Hugh Grant has opened up about his casting doubts when it came to film roles. The Hollywood star, speaking to Vanity Fair, claimed that he turned down several big-budget films during his career because he found them inadequate in one way or another. The actor revealed that all the roles he turned down were from big production studios. However, Grant didn’t feel connected and had to turn them down.
“I turned down some offers that I felt were inadequate in terms of quality or inadequate freedom given to the filmmakers – you felt like a big company was pressuring these filmmakers, and that’s not a decision I wanted to make,” the Notting Hill star said during a chat with the media portal.
He added, “I asked them point blank. I questioned the directors. You can tell pretty early on, because you might have some ideas about the role before you sign up – you suggest things, and you can tell if there’s a lot of resistance from the non-creative executives.”
The actor however has no regrets about rejecting his other films, except Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which Grant believes was a good film. Though the film did well at the box-office, it did not live up to the production house’s expectations of a franchise that could have a laugh at success.
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Meanwhile, talking about the film disappointing audiences, the Four Weddings and a Funeral actor said, “Why didn’t anyone do market research first?” He added, “I think that’s what went wrong: basically, people thought, I don’t want to see a film about this sport. Why didn’t anyone ask the public?”
On the work front, the 64-year-old actor is set to reprise his role of Daniel Cleaver in the fourth Bridget Jones film, Mad About the Boy. After initially refusing to return to the franchise, Grant came on board after liking the script. He said, “It’s absolutely the best (Bridget Jones book), and I think it’s very funny and very, very touching. I’m not too much; I did a week’s work, that’s it… But when you see the film, you’ll be very emotional.”
The fourth Bridget Jones film will hit theaters on February 14, 2025.
Also read: Has Hugh Grant settled privacy suit against The Sun? Actor says he refuses to pay ‘money to keep it quiet’