ebert thought, "Hugh Grant is wrong for the role [and] strikes one wrong note and then another,"^[58] whereas Kenneth Turan, writing in the Los Angeles Times, said, "If he'd been on the Titanic, fewer lives would have been lost. Kenneth Turan ( (b 27 October 1946) is an American Film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University If he'd accompanied Robert Scott to the South Pole, the explorer would have lived to be 100. That's how good Hugh Grant is at rescuing doomed ventures. "^[57]

While promoting Woody Allen’s Small Time Crooks on NBC’s The Today Show in 2000, Grant told host Matt Lauer, “It's my millennium of bastards. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Small Time Crooks is an American Comedy film, released in 2000, starring Woody Allen and Tracey Ullman. Matthew Todd Lauer ( December 30, 1957) is an American television personality best known as the host of NBC 's The Today Show ”^[59]

Small Time Crooks starred Grant, in the words of film critic Andrew Sarris, as "a petty, petulant, faux-Pygmalion art dealer, David [who] is one of the sleaziest and most unsympathetic characters Mr. Andrew Sarris, born on October 31, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, is a U Allen has ever created. "^[60] In a role devoid of his comic attributes, the New York Times wrote, "Mr. Grant deftly imbues his character with exactly a perfect blend of charm and nasty calculation. "^[61] A year later, his turn as a charming but womanising book publisher Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) was proclaimed by Variety to be "as sly an overthrow of a star's polished posh - and nice - poster image as any comic turn in memory. Bridget Jones's Diary is a British 2001 Romantic comedy film, based on the novel of the same name written by Helen Fielding Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman "^[62] The movie, adapted from Helen Fielding's novel of the same name, was an international hit, earning $281 million worldwide. Helen Fielding (born 19 February 1958 in Morley West Yorkshire) is an English author, best known as the author of the novel ^[49] Grant was, according to the Washington Post, fitting as "a cruel, manipulative cad, hiding behind the male god's countenance that he knows all too well. "^[63]

2002 saw Grant paired with Sandra Bullock in Warner Bros.'s Two Weeks Notice, which made $199 million internationally but was judged poorly by professional reviewers. Sandra Annette Bullock (born July 26 1964 is a Screen Actors Guild Award-winning and two-time Golden Globe Award-nominated American - German Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Two Weeks Notice is a 2002 Romantic comedy film starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant from Warner Bros ^[49] The Village Voice concluded that Grant's creation of a spoiled billionaire fronting a real estate business was "little more than a Britishism machine. "^[64] His "immaculate comic performance" (BBC) as the trust-funded womaniser, Will Freeman, in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling novel About a Boy received raves from critics. Nick Hornby (born 17 April 1957 in Redhill Surrey, England is an English Novelist and Essayist. This article is about the novel For the film see About a Boy (film; for the film's soundtrack album by Badly Drawn Boy see About a Boy (soundtrack. ^[65] Almost universally praised, with an Academy Award-nominated screenplay, About a Boy (2002) was determined by the Washington Post to be "that rare romantic comedy that dares to choose messiness over closure, prickly independence over fetishized coupledom, and honesty over typical Hollywood endings. About a Boy is a 2002 English film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the book of the same name "^[66] Rolling Stone wrote, "The acid comedy of Grant's performance carries the film [and he] gives this pleasing heartbreaker the touch of gravity it needs,"^[67] while Roger Ebert observed that "the Cary Grant department is understaffed, and Hugh Grant shows here that he is more than a star, he is a resource. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published "^[68] Released a day after the blockbuster Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, About a Boy was a more modest box office grosser than other successful Grant films, making all of $129 million globally. Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones is a 2002 Film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales ^[49] The film earned Grant his third Golden-Globe nomination, while the London Film Critics Circle named Grant its Best British Actor and GQ honoured him as one of the magazine's men of the year 2002. The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of the The Critics' Circle is known internationally GQ (originally Gentlemen's Quarterly) is a monthly men's Magazine focusing upon Fashion, style and culture for men through articles ^[69] "His performance can only be described as revelatory," wrote critic Ann Hornaday, adding that "Grant lends the shoals layer upon layer of desire, terror, ambivalence and self-awareness. "^[66] The New York Observer concluded: "[The film] gets most of its laughs from the evolved expertise of Hugh Grant in playing characters that audiences enjoy seeing taken down a peg or two as a punishment for philandering and womanizing and simply being too handsome for words-and with an English accent besides. In the end, the film comes over as a messy delight, thanks to the skill, generosity and good-sport, punching-bag panache of Mr. Grant's performance. "^[70]

This was followed by the 2003 ensemble comedy, Love Actually, headlined by Grant as the British Prime Minister. Love Actually is a 2003 British Romantic comedy Film written and directed by Richard Curtis. A Christmas release by Working Title Films, the movie was promoted as "the ultimate romantic comedy" and accumulated $246 million at the international box office. Working Title Films is a British film production company based in London, England. ^[49] It marked the directorial debut of Richard Curtis, who told the New York Times that Grant adamantly tempered the characterization of the role to make his character more authoritative and less haplessly charming than earlier Curtis incarnations. ^[71] Roger Ebert claimed that "Grant has flowered into an absolutely splendid romantic comedian" and has "so much self-confidence that he plays the British prime minister as if he took the role to be a good sport. "^[72] Film critic Rex Reed, on the contrary, called Grant's performance "an oversexed bachelor spin on Tony Blair" as the star "flirted with himself in the paroxysm of self-love that has become his acting style. Rex Taylor Reed (born October 2, 1938) is an American Film critic and former co- host of the syndicated television show At "^[73]

A speech delivered by Grant in Love Actually - where he extols the virtues of Great Britain and refuses to cave to the pressure of its longstanding ally, the United States - was etched in the transatlantic memory as a satirical, wishful statement on the concurrent Bush-Blair relationship. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term transatlantic refers to something occurring all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to ^[74] Tony Blair responded by saying, "I know there's a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in Love Actually and tell America where to get off. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there's the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause. "^[75]

In 2004, Grant reprised his role as Daniel Cleaver for a small part in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, which, like its predecessor, made more than $262 million commercially. Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason is a 2004 Romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron, based on Helen Fielding 's novel of ^[49] Gone from the screen for two years, Grant next reteamed with Paul Weitz (About a Boy) for the black comedy American Dreamz (2006). Paul John Weitz (born 1965, New York New York) an Academy Award -nominated Screenwriter and director. Black comedy, also known as black humor or dark comedy, is a sub-genre of Comedy and Satire where topics and events that are usually regarded American Dreamz is a 2006 comedy / parody film that satirizes both American Politics and Popular entertainment Grant starred as the acerbic host of an American Idol-like reality show where, according to Caryn James of the New York Times, "nothing is real . American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition . . except the black hole at the centre of the host's heart, as Mr. Grant takes Mr. Cowell's villainous act to its limit. "^[76] American Dreamz failed financially but Grant was generously praised. He played his self-aggrandizing character, an amalgam of Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest, with smarmy self-loathing. } Simon Phillip Cowell (born October 7 1959 is an English artist-and-repertoire ("A&R" executive and Television personality / producer Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an Emmy Award -nominated American television / radio host and Television The Boston Globe proposed that this "just may be the great comic role that has always eluded Hugh Grant,"^[77] and critic Carina Chocano said, "He is twice as enjoyable as the preening bad guy as he was as the bumbling good guy. "^[78]

In 2007, Grant starred opposite Drew Barrymore in a parody of pop culture and the music industry called Music and Lyrics. Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22 1975 is an American actress and Film producer. A Parody or spoof film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or classic films Music and Lyrics is a romantic comedy Film released by Warner Bros The Associated Press described it as "a weird little hybrid of a romantic comedy that's simultaneously too fluffy and not whimsical enough. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio "^[79] Though he neither listens to music nor owns any CDs,^[29] Grant learned to sing, play the piano, dance (a few mannered steps) and studied the mannerisms of prominent musicians to prepare for his role as a has-been pop singer, based loosely on Andrew Ridgeley. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963) is an English pop Singer, Guitarist and environmentalist. ^[12] The Star-Ledger dismissed the performance, writing that "paper dolls have more depth. The Star-Ledger is a Newspaper in the US state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. "^[80] The movie, with its revenues totalling $145 million, allowed Grant to mock disposable pop stardom and fleeting celebrity through its washed-up lead character. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Grant strikes precisely the right note with regard to Alex's career: He's too intelligent not to be a little embarrassed, but he's far too brazen to feel anything like shame. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H "^[81]

Filmmaker

In July 1994, Grant signed a two-year production deal with Castle Rock Entertainment and by October, he became founder and director of the UK-based Simian Films Limited. Castle Rock Entertainment is a film and television Production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andy Scheinman, ^[82] He appointed his then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley, as the head of development to look for prospective projects. Simian Films produced two Grant vehicles in the 1990s and lost a bid to produce About a Boy to Robert De Niro's TriBeCa Productions. Robert Mario De Niro Jr (born August 17 1943 is a two-time Academy Award -winning American Film Actor, director and producer Tribeca Productions, a film and television production company was co-founded in 1989 by actor Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal in the Lower Manhattan ^[83] The company closed its U. S. office in 2002 and Grant resigned as director in December 2005. ^[84] He has since said that his primary interest remains in filmmaking because: "Acting is at best an interpretative thing. Filmmaking is the process of making a Film, from an initial story idea or commission through scriptwriting shooting editing and finally distribution to an audience It's like being a musician and playing someone else's music. I've always wanted to write the music. "^[12] In 2000, Grant joined the Supervisory Board of IM Internationalmedia AG, the powerful Munich-based film and media company. Intermedia is a film production company wholly owned by IM Internationalmedia AG. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. ^[85] He has also served on the advisory board of Mark Milln and Kami Naghdi's U. K. Production company, Hogarth Pictures. ^[86]

Attitude towards acting

Grant has called being a successful actor a mistake and has repeatedly talked of his hope that film stardom would just be "a phase" in his life, lasting no more than ten years. ^[48] A self-confessed "committed and passionate" perfectionist on a film set,^[14] Grant has constantly opted to describe himself as a reluctant actor, who chooses to be neutral about his career and works mostly with friends from previous collaborations. ^[87] Telling the New York Times that he must truly love something before he can do it, he revealed that he chooses projects based on how well they are written and whether the character he is being asked to play constitutes a comic angle to his personality. ^[88]

A majority of Grant's popular movies follow a similar plot that captures an optimistic, cocky bachelor experiencing a series of embarrassing escapades to find true love, often with an American woman. In earlier films, Grant was adept at plugging into the stereotype of a repressed Englishman for humorous effects, allowing him to gently satirize his characters as he summed them up and played against the type simultaneously. ^[44] His screen persona of later films gradually developed into a cynical, self-loathing cad. ^[89] Using his facial contortions and an affected stammer for varied comic purposes,^[90] Grant's characters have often been emotionally distant men, and he once admitted his inability to cry on cue, even with the help of menthol. ^[91] His preference for levity over dramatic range has been a controversial topic in establishment circles, prompting him to say:

“

I've never been tempted to do the part where I cry or get AIDS or save some people from a concentration camp just to get good reviews. I genuinely believe that comedy acting, light comedy acting, is as hard as, if not harder than serious acting, and it genuinely doesn’t bother me that all the prizes and the good reviews automatically by knee-jerk reaction go to the deepest, darkest, most serious performances and parts. It makes me laugh. [92]

”

In interviews, Grant has pinned his extensively published disinterest in acting on two different thoughts: first, that he drifted into the job as a temporary joke at age 23 and finds it an immature way for a grown man to spend his time;^[93] and secondly, because he believes to have already given the one remarkable comic performance he had hoped to create on screen. ^[92] Calling most scripts lame, Grant has stated that, unlike him, most actors really love acting and that blinds them to the fact that the rest of it is pretentious nonsense, which, he says, it very often is. ^[14] He told Vanity Fair in 2003 that being an actor at a certain age is akin to being a "char-monkey," making it unworthy of an adult’s time. Vanity Fair is an American magazine of Culture, Fashion, and Politics published by Condé Nast Publications. ^[48]

Critical and peer review

Grant is recognized as a divisive movie star in both, critical reviews and popular media profiles. ^[7] He has stuck to the genre of comedy, especially the romantic comedy, for the entirety of his mainstream movie career and never ventures to play characters who are not British. While some film critics, such as the respected Roger Ebert, have defended the limited variety of his performances, others have dismissed him as a one-trick pony. Eric Fellner, co-owner of Working Title Films and a long-time collaborator of Grant said, "His range hasn't been fully tested, but each performance is unique. Eric Fellner CBE (b 1959 England) is an Academy Award -nominated movie producer. "^[94] A majority, though, tend to change their opinion of Grant from film to film, especially differentiating between his roles as Richard Curtis' alter ego and the cynical, smart and sometimes sleazy rogue of several films released in the new millennium.

In the 1990s, Grant's performances were deemed overbearing, in the words of Washington Post's Rita Kempley, due to his "comic overreactions—the mugging, the stuttering, the fluttering eyelids. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D " She added: "He's got more tics than Benny Hill. "^[95] Grant's penchant for conveying his characters' feelings with mannerisms, rather than direct emotions, has been one of the foremost objections raised against his acting style. Stephen Hunter of the Washington Post once stated that, to be effective as a comic performer, he must get "his jiving and shucking under control. "^[96] Film historian David Thompson wrote in The New Biographical Dictionary of Film about how it is merely itchy mannerisms that Grant equates with screen acting. David Thomson (b 1941 London UK) is a noted Film critic in the United States and the author of more than 20 books including The New The New Biographical Dictionary of Film (titled A Biographical Dictionary of Film in early editions is a Non-fiction Reference book In the new millennium, Claudia Puig of USA Today celebrated the observation that finally "gone [were] the self-conscious 'Aren't I adorable' mannerisms that seemed endearing at the start of [Grant's] film career but have grown cloying in more recent movies. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. "^[97]

Repeated accusations, which have only subsided in recent years, have targeted what the critics contend is Grant's inclination to make his characters likable rather than complex. In 1999, Stephanie Zacharek stated that "by the time of Four Weddings and a Funeral, he'd switched to a more straightforward, dull, crumpled-corduroy acting style," perhaps because, she chided, "Why bother to play a character when you can just ape a stereotype?"^[56] According to Carina Chocano, amongst film critics, the two tropes most commonly associated with Grant are that he reinvented his screen persona in Bridget Jones's Diary and About a Boy and dreads the possibility of becoming a parody of himself. ^[98] Echoing a widely-accepted assessment that Grant plays the same part over and again since he came to international fame in 1994, The Observer's Philip French has said: "His range is as narrow as a cigarette paper. The Observer is a British Newspaper published on Sundays In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The "^[94]

Grant's colleagues, though, have often defended his skills. Emma Thompson, working with him in Sense and Sensibility, wrote in The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries that Grant "is as great an actor as I've always thought. So light and yet very much felt. "^[99] Colin Firth, who worked with him on more than one occasion, has suggested that very few can create Grant's relaxed sense of irony on screen. Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September, 1960) is an English film television and stage Actor. ^[94] Scottish actress Sharon Small, a co-star of Grant in About a Boy, discovered that "he is . Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Sharon Small (born 1967) is a Scottish actress. Her best-known role has probably been that of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in the . . a really versatile actor. People tend to put him in a box and say, 'That's all he does', but when we were filming I watched him closely and he was very subtle and very different in every single take. "^[6]

Work ethic

A 2007 Vogue profile of Grant referred to him as a man with a "professionally misanthropic mystique. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications. "^[12] The observation followed published facts such as that Grant picks his own movies,^[92] conducts his interviews alone (without any publicists),^[100] is known for politically incorrect and outrageous riffs in public,^[12] and derides focus groups, market research and overriding emphasis on the opening weekend. ^[88] Grant decided to let go of his agent in 2006, ending a 10-year relationship with CAA. Creative Artists Agency ( CAA) is an entertainment and sports agency which represents a vast array of actors musicians writers directors and athletes as well as a variety ^[101] Besides proudly proclaiming in interviews to have never listened to external views on his career, he stated that he does not require the hand-holding an agent provides. ^[12] A few months before firing his agent, he said, "They've known for years that I have total control. I've never taken any advice on anything. "^[92]

It has been reported that Grant has a reputation for not always bonding with his fellow cast and crew members. ^[10] Being a "stern, edgy and intense" presence on film sets, the method behind his performances has been described as the exact reverse of the ease and simplicity he brings to his characters. ^[8] According to the New York Times, Grant is known in the film industry as a meticulous performer who takes his time to prepare for a role. ^[5] Having said that the only thing he "fears is fear itself," his working style is apparently predicated on a tendency to take control. ^[102] Richard Curtis, a frequent collaborator, revealed that Grant is not fluid about the filmmaking process and tends to be unrelaxed while filming because he doesn't feel as though he's in the director's hands and prefers instead to take responsibility of giving a definitive performance. For the former state representative from Washington State see Richard Curtis (politician Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born ^[12]

Grant is noted by co-workers for demanding endless takes until he achieves the desired shot according to his own standard. ^[103][104] He is said to be inventive on film sets ("The biggest laughs that my characters get in films tend to be improvised lines," he has said^[5]), but has talked of finding the work of an actor restrictive because "saying other peoples' lines all the time is it's always been - diminishing. "^[102] Media accounts of Grant on film sets present him as an actor who does not abdicate responsibility to his production team but is, instead, usually involved with various aspects of his projects, including script development, choosing the director of photography, the acting, and then the editing and the marketing. ^[48][38] Journalist David Chater, reviewing a Channel 4 production entitled Brits go to Hollywood, remarked that the Hugh Grant "of popular image is wholly inaccurate. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began He won a scholarship to Oxford, he is highly articulate, he works non-stop and beats himself up with relentless self-criticism. "^[105]

Celebrity and media relations

According to the Boston Globe, Grant has repeatedly spoken about his boredom with playing the celebrity in the press. The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily Newspaper in Boston and in New England, ^[106] About the culture of celebrity, he told Vogue, "My theory is that it's like bodybuilders who inject testosterone, which means that their own powers to generate testosterone shut down forever. The fake esteem you get from being in the public eye feels like self-worth, but actually your own powers to produce it shut down. The stuff that really counts is your own. And that's, I think, why people go bonkers. "^[12]

Having labelled himself "neither a keen actor, nor a keen celebrity,"^[107] Grant's prickliness and disdain toward the fourth estate is widely observed and documented. ^[108] While promoting Mickey Blue Eyes in 1999, Grant exclaimed, "I'm even talking to the British press, which is astounding. "^[88] Said to be "unwilling to play the game" with the media,^[94] he is often described as appearing uninterested and brusque at press junkets to promote his movies. ^[42]

Journalists interviewing him have expressed exasperation at Grant's habit of stonewalling personal questions. ^[10] Grant's nonchalance and sarcasm are blamed for interviewers' inability to discriminate between whether he is being serious or playful at any given time. ^[12] On probing, he has remained incredibly steadfast in "offering a dead bat to any question he feels is not general enough. "^[109] Jessica Callan, a former gossip columnist for the Daily Mirror, explained to The Times that if you are nice to gossip columnists, they'll generally be nice back, but she said, "Hugh Grant is such a grumpy bugger: you think, God, let’s wind him up. The Daily Mirror, often referred to simply as The Mirror, is a British Tabloid daily Newspaper founded in 1903 The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. "^[110]

Another entertainment journalist, Kiki King, who has met Grant, described him as "the least friendly and most unappealing celebrity I've ever met. "^[94] Showbiz media personalities in his homeland use him as a referential model for the epitome of a reluctant, unobliging celebrity. Former editor of British tabloid newspapers the News of the World and the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, has written about his advice for Grant to stop making movies if he does not appreciate the spotlight. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (born 30 March 1965) is a former editor of British Tabloid newspapers the News of the ^[111]

Grant's attitude at the London premiere of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), with him reportedly "refusing to chat to journalists or pose with his girlfriend Jemima Khan, and choosing instead to stand around scowling,"^[112] was subject to much criticism by the press who had waited long to talk to him. ^{[113][114][115]} He decided to ban all British press from the New York launch of his film American Dreamz in 2006. The City of New York ^[116] The movie was also denied a London premiere^[117] and Grant gave only "a handful of newspaper interviews in connection with Dreamz," a move that was held responsible by exhibitors for the movie's poor box office showing. ^[118] In February 2007, Grant had a controversial interview on BBC Breakfast where he was irked by the interviewer's inquiry about the status of his relationship with his girlfriend. ^[119] His response to the host, "I thought this was a classy show. I am ashamed of you," resulted in increased editorial disapproval of his gruff behaviour in England. ^{[120][121][122]}

Libel lawsuits

In 1996, Grant won substantial damages from News (UK) Ltd over what his lawyers called a "highly defamatory" article published in January of 1995. The company's now-defunct newspaper, Today, had falsely claimed that Grant verbally abused a young extra with a "foul-mouthed tongue lashing" on the set of The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 movie written by Ivor Monger and directed by Christopher Monger. ^[123]

On 27 April 2007, Grant accepted undisclosed damages from the Associated Newspapers over claims made about his relationships with his girlfriends in three separate tabloid articles - which were published in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday - dated February 18, 21 and 24. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy His lawyer stated that all of the articles' "allegations and factual assertions are false. "^[124] Grant said, in a written statement, that he took the action because: "I was tired of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday papers publishing almost entirely fictional articles about my private life for their own financial gain. " He went on to take the opportunity to stress, "I'm also hoping that this statement in court might remind people that the so-called 'close friends' or 'close sources' on which these stories claim to be based almost never exist. "^[125]

Deriding British newspaper for having become a "little tittle-tattle industry," Grant has, on various occasions, claimed that the tabloids are keen to fabricate scandal on the slightest pretext and his own words are filtered through various media outlets before being misquoted numerous times. ^[44][109]

Image

Grant, once called the "unofficial mayor of London,"^[126] is frequently referred in the press with phrases that describe him as a "human straight line"^[127] who is "bursting with charisma. "^[128] He has been portrayed by acquaintances as a complicated man with an anarchic and sharp constitution. ^[44][12] Grant is noted for his tendency of teasingly insulting everyone, which has earned him the public reputation of someone who can "put you down, put you on and put you off in the same sentence. "^[129][10] There is "much of Hugh that is charismatic, intellectual, and whose tongue," according to Mike Newell, "is maybe too clever for its own good. Michael Cormac Newell (born 28 March 1942 is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for Television. "^[11]

Grant's interview with Oprah Winfrey on 22 October 2004, was highly discussed in the media for his outspoken wit, which produced extemporaneous quips that included his description of Julia Roberts as "very big-mouthed. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29 1954 often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28 1967 is an American - Academy Award winning Film actress and former Fashion model. " He said, "Literally, physically, she has a very big mouth. . . . when I was kissing her, I was aware of a faint echo. " When Winfrey defended Roberts as "one of the nicest people I ever met," Grant deadpanned, "No, well, I wouldn't go that far. "^[130] Such incidents have been accompanied by stories of Grant's purported insensitivity. ^[12] Filmmaker Paul Weitz, calling Grant truly funny, observed that "he perceives flaws in himself and other people, and then he cares about their humanity nonetheless. "^[131]

It is frequently written that Grant employs an impulsive habit of “cocky self-deprecation” in public relations. ^[12] Grant has also been presented in the press as occasionally being "very disengaged" at social events,^[132] with British newspapers regularly referring to him as bad-tempered, arrogant, rude, and grumpy. ^{[133][120][114][115][121]} According to his colleagues and public appearances, Grant is not worried about how his grumpiness is publically perceived, with his moodiness unabashedly at display in televised and published interviews. ^[134]

Personal life

Grant is known in popular media for his guarded privacy,^[135] as he rarely discusses his life in public and chooses instead to fend off personal questions with humour. ^[23] Grant is a supporter of Marie Curie Cancer Care, whose Great Daffodil Appeal he promoted in March 2008. ^[136]

In 1987, while playing Lord Byron in a Spanish production called Remando Al Viento (1988), Grant met little-known actress Elizabeth Hurley, who was cast in a supporting role as Byron's former lover Claire Clairmont. Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965 is an English model and former actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s ^[48] Grant started dating the aspiring model while shooting, and due to his rising fame, the latter half of their relationship was spent in the global media spotlight. After 13 years together, the two made "a mutual and amicable decision" to split in May 2000. ^[137] With Grant a single man, according to Vogue, "by all accounts the women of London were practically stabbing one another with forks at social events to get close to him. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications. "^[12] In 2004, he began dating socialite Jemima Khan under the intense scrutiny of British tabloids. Jemima Marcelle Khan (born 30 January 1974) is an English socialite known due to her relationships as a former girlfriend of Hugh Grant, the A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest ^[12] Three years later, in February 2007, Grant's publicist announced that the couple had "decided to split amicably. "^[138] The spokesman added, "Hugh has nothing but positive things to say about Jemima. "

Public scandals

On 27 June 1995, Grant was arrested by L.A. Vice officers in a residential area not far from Sunset Boulevard for misdemeanour lewd conduct in a public place with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West This article is about a police unit For the punk rock band see Vice Squad. Sunset Boulevard is a Street in the western part of Los Angeles County California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Divine Brown (born Estella Marie Thompson 9 August 1969) is an American Sex worker who gained considerable public recognition ^[139] He pleaded no contest to the charges. He was fined $1,180 (₤800), placed on two years' summary probation, and was ordered to complete an AIDS education program. ^[140][141]

The arrest occurred about two weeks before the release of Grant's first major studio film, Nine Months, which he was scheduled to promote on several American television shows. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno had him booked for the same week and, as recalled in former employee Don Sweeney's memoirs, "despite his arrest, Hugh Grant kept his appointment to appear on Jay's show. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (born April 28 1950 is an Emmy Award -winning American Stand-up comedian and Television host "^[31] The interview was a career-making hit for Leno^[142] and Grant was singled out for not making excuses for the incident. ^[143] He famously said:

“

I think you know in life what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing. And there you have it. [144]

”

On Larry King Live, Grant declined the host Larry King's repeated invitations to probe his psyche, saying that psychoanalysis was "more of an American syndrome" and he himself was "a bit old fashioned. Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television/radio host "^[145] He told the host: "I don't have excuses. "^[146] Grant's management of the scandal was deemed unusual for a celebrity. He was appreciated for "his refreshing honesty" as he "faced the music and handled it with tongue and cheek. "^[147] The incident registered strongly in the global cultural conscience and tarnished Grant's wholesome image. In the 2006 CBS TV series Love Monkey, the character called Shooter (Larenz Tate) explained the phenomenon of male discontent as "Grant's Law. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Love Monkey is a short-lived Television series created by Michael Rauch and based on a book of the same name, by Kyle Smith Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American Actor. Biography Early life Tate was born on the west side of " Referring to Hugh Grant, he said that the star: "had the hottest, sexiest and most beautiful woman waiting for him at home. And what does Hugh do? He picks up a cut-rate whore on Hollywood Boulevard. " This, he believed, showed that "We, as men, can never be satisfied. "^[148]

In April 2007, Grant was arrested on allegations of assault made by paparazzo Ian Whittaker. Paparazzi is a plural term ( paparazzo being the singular form for Photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of Celebrities ^[149] Grant made no official statement and did not comment on the incident. ^[150] Charges were dropped on June 1 by the Crown Prosecution Service due to "insufficient evidence. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public Prosecutions "^[151]

Athletic interests

Grant's athletic passions have often been profiled by newspapers and television media. A famous "golfing addict",^[152] he is a regular at pro-am tournaments with membership at the Sunningdale Golf Club, and is frequently pictured by the paparazzi at the famed Scottish golf courses in St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie. St Andrews (Cill Rìmhinn is a Town and former Royal burgh on the east coast of Fife, Scotland. The village of Kingsbarns lies on eastern coast of Fife, Scotland, in an area known as the East Neuk, 6 Carnoustie (kærnuːsti is a town and former Police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland ^[153] Called competitive and occasionally unpleasant,^[154] he reportedly plays with a lot of money at stake. ^[155] As a young boy, Grant was known as "a real killer, very fast, very competitive" on the sports field; he played rugby union on his school's first XV team at centre and played Football (soccer) as an avid fan of Fulham F.C.. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. He continued to play in a Sunday-morning football league in south-west London after college and remained an "impassioned Fulham supporter. "^[32] On the set of About a Boy, Nicholas Hoult recalled being taught cricket and snooker by Grant. Nicholas Caradoc "Nick" Hoult (born 7 December 1989) is an English film and television Actor. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Snooker is a Cue sport that is played on a large Baize -covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long Hoult said, "when we weren't acting we'd all play cricket. . . . We had a big match at the end of filming and Hugh was pretty good. "^[156] Actress Alicia Witt (Two Weeks Notice) has also described Grant as "a really good tennis player, shockingly good. Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21 1975 is an American film stage and television actress "^[157]

Awards and honours

Main article: Honours of Hugh Grant

Awards
Preceded by Robin Williams for Mrs. Doubtfire	Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 1995 for Four Weddings and a Funeral	Succeeded by John Travolta for Get Shorty
Preceded by Anthony Hopkins for Shadowlands (film)	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role 1994 for Four Weddings and a Funeral	Succeeded by Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness of King George

Filmography

Main article: Hugh Grant filmography

References

Further reading

• "Hugh Grant backs Marie Curie Cancer Care", The Daily Telegraph, 2008-02-25. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Retrieved on 2008-03-07. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus  
• Chocano, Carina. "A reluctant leading man", Los Angeles Times, 2007-02-14. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul  
• Cawthorne, Alec. "About a Boy interview", BBC, 2002-04-17. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces  
• Perchuk, Kate. "Hugh Grant: Giving notice", iVillage. iVillage Inc is a media company that owns various girl and woman-oriented online and offline content channels including iVillage Retrieved on 2007-09-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul  

External links

• Hugh Grant at the Internet Movie Database
• Hugh Grant at Yahoo! Movies
• Hugh Grant at Allmovie
• "An interview with Hugh Grant". Yahoo! Movies, provided by the Yahoo! network is home to a large collection of information on movies past and new releases trailers and clips Box office Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. Presenter: Charlie Rose. The Charlie Rose Show. Charlie Rose is an American television interview show with Charlie Rose as executive producer executive editor and host PBS. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the 1999-08-20. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Transcript.
• "A discussion about the film "Love Actually"". Presenter: Charlie Rose. The Charlie Rose Show. Charlie Rose is an American television interview show with Charlie Rose as executive producer executive editor and host PBS. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the 2003-11-07. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Transcript.

Persondata
NAME	Grant, Hugh
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Grant, Hugh John Mungo
SHORT DESCRIPTION	British actor and film producer
DATE OF BIRTH	September 9, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hammersmith, London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

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