..Also? Having a go. At the same time.
Yep. Hugh abhors sycophancy? So, won’t say he is awesome or perfect or anything. Though I did channel his use of the word ‘excellent’ in awkward moments. A lot. Growing up. Still do, today, in fact. Excellent!
Is he a character actor? No. Not, quite. But has improved his versatility, no question. Could win an Oscar sometime. And would make a great Bond villain (Drax in Bond 26?). He’s funny. Charming. Quick witted. Aging well. Scratch golfer. Fellow New College, Oxford graduate. (Unrelated note: LOVED that Gaude reunion, last week).
Back on topic. Yes. Hugh Grant. He does lots for charity but keeps much of that, secret. Naughty. But nice. So, he is half Cleaver from his Bridget Jones persona and half Charles from 4 Weddings? Either way, he is cool, a movie star and by his own admission, rather flawed?
Which is why I cannot understand the silly fuss made about a harmless red carpet interview. People are still talking about it! Sharing the clips, etc. STOP IT. Was Hugh a bit brief in his answers? Yeah. But the questions were hardly ground breaking, right? Rude, he was not. And I thought it was funny rather than nasty. Give him a break.
I have less patience with Hugh’s dissing the end of NOTTING HILL. By all means, give honest appraisals of one’s work, Mr Grant. But not on THAT film. Like the man himself, yes it is flawed (some filler scenes, occasionally sloppy dialogue, hideous use of a Ronan Keating song). But also, like Hugh, the film is funny, charming and classic Hollywood, via English idiom that only Curtis/Freud can deliver. It’s the most complex of romcoms, despite the veneer of simplicity.
And fact is? Hugh Grant’s star had waned a tad before he made the 1999 film. Seriously. There were attempts at turning him into a Brit Tom Cruise (Extreme Measures = The Firm, with medicine?) but few if any standout hits to call his own. Indeed, rumour has it that Ewan McGregor was considered for Hugh’s part in Notting Hill, when salary negotiations/star billing with Julia Roberts were up in the air for a while. Like I say: RUMOUR. But ‘there’, nonetheless. There were new kids, on the Brit rom-com block, already.
So, but for Hugh taking this particular role? Well, he might have been back as Nazi baddie of the week selling the family champagne in a Judith Krantz/Jackie Collins mini-series? Nowt wrong with that, btw. But it is not major league stardom.
To conclude, without putting too fine a point on it..
Everyone, cut Hugh Grant some slack.
Hugh: be nice about NOTTING HILL. you owe it a lot. Just sayin’, like..
Here endeth the lesson. Happy Thursday. x
