Hugh Grant: I got too old and fat and ugly to do romantic comedies

Many years ago, Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore did a movie together called Music and Lyrics. They hated each other. They’re just too different, and it was evident for years afterwards. Hugh never really bad-mouthed her, but he made it perfectly clear that there was no love lost. So imagine my surprise that Hugh has been a guest on Drew’s talk show a few times and they get along really well now?? Like, you might even say that Hugh goes out of his way to be NICE to Drew, and he makes the effort to chat with her amiably. Which is difficult to do, because Drew is an extremely annoying person. Well, Hugh is currently promoting Wonka and instead of being fully miserable 24-7, Hugh has been playing along and enjoying himself. He did a segment with Drew where he talked about how his personal life is completely settled now but he has one last career goal.

Reflecting on his post-rom-com resurgence, which Barrymore, 48, dubbed the “Hugh-aissance,” the actor said, “I told you I got a bit better.”

“I got a little less bad after I had children, got married, got happier,” he continued. “I got too old and fat and ugly to do romantic comedies obviously, so I got off with more interesting things.”

Barrymore pushed back at this (“I don’t see you that way at all”) and suggested they reprise their on-screen chemistry as evidenced in 2007’s Music and Lyrics. “We need to do another one,” she said.

Elsewhere in the chat, Grant revealed that while he may be done with “sweet roles,” he still loves them.

“I love those films. I love the fact that people still like them, but I never felt comfortable really doing them,” he told Barrymore. “I don’t know about you, but I prefer more of a mask. I want to be someone else. Then it frees me up and then I quite like acting.”

When asked what in his life — both professionally and personally — he still wants to accomplish, Grant had a surprising answer for Barrymore.

“I’ve done my personal life,” the actor, who is married to Anna Eberstein, with whom he has three children. He also has two children with ex Tinglan Hong. “I’m very happily married, great girl, lovely children,” he said, adding that he is “done, finished, cooked.”

When it comes to his career, however, Grant has unfinished business. “Professionally, I want to finish that book. I wrote half a novel and I need to finish it,” he revealed. How, Barrymore asked, will Grant “find the time” to complete the novel? “Well, I won’t ever, and then I’ll die unsatisfied and miserable,” he joked.

[From People]

I hate to admit it, but Hugh Grant is a better actor now than he ever was when he was the rom-com king. He wasn’t a bad actor then, but he really has gotten more comfortable as he’s gotten older. Meaning, he’ll stretch his wings more, do weirder parts or play dirtbags and psychos. It really works on him – he was excellent in The Undoing, he was wonderful in that movie with Meryl (Florence Foster Jenkins) and he really is enjoying a Hughaissance.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Source: Read Full Article