HE shot to global fame as the awkwardly amiable floppy-haired Englishman in Four Weddings and a Funeral in the 1990s. Now Hugh Grant stands accused of being “incredibly rude” by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
But he was so charming in Four Weddings?
Indeed, but that was 25 years ago and he was playing the role of endearing Charles who woos Andie MacDowell’s American wedding guest, Carrie, in what became the highest-grossing British movie in history when it was released in 1994.
And he was so good in Notting Hill…
Another classic Grant movie. The 1999 romantic comedy - co-starring Julia Roberts - reunited the star with Four Weddings' screenwriter Richard Curtis, seeing him play a bookstore owner who falls for a megastar actress.
What’s he up to now?
Being accused of being “incredibly rude” by Chancellor Sajid Javid, who revealed in an interview with ES Magazine that, when meeting at a film premiere, Javid put out his hand and said "lovely to meet you", but Grant refused to shake it.
Javid was shocked?
He said he thought it was “incredibly rude”, adding: ”I wonder if people like Hugh Grant think they are part of the elite and they look down on working class people no matter what station they reach in life”.
Grant’s response?
Now 59, the actor - who was a victim of the phone-hacking scandal and campaigns for stricter press regulation - admitted he declined to take Javid's hand because he felt that while culture secretary, he had been dismissive to victims of press abuse.
Grant’s spokesman said those in the meeting reported back that Javid’s attitude was “borderline contemptuous”.
Sarah Vine waded in?
The Daily Mail columnist - and wife of Michael Gove - tweeted: “Hugh Grant did a similar thing to me a few years ago at the home of a mutual acquaintance. He was incredibly unpleasant and clearly relished humiliating me in front of his (showbiz) entourage. Disagree, by all means. But be civil.”
But Grant loathes the Mail?
He’s no fan of the tabloid press. His Twitter name is “Hacked Off Hugh”, in reference to the Hacked Off campaign for a free and accountable press that supports victims of press abuse.
What’s he up to now anyway?
The star of a raft of blockbusters, from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Love Actually, married Swedish TV producer, Anna Eberstein last year. The couple have three children and Grant also has two children with ex-partner, Tinglan Hong.
What about acting work?
He starred in critically-acclaimed mini-series, A Very English Scandal, last year as the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy to murder, and he also appeared as the villain in Paddington 2 in 2017.
Next up, Grant - whose father was a Seaforth Highlander and whose grandfather was a commander at Fort George, near Inverness, after World War Two - stars opposite Nicole Kidman in the HBO series, The Undoing, as her devoted husband who suddenly disappears.
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