Hugh Grant celebrates 65th birthday: From the romantic hero to the “scrotum”

The career of the great British actor Hugh Grant (65) can basically be divided into two sections. The Mime celebrated its big international breakthrough in 1994 with the unforgettable romantic comedy “Four weddings and a death”. Grant was long defined on the role of the charming, somewhat shy and slightly confused, so typical Englishman.

Until he reinvented himself a bit, more and more convincingly embodied the villain – and in recent years also caused a stir with a lot of bizarre, controversial appearances. But once in turn.

Hugh John Mungo Grant, born on September 9, 1960, received a typical British training. He visited the Wetherby High School, to which the Prince William (43) and Harry (40) later also went, studied English literature in Oxford, wrote radio advertising and put together a sketch comedy force together with friends.

But the young man, who was as well-looked like, quickly caused enthusiasm-in the Merchant IVory films “Maurice” (1987) and, even better known, “what was left of the day” (1993).

Then followed the role of his life in “Four weddings and a death”. Hardly any Romcom couple appeared before or since then it has been credible and enchanting as Andie Macdowell (67) and Grant.

Not only over $ 245 million was the film written by Richard Curtis (68) – an enormous profit for the producers in view of a budget of only $ 4.4 million – Hugh Grant, it seemed that the greatest stars of the Golden Hollywood era found its own image.

As a result, he was the extremely personable, educated, slightly clumsy, self -ironic brit – and gave these traits on the screen with “strange overreactions – the grimace cutting, the stuttering, the fluttering eyelids”, as the film critic Rita Kempley (80) once formulated. In addition, Grant also started to become this art figure in public appearances. But was that really him?

The public received a first impression that the figure from “Four Wedding and a Death” could not be the true Hugh Grant in 1995 when he was arrested in Los Angeles on the open street because he received a blowjob from the sex worker Divine Brown.

Grant was able to shake this off this public scandal with a lot of charm – and in the following two decades appeared in a long series of romantic comedies, some of which are better (“Notting Hill”, “actually … love”), others were to be forgotten (“Did you hear that from Morgans?”).

Then came the Romcom mega success “Bridget Jones – chocolate for breakfast”. In the work with Renée Zellweger (56) as the title character, Grant played the counterpart to Colin Firths (64) “Mr. Right” Mark Darcy.

“I’m fed up with playing the nice guy, and I think everyone else is fed up,” he said around the publication of the first “Bridget Jones” film.

Especially in the past ten years, Grant has completely convinced as a villain – be it in his favorite genre, the comedy, such as in “Paddington 2” as a wonderfully self -loving actor Phoenix Buchanan or most recently in the psycho -horror film “HERETIC” as initially so friendly Mr. Reed, in whose house hid in an incredible abysses.

Grant also seems to have started a kind of third -party career in recent years as a provocateur in the media. Journalists around the world are afraid of interviewing the star, since he never feels like everything that may be completely irrelevant, forever repeating interview questions.

In particular, the Interviewer Ashley Graham (37), which Grant demonstrated, was particularly noticeable. At the same event, together with his former “four weddings and a death” partner Andie Macdowell, he entered the stage to hand over the Oscar for the best scene.

In his speech completely deviating from the topic, he described MacDowell as “still stunning”, explained that he had never used moisture cream in his life and said when he pointed to his own face: “Basically a scrotum”.

He also made fun of his “Notting Hill” partner Julia Roberts (57) in 2004, “she literally had a big mouth. When I kissed her, there was a quiet echo”.

Drew Barrymores (50) singing in the joint film “In the middle of the heart – a song for you”, however, was “just horrible”. And further: “I have already heard dogs bark better than sings.”

In the meantime, the star is also the father of five children and has been married to the Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein (49) since 2018. From 1987 to 2000 he was also in a relationship with a model and actress Elizabeth Hurley (60). He turns 65 on September 9th.