Numerous romantic comedies and a highly unromantic scandal have made him famous. Now film star Hugh Grant is 60 years old.
A rebellious quiff keeps falling in his face. The same is adorned with an indestructible dog eye, somewhere between charm and vulnerability. And that British accent too. With all these attributes, it would have been surprising if Hugh Grant (60) hadn't developed into the all-purpose weapon for rom-coms and mothers-in-law's favorite in the 1990s.
Until, yes, until a fateful night in 1995. Because the dog eye may have been perfected by the actor, who celebrates his 60th birthday on September 9th. Hugh John Mungo Grant, on the other hand, was not always so sure about the famous dog loyalty.
Four weddings and a godsend for Grant
Most of Hugh Grant's first twelve years or so took place under the international radar. In 1982 he made his cinema debut with his very first film ("Privileged"), but it was not until five years later that the native of London became increasingly well known in England with the film "Maurice". It would be another seven years before his breakthrough would melt hearts around the world.
The romantic comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was Grant's great stroke of luck. The strip was nominated for two Academy Awards, including "Best Picture". Grant himself dusted off a Golden Globe for his lovingly planned character Charles. And at the same time, his long-time partner, a certain Elizabeth "Liz" Hurley (55), enjoyed media attention. But not only in a positive sense.
In 1995, of all people, the picture-book son-in-law cheated on his girlfriend at the time. In Los Angeles, in his car, in public – with a prostitute. Found food for the British tabloid press that pounced on the scandal like blowflies. It is no wonder that Grant has since been on the poor side of gossip reporters, whose professional class he, as he likes to emphasize, despises.
He then crawled to the cross for his affair on US television, as a guest on late night star Jay Leno. "I did a bad thing," Grant said curtly. In the audience you can mainly hear female laughs and encouraging calls …
His sex appeal was unbroken
It's amazing. With the exception of Hurley and, in any case, the mother of the Horned, no one seemed to really take the cheating scandal at Grant. Now he also had an image of the bad boy, which was often referred to as attractive. And Hurley did not part with him either, only in 2000 the relationship between the two broke up.
And what about the uproar over his career? One cannot speak of a kink, but it should take some time until he is fully rehabilitated as "Mister Rom-Com". In 1999, after he had not been on the screen for three years, the second major film came out that shaped Grant's career significantly. In "Notting Hill" he formed one of the most charming lovers in film history with Julia Roberts (52) and thanks to "Four Weddings and a Death" scriptwriter Richard Curtis (63).
Cult Rom-Coms and a liberating gangster comedy
In the following ten years, Grant played in highly successful works in which he remained largely true to his cinematic hunting ground. Whether "Bridget Jones", "A boss to fall in love with", "Right in the heart" or of course "Indeed … love".
A real urge for change – both personally and professionally – has only emerged at Grant in the past ten years. In the meantime, the highlight of his acting was the film "The Gentlemen" from 2019. In Guy Ritchie's (51) gangster comedy, Grant is barely recognizable as a greasy, vulgar gossip blowfly, and with the role he was allowed to take revenge on the hated reporters.
It remains complicated
Privately, Grant's life picked up significantly in 2011. His first child, a daughter, was born around the age of 51. The following year he even managed the feat of becoming a father twice. In December 2012 the second child followed with Tinglan Hong – already in September 2012 a child was born with the Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein.
After two more children together in 2015 and 2018, Eberstein finally achieved something that no woman had ever achieved before: In May 2018, at the age of 57, Grant gave up the title of eternal bachelor for her sake and stepped in front of the altar for the first time.