Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant (born 9.9.1960)

Hugh Grant is a British, Golden Globe-winning actor, as well as a film producer. He is perhaps best known for his role in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Hugh Grant: Childhood

Hugh Grant was born in London, to Fynvola and James Grant. Both his father and grandfather are decorated army veterans.

Grant was raised in Chiswick, West London and was educated at Wetherby School, Latymer Upper School and New College, Oxford, where he won the Galsworthy scholarship to study English Literature.

Whilst at Oxford University, Hugh joined their Dramatic Society and earned himself a lead role in their production of Twelfth Night.

Hugh Grant: Fledgling Career

Hugh Grant's debut film was in Privileged, in 1982. The film was financed by Oxford University and Grant was credited as Hughie Grant.

Talkback Productions hired Grant to write commercials for brands such as Red Stripe beer and Mighty White bread.

Grant joined the Nottingham Playhouse theatre, in order to gain his Equity card. Dissatisfied with the small parts he was given, Grant formed a comedy troupe named The Jockeys of Norfolk. Along with Chris Lang and Andy Taylor, they toured comedy venues and pubs around London and proved to be a hit at the Edinburgh Festival.

In 1987, Grant starred in the Merchant Ivory production of the E.M. Forster novel, Maurice. The film was a hit at the Venice film festival, where Grant was awarded the Volpi Cup.

In 1992, Grant landed a role in Bitter Moon, a Roman Polanski film, also starring Kristin Scott-Thomas. In 1993, he appeared in The Remains of the Day, but his performance did not attract much attention for him.

Hugh Grant: Breakthrough

Hugh Grant read the script for Four Weddings and a Funeral when he was 32 and considering abandoning his acting career. The film turned out to be Britain's best-selling film of all time, and grossed over $244 million in the box office. The film was nominated for two Oscars and Grant won a Golden Globe award for his performance.

In 1995, Hugh Grant starred in the comedy Nine Months. Although the film performed well financially, it fared less well with the critics. Luckily, his reputation was briefly saved by his performance opposite Emma Thompson in Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Following that, he starred in the Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain.

Hugh Grant's directorial debut came in 1996, with the thriller, Extreme Measures. The film was a commercial failure and was universally disliked by the press.

Following a three-year break in his career, Grant's fortunes were reversed with the release of Notting Hill, in which he starred alongside Julia Roberts. Beating records set by Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill grossed s363 million dollars at box offices worldwide.

Grant's next film, Mickey Blue Eyes, however, was another downturn for his career and only saw minimal success at cinemas. Luckily, his performance in Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks went some way towards restoring his reputation.

The 2001 adaptation of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary was another hit for Hugh Grant, as was his role alongside Sandra Bullock in Two Weeks' Notice.

The next year, he starred in About A Boy, an adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel and earned another Golden Globe nomination.

In 2003, Grant had the lead role in Love, Actually. Directed by Richard Curtis, the film was a huge success. Three years later, he returned to the screen in American Dreamz, followed by his performance opposite Drew Barrymore in Music and Lyrics.

Hugh Grant: Personal Life

Whilst working in Spain in 1987, Hugh Grant met Elizabeth Hurley. The pair dated for 13 years and their relationship was frequently in the glare of the world's media.

Between 2004 and 2007, Hugh Grant dated Jemima Khan, the socialite.

In 1995, Hugh Grant was famously arrested for lewd conduct with a prostitute near the Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. He was given two years' probation and a $1,180 fine.