‘I wonder if I’m a monster’: Hugh Grant has embraced bitter and twisted characters

NEWS

24 April 2024

Newsdesk

Hugh Grant relishes playing “twisted, angry little men” as he gets older.

The 63-year-old star features in Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy ‘Unfrosted’ as Thurl Ravenscroft – the actor who played Tony the Tiger for several decades – and says it is typical of the type of part he has taken in recent movies such as ‘Paddington 2’ and ‘Wonka’.

Speaking to MovieWeb, Hugh said: “The older I get, the more I enjoy playing twisted, angry little men, and here was a perfect one.

“His poisonous, disappointed rage at the way he’s ended up in life. I enjoy those guys. And his shocking vanity and narcissism. Why do I like playing those guys? Is that me? The older I get, the more I wonder if I’m a monster.”

The ‘Notting Hill’ actor explained that he now sends footage of himself to film bosses when offered a role so they have a clear idea of how he will approach the project.

Grant said: “That’s my new thing. Whenever I’m offered a part, I do a little video of myself and say, ‘This is the sort of thing you’re going to get’, which is their cue to say, ‘Wonderful’.

“I’m full of fear, and my fear is that I’ll turn up on Day 1 and do it how I think is marvellous, and they’re going to go, ‘Sorry, could you lose the accent, or lose the hair, or lose whatever it is?’ And you don’t want that on Day 1, on top of everything else.

“I think it’s good to do these, sort of, fake auditions.”