Hugh Explores His Dark Side

The actor has ditched his romcom persona for more hardhitting roles – and it’s been a challenge, he says

- Nici De Wet

With his floppy fringe, lopsided grin, come-hither eyes, and English public-schoolboy sex appeal, he was the ultimate romcom Romeo.

The world fell in love with him as the endearingly bumbling Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral, rooted for him to woo Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, swooned over the irresistible cad he was in Bridget Jones, and even tolerated his so-so singing in Music and Lyrics.

But those days are done now. In Hugh Grant’s own words, he’s “too old, fat and ugly” to play the romantic hero – but there’s plenty of life left in this fellow yet.

Sure, at 60 he’s a bit wrinklier, that grin is more snaggle than sexy and he isn’t quite as slender as he once was. But the devilish twinkle is alive and well in those ice-blue eyes and the self-deprecating sense of humour that’s seen him sail through life is intact too.

He’s just having to think a little more out of the box when it comes to work, that’s all. Nowadays he’s switching things up – last year he played a shady private investigator with a cockney accent in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen.

This year he’s starring in the HBO mini-series The Undoing as Jonathan Fraser, a devoted father and oncologist married to a successful relationship therapist played by Nicole Kidman.

Their seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when a brutal murder occurs and Jonathan suddenly goes missing. Overnight he goes from respected family man to cops’ prime suspect.