Hugh Grant Makes Surprising Admission About Some Of His Most Popular Roles

From the early 90s onwards, Hugh Grant became known as the undisputed king of the romantic comedy.

With the likes of Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually and Bridget Jones’s Diary already under his belt, the British actor later went transatlantic in rom-coms like Music And Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice and Did You Hear About The Morgans?.

However, while you might think the genre pretty much came as second nature to Hugh, he told former co-star Drew Barrymore on her US talk show that he “never felt comfortable” doing his famous romantic comedies.

“I love those films. I love the fact that people still like them, but I never felt comfortable really doing them,” he said.

“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.”

Seasonal fave Love Actually is another of Hugh's biggest rom-com roles
Seasonal fave Love Actually is another of Hugh’s biggest rom-com roles

Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/Shutterstock

Elsewhere in the interview, Hugh claimed he’d become “a bit better” in his job and “a little less bad after I had children, got married, got happier”.

“I got too old and fat and ugly to do romantic comedies obviously,” he joked, claiming that since saying farewell to romantic comedies he’s been “offered more interesting things” that have made his career more varied.

Hugh Grant at the Wonka premiere
Hugh Grant at the Wonka premiere

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images

Indeed, the past few years alone have seen Hugh take a prominent role in Charlie Brooker’s satirical Netflix special Death To 2020, the award-winning drama A Very English Scandal and, of course, the much-loved Paddington films.

You can also see Hugh in action in what must surely be his unlikeliest role to date, playing an Oompa Loompa to Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka in the new musical Wonka (even if it doesn’t sound like the filming process was Hugh’s favourite on-set experience…).

Share Button

People Are Only Just Realising Who Played The Husband In Barbie

Our favourite plastic fantastic movie this year, Barbie, was praised for a lot of its feminist messaging and for being a celebration of all things girlhood, but there may be one extra exciting wholesome detail that viewers missed.

If you cast your mind back on this dreary day to the flick that took over our bright summer, you’ll remember brief glances at Gloria’s husband. Gloria, played by America Ferrera, was the mother responsible for Barbie’s spiritual awakening.

At one point in the film, Gloria’s husband, played by Ryan Piers Williams, is learning Spanish on popular language app DuoLingo whilst seated on the sofa in their shared home.

Well, it turns out that almost all of this is accidentally based on reality…!

It turns out that actually, America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams are married in real life, and according to an interview with Greta Gerwig featured in a TikTok video, it had been written into the script that Gloria’s husband would be trying to learn to speak Spanish.

However, when America saw this, she said, “did you write this because my husband is always learning Spanish?!” before telling Greta that her husband was actually in the other room at that moment, learning Spanish! Greta admitted that this was not actually intentional but was delighted.

From there, Greta actually hired him for the part. The director described him as a “lovely, most wonderful person” and added that he was “so game” to take part in the film.

Greta added that during the cutaway scene, America was actually behind the camera giving direction to her husband in something the director described as feeling “very familial”.

Share Button

Olivia Colman Is Definitely Not Playing It Cool When It Comes To Her Next Dream Role

She may have played Queen Elizabeth II and even won an Oscar for her performance in The Favourite, but there’s one career ambition Olivia Colman cannot hide her excitement about.

The former star of The Crown and all-round national treasure revealed in a new interview that there’s one franchise she’s still hoping to land a role in.

Speaking to British Vogue, she revealed she would love to play M, the iconic James Bond character that’s been played by the likes of Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes in the past.

“The amount of time I have wanted to be M. I’m not sure who I need to call…” Olivia said in a recent cover interview with British Vogue.

When the writer of the piece suggested she contact Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, Olivia replied: “I met her once. I wanted to go, ‘Can I be M?’ I must try to be cooler about it. Maybe she reads Vogue? Put that bit in.”

Judi Dench as M in Tomorrow Never Dies
Judi Dench as M in Tomorrow Never Dies

Moviestore/Shutterstock

The Broadchurch star went on to explain that she’s less inclined to return to a stage role these days, having last performed in a theatre production back in 2017.

Instead, she said, she would prefer to focus on something little more action-packed.

“I have always wanted to walk in slow motion with an explosion behind me looking cool,” she said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Olivia explained why she’s not keen on long stints working away, which take her away from her three children.

“I love being at home. I rarely take jobs away,” she said, adding that she’s “trying to say no more often to have a bigger gap between jobs”.

Asked if she would say yes to a lead role in a Martin Scorsese film, she replied: “Can’t he come and do it in Norfolk?”

Olivia is on the cover of British Vogue for the first time
Olivia is on the cover of British Vogue for the first time

British Vogue/Tim Walker

James Bond producer Barbara recently revealed that the franchise had a “big road ahead” before the next film, after Daniel Craig bid farewell to the career-defining role in 2021′s No Time To Die.

Earlier this month, she explained the reason for the hold-up, telling Variety that “it’ll take some time” before the team is ready to begin production.

“You know, it’s a whole new reinvention, so it’ll take some time,” she added.

As for who could play the next Bond, Barbie director Greta Gerwig thinks one of her Kens, Kingsley Ben-Adir, could be perfect. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page and James Norton are also among actors whose names have so far cropped up amidst casting predictions and rumours.

The December issue of British Vogue is available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 21 November. Read Olivia Colman’s full interview here.

Share Button

‘He’s Extraordinary’: Daniel Radcliffe Honours His Paralysed Harry Potter Stunt Double

Daniel Radcliffe is celebrating the man who made him fly.

The Harry Potter star, who became famous at 12 years old for portraying the fictional character, produced a new documentary about his stunt double from the films. David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, chronicles the titular 42-year-old’s journey after being paralysed on set.

“I used to fly,” he says in the film, according to People. “Not so much anymore.”

Holmes is eight years older than Radcliffe but served as his stunt double for all eight “Potter” films. He suffered an on-set spinal injury in 2009, however, breaking his neck after being propelled backward into a wall while test filming for the final two instalments.

The Deathly Hallows incident left Holmes paralysed from the waist down.

“I wanted to make something about Dave for years because he’s extraordinary and I wanted to share that with the world,” Radcliffe told People for a story published Tuesday. “I was trying to do it myself. We shot some stuff and I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

“I thought I might know how to direct a documentary,” he added. “I absolutely didn’t.”

Radcliffe ultimately hired Potter video operator Dan Hartley to direct the film.

The documentary opens with Holmes as Harry Potter performing in mid-air on a broomstick, showing just how essential he was to bringing J.K. Rowling’s literary vision to the screen.

Radcliffe was initially intent on making a documentary about stunt men and their invaluable work in general, but it shifted to a focused look at Holmes before and after his accident. For Radcliffe, it also served as a trip down memory lane.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="1092" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":12,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"HBO","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTQuK2CaWaTgSsoNkn5AiQ","cache_age":86400,"description":"The Boy Who Lived, an @HBO Original Documentary which tells the extraordinary story of Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double and their lasting friendship, premieres November 15 on @streamonmax. #DavidHolmesHBO\n\nABOUT HBO\nHBO is home to the shows and films that everyone is talking about, from groundbreaking series and documentaries to the biggest blockbuster movies.\n\nSUBSCRIBE TO HBO\nSubscribe to the official HBO Channel for the latest on your favorite HBO series, movies, documentaries & sports specials: https://itsh.bo/youtube\n\nGET HBO: https://itsh.bo/ways-to-get\n\nMORE HBO\nOfficial Site: https://itsh.bo/dotcom\nFollow HBO on Instagram: https://itsh.bo/instagram\nFollow HBO on TikTok: https://itsh.bo/tiktok\nFollow HBO on Twitter: https://itsh.bo/twitter\nLike HBO on Facebook: https://itsh.bo/facebook","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":480,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1tWi5BiXqCE/sddefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":640,"title":"David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived | Official Trailer | HBO","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tWi5BiXqCE","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6554e6f2e4b05723e4bb5a84","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/daniel-radcliffe-david-holmes-documentary_uk_6554e6f2e4b05723e4bb5a84","entryTagsList":"ukfilm,harry-potter,daniel-radcliffe,@us_huffpost_now,@widget-imported","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":14},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6554e6f2e4b05723e4bb5a84","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukfilm","slug":"ukfilm","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukfilm","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Film","slug":"ukfilm","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm/"},{"name":"harry potter","slug":"harry-potter","links":{"relativeLink":"news/harry-potter","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/harry-potter","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/harry-potter"},"relegenceId":3793549,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/harry-potter/"},{"name":"Daniel Radcliffe","slug":"daniel-radcliffe","links":{"relativeLink":"news/daniel-radcliffe","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/daniel-radcliffe","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/daniel-radcliffe"},"relegenceId":2785763,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/daniel-radcliffe/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

“Dave, still, is one of the most important people in my life,” he told the BBC this week.

”He was somebody that was so incredibly fun to hang with when I was young,” Radcliffe added. “But then as I grew up he became a real guide to me, and kind of mentor and someone who really looked out for me, and that really has just continued as we’ve grown.”

Radcliffe forged ahead as a daring journeyman actor to shed his Potter fame with more risqué work.

Holmes became an ambassador for the RNOH Charity. He’s also a producer, including for the podcast Cunning Stunts, which featured other stunt professionals discussing the art.

Holmes told People he’s “not ready to watch” the documentary yet, but knows it was made “with love and sensitivity.”

“I have a team of Avengers that are wheelchair users or people from all different aspects of the disability spectrum that have seen this thing and said, ’No, it’s really empowering and it’s really positive and you’re going to do a good thing for the world,’” he said.

“Those opinions are the ones that matter to me,” Holmes concluded.

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived is now available on HBO Max in the US and NOW in the UK.

Share Button