Hugh Grant - Grant Took Panic Pills During Music And Lyrics

HUGH GRANT was doped up on anti-anxiety pills during the filming of MUSIC AND LYRICS - to combat his crippling panic attacks.

The actor has been candid about his chronic anxiety, which began when he made 1999's Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and became most severe while he was shooting the 2007 romantic comedy with Drew Barrymore.

Grant admits he was terrified of the disorder, and turned to powerful anti-anxiety medication lorazepam to get through the project.

He says, "I did the whole film full of lorazepam... It was scary.

"They've (the panic attacks) been growing over the years. There would always be two or three during a film and on Music and Lyrics I had a lot. I don't really know why. They would come and go during the easiest scenes. I'll go in there, rehearse, think it's going to be good and then suddenly they turn the camera round for a close-up and I freeze like a rabbit. It's humiliating and it's so bad I can barely speak so they have to throw the scene away."

Grant then clung to one piece of advice from a therapist to help him survive filming on upcoming comedy Did You Hear About The Morgans? with Sarah Jessica Parker.

He explains, "The one thing that did me some good was a bloke who said that when you have a panic attack, it's your natural adrenalin which you need to do the scene, but just a fraction too much.

"So if you just breathe and take it down a little you can do it. Just knowing that helped, so I got through this movie just about all right. Just."