153-449: Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor . He has received several accolades including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards . He received an Honorary César in 2006. As of 2018, his films had grossed
306-652: A 2.1 grade . Then viewing acting as nothing more than a creative outlet, he joined the Oxford University Dramatic Society and played Fabian in a production of Twelfth Night . He also starred in his first film, Privileged (1982), produced by the Oxford University Film Foundation . He turned down an offer from the Courtauld Institute of Art , University of London , to pursue a PhD in art history because he failed to secure
459-430: A BAFTA Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Volpi Cup for Best Actor as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards . Grant began his career as a character actor but became predominantly a comedy (especially a romantic comedy ) actor from his rise to stardom in mid-1990s until the 2010s. He said he moved away from romantic comedies after the failure of Did You Hear About
612-667: A Satellite Award and a European Film Award . Several critics put his work among the best acting performances of the year. Most award pundits predicted Grant would receive his first Academy Award nomination for his performance, but he was not nominated. His next appearance was as Phoenix Buchanan, the main antagonist of Paddington 2 , which was a commercial and critical success. The Guardian described his performance as "scene-stealing", while IGN commented "Grant continues to make an astonishing comeback in his career, once again by playing into his expert comedic abilities as Phoenix Buchanan, who dons each of his ridiculous disguises with
765-484: A child psychiatrist reacting unfavourably to his girlfriend's unexpected pregnancy, for his "insufferable muggings". Grant himself has been highly critical of his performance in Nine Months , stating in a 2016 interview that "I really ruined it. And it was entirely my fault. I panicked, it was such a big jump up from what I'd been paid before to what they were offering me. And the scale was inhuman to my standards, you know
918-568: A sketch-comedy group called The Jockeys of Norfolk, a name taken from Shakespeare's Richard III , with friends Chris Lang and Andy Taylor. The group toured London's pub comedy circuit with stops at The George IV in Chiswick , Canal Cafe Theatre in Little Venice and The King's Head in Islington . The Jockeys of Norfolk proved a hit at the 1985 Edinburgh Festival Fringe after their sketch on
1071-577: A "highly defamatory" article published in January 1995. The company's newspaper, Today , which ceased publication the following November, had falsely claimed that Grant verbally abused a young extra with a "foul-mouthed tongue lashing" on the set of The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain . On 27 April 2007, he accepted undisclosed damages from Associated Newspapers over claims made about his relationships with his former girlfriends in three separate tabloid articles, which were published in
1224-488: A Funeral , Grant had reunited with its director Mike Newell for the tragicomedy An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), which was labelled a "determinedly off-beat film" by The New York Times . He portrayed the supercilious director of a repertory company in post-World War II Liverpool . Critic Roger Ebert wrote, "It shows that he has range as an actor" but the San Francisco Chronicle disapproved on grounds that
1377-556: A Scottish accent; the film explores the life of a Scottish miner (Neeson) who becomes unemployed during a union strike. In 1991 he played Julie Andrews ' gay son in the ABC made-for-television film Our Sons . In 1991 he also starred as Frederic Chopin in Impromptu , opposite Judy Davis as his lover George Sand . In 1992 he appeared in Roman Polanski 's film Bitter Moon , portraying
1530-546: A bit like Hugh! ' " Despite initial backlash from the dwarfism community over his casting, Grant ultimately received praise for his performance, with Nick Levine of NME writing "A scene-stealing Grant provides the comic highlights as Lofty, a supercilious Oompa Loompa with a grudge against Chalamet's title character, Willy Wonka." In 2024, Grant had a guest appearance in Stephen Frears -directed, Kate Winslet -starring HBO limited series The Regime . The same year he played
1683-501: A charming but womanising book publisher Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones's Diary was proclaimed by Variety to be "as sly an overthrow of a star's polished posh – and nice – poster image as any comic turn in memory". The film, adapted from Helen Fielding 's novel of the same name, was an international hit, earning $ 281 million worldwide. He was, according to The Washington Post , fitting as "a cruel, manipulative cad, hiding behind
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#17330858930181836-474: A comic performer, Grant must get "his jiving and shucking under control". Film historian David Thomson opined in The New Biographical Dictionary of Film that the actor equated merely "itchy mannerisms" with screen acting. Grant's screen persona in his films of the 2000s gradually developed into a cynical, self-loathing cad. Claudia Puig of USA Today celebrated this transformation with
1989-524: A consequence of their kinship with the Champernowne family, all of the Raleigh and Gilbert brothers became prominent during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I . Raleigh's family was highly Protestant in religious orientation and had a number of near escapes during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I of England . In the most notable of these, his father had to hide in a tower to avoid execution. As
2142-457: A decline in his fortunes. In 1602, he sold the lands to Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork , who subsequently prospered under kings James I and Charles I . On March 25, 1584, Queen Elizabeth granted Raleigh a royal charter authorising him to explore, colonise and rule any "remote, heathen and barbarous lands, countries and territories, not actually possessed of any Christian Prince or inhabited by Christian People", in return for one-fifth of all
2295-549: A degree. Raleigh proceeded to finish his education in the Inns of Court . In 1575, he was admitted to the Middle Temple , having previously been a member of Lyon's Inn , one of the Inns of Chancery . At his trial in 1603, he stated that he had never studied law. Much of his life is uncertain between 1569 and 1575, but in his History of the World , he claimed to have been an eyewitness at
2448-512: A fastidious and proper British tourist who is married but finds himself enticed by the sexual hedonism of a seductive French woman and her embittered, paraplegic American husband. The film was called an "anti-romantic opus of sexual obsession and cruelty" by The Washington Post . In 1993 he had a supporting role in the Merchant-Ivory drama The Remains of the Day . Grant later jokingly called many of
2601-597: A favourite of Queen Elizabeth I because of his efforts at increasing the Protestant Church in Ireland. In 1585, Raleigh was knighted and was appointed warden of the stannaries , that is of the tin mines of Cornwall and Devon, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and vice-admiral of the two counties. He was a member of parliament for Devonshire in 1585 and 1586. He was also granted the right to colonise America. Raleigh commissioned shipbuilder R. Chapman of Deptford to build
2754-721: A fictional version of Thurl Ravenscroft who voiced Tony the Tiger in the Jerry Seinfeld comedy film Unfrosted . Grant's performance was praised with Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club describing him as the film's "MVP" and William Bibbiani of TheWrap writing that he "had the film's only consistently funny subplot.". Grant next starred in the A24 horror film Heretic (2024). The film received mostly positive reviews, with Variety saying it's yet another "wildly against-type" role in his career. Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine said it
2907-581: A film which serves as a prequel to the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , exploring Willy Wonka 's origins. In selecting Grant for the role, Wonka director Paul King told Empire magazine, "Going back to the book, and reading all those poems, and hearing [the Oompa Loompas'] voice as a very sort of cynical, sarcastic, cruel, funny, but wicked voice, I went, 'Oh... That's sort of
3060-580: A fish-out-of-water mob comedy Mickey Blue Eyes , that year. It was dismissed by critics, performed modestly at the box office and garnered its actor-producer mixed reviews for his starring role. Roger Ebert thought, "Hugh Grant is wrong for the role [and] strikes one wrong note and then another", whereas Kenneth Turan , writing in the Los Angeles Times , said, "If he'd been on the Titanic , fewer lives would have been lost. If he'd accompanied Robert Scott to
3213-565: A fleet that resulted in the capture of a Spanish ship in retreat carrying vital information regarding the Spanish plans. In 1597 Raleigh was chosen as member of parliament for Dorset and in 1601 for Cornwall . He was unique in the Elizabethan period in sitting for three counties. From 1600 to 1603, as governor of the Channel Island of Jersey , Raleigh modernised its defences. This included
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#17330858930183366-540: A grant. After making his debut in the Oxford-financed film Privileged (1982), Grant dabbled in a variety of jobs, such as working as an assistant groundsman at Fulham Football Club , tutoring, writing comedy sketches for TV shows and working for Talkback Productions to write and produce radio commercials for products such as Mighty White bread and Red Stripe lager. At a screening of Privileged at BAFTA in London, he
3519-432: A group of authors had actually written the plays later attributed to William Shakespeare , the main writer being Walter Raleigh. Later, George S. Caldwell asserted that Raleigh was actually the sole author. These claims have been supported by other scholars throughout subsequent years, including Albert J. Beveridge and Henry Pemberton , but are rejected by the majority of Shakespearean scholars today. In 2002, Raleigh
3672-460: A haughty actor in Paddington 2 (2017). He has also acted in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas (2012), several Guy Ritchie action films including The Gentlemen (2019), the musical fantasy Wonka (2023), and the horror film Heretic (2024). He earned two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nominations for his television roles as Jeremy Thorpe in
3825-525: A heated discussion about religion with Reverend Ralph Ironsides. The argument later gave rise to charges of atheism against Raleigh, though the charges were dismissed. He was elected to Parliament, speaking on religious and naval matters. In 1594, he came into possession of a Spanish account of a great golden city at the headwaters of the Caroní River . A year later, he explored what is now Guyana and eastern Venezuela in search of Lake Parime and Manoa,
3978-481: A hurricane prevented John White from investigating the island for survivors. Other speculation includes their having starved, or been swept away or lost at sea during the stormy weather of 1588. No further attempts at contact were recorded for some years. Whatever the fate of the settlers, the settlement is now remembered as the " Roanoke Colony " later known as the "Lost Colony". Raleigh himself never visited North America, although he led expeditions in 1595 and 1617 to
4131-561: A kind of egotistical obliviousness that Grant is perfect at pulling off." Grant went on to win London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance. Grant's performance was ranked as the 22nd greatest movie performance of the decade by IndieWire in 2019. In 2018, Grant returned to television screens after 25 years, as Jeremy Thorpe in
4284-441: A leading actor often has the physical attractiveness considered necessary to play the love interest , a character actor typically does not. In fact, some character actors are known for their unusual looks. For example, Chicago character actor William Schutz's face was disfigured in a car accident when he was five years old, but his appearance after reconstructive surgery helped him to be distinctive to theater audiences. Generally,
4437-518: A leading role in Ken Russell 's horror film, The Lair of the White Worm . He was Lord Byron in a Goya Award -winning Spanish production called Remando al viento (1988) and portrayed legendary champagne merchant Charles Heidsieck in the television film Champagne Charlie (1989). In 1990 he had a small role in the sport/crime drama The Big Man , opposite Liam Neeson , in which Grant assumed
4590-437: A man with a "professionally misanthropic mystique". He has expressed distaste for focus groups , market research , and emphasis on opening weekend box-office numbers, saying: "It's so destructive to the filmmaking process. What was wrong with the way they used to release films, more slowly, let them build?" The director Mike Newell has said: "There is at least as much of Hugh that is charismatic, intellectual, and whose tongue
4743-406: A meeting with Lord Cobham . One of the judges at his trial later said: "The justice of England has never been so degraded and injured as by the condemnation of the honourable Sir Walter Raleigh." Raleigh's poetry is written in the relatively straightforward, unornamented mode known as the plain style. C. S. Lewis considered Raleigh one of the era's "silver poets", a group of writers who resisted
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4896-640: A menacing figure because of his "long, angular face", which was easily recognized in public, although audiences rarely knew his name. Character actors can play a variety of types, such as the femme fatale , gunslinger , sidekick , town drunk , villain , hooker with a heart of gold , and many others. Prolific character actors, such as Margo Martindale , are rarely out of work, and they often have long careers that span decades. They are often highly esteemed by fellow actors. Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh ( / ˈ r ɔː l i , ˈ r æ l i , ˈ r ɑː l i / ; c. 1553 – 29 October 1618)
5049-468: A more diverse group of settlers was sent, including some entire families, under the governance of John White . After a short while in America, White returned to England to obtain more supplies for the colony, planning to return in a year. Unfortunately for the colonists at Roanoke, one year became three. The first delay came when Queen Elizabeth I ordered all vessels to remain at port for potential use against
5202-402: A notable change in his boyish look. Now 41, he had lost weight and also abandoned his trademark floppy hair. Entertainment Weekly ' s Owen Gleiberman took note of Grant's maturation in his review, saying he looked noticeably older and that it "looked good on him". He added that Grant's "pillowy cheeks are flatter and a bit drawn, and the eyes that used to peer with 'love me' cuteness now betray
5355-464: A parody of himself. Nonetheless, Grant has occasionally acted in dramas. He played a sleazy, snide community theatre director with a penchant for young actors in the drama film An Awfully Big Adventure , which received critical praise, and for "a very quiet, dignified" performance as Frédéric Chopin in James Lapine 's biopic film Impromptu . In 2012, he played six "incredibly evil" characters in
5508-787: A particular part or in a certain genre, such that the actor becomes so strongly identified with a particular type of role that casting directors and theatrical agents steer the actor to similar roles. Some character actors are known as "chameleons", able to play roles that vary wildly, such as Gary Oldman and Christian Bale . Many character actors tend to play the same type of role throughout their careers, like Harvey Keitel as tough, determined characters; Christopher Lloyd as eccentrics; Claude Rains as sophisticated, sometimes morally ambiguous men; Abe Vigoda as aging criminals; Fairuza Balk as moody goth girls; Doug Jones as non-human creatures; and Forest Whitaker as composed characters with underlying volatility. Ed Lauter usually portrayed
5661-553: A prime example of a "that guy" actor being John Carroll Lynch . Over the course of an acting career, an actor can sometimes shift between leading roles and supporting roles. Some leading actors, as they get older, find that access to leading roles is limited by their age. Sometimes character actors have developed careers based on specific talents needed in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship, acrobatics, swimming ability, or boxing. Many up-and-coming actors find themselves typecast in character roles due to an early success with
5814-553: A refreshing standout." After a three-year hiatus, in 1999 he paired with Julia Roberts in Notting Hill , which was written by Richard Curtis and produced by much of the same team that was responsible for Four Weddings and a Funeral . This new Working Title production displaced Four Weddings and a Funeral as the biggest British hit in the history of cinema, with earnings equalling $ 363 million worldwide. As it became exemplary of modern romantic comedies in mainstream culture,
5967-572: A result, Raleigh developed a hatred of Roman Catholicism during his childhood, and proved himself quick to express it after Protestant Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558. In matters of religion, Elizabeth was more moderate than her half-sister Mary. In 1569, Raleigh went to France to serve with the Huguenots in the French religious civil wars. In 1572, Raleigh was registered as an undergraduate at Oriel College, Oxford , but he left in 1574 without
6120-465: A result, the ship was renamed Ark Royal . In 1586 one of Raleigh's expeditions caught Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa . Raleigh held Gamboa prisoner in his house and had long conversations with him. Gamboa passed messages to the Spanish ambassador who forwarded them to King Philip II . Raleigh wanted to defect to Spain and sell his ship the Ark. Philip refused to buy the ship, but encouraged
6273-420: A shark's casual cunning. Everything about him is leaner and spikier (including his hair, which has been shorn and moussed into a Eurochic bed-head mess), but it's not just his surface that's more virile; the nervousness is gone, too. Hugh Grant has grown up, holding on to his lightness and witty cynicism but losing the stuttering sherry-club mannerisms that were once his signature. In doing so, he has blossomed into
Hugh Grant - Misplaced Pages Continue
6426-417: A ship for him. She was originally called Ark but became Ark Raleigh , following the convention at the time by which the ship bore the name of her owner. The Crown (in the person of Queen Elizabeth I) purchased the ship from Raleigh in January 1587 for £5,000 (£1.1 million in 2015). This took the form of a reduction in the sum that Sir Walter owed the queen; he received Exchequer tallies but no money. As
6579-577: A sister of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval . Grant's father was an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders for eight years in Malaya and Germany . He ran a carpet business and pursued hobbies such as golf and watercolour painting ; he raised his family in Chiswick , West London, where the Grants lived next to Arlington Park Mansions on Sutton Lane. In September 2006, a collection of Capt. Grant's paintings
6732-464: A small copyhold , you would have witnesses or good proof to lead the jury to a verdict; and I am here for my life!" Raleigh argued that the evidence against him was " hearsay ", but the tribunal refused to allow Cobham to testify and be cross-examined . Raleigh's trial has been regularly cited as influential in establishing a common law right to confront accusers in court. Raleigh was convicted, but King James spared his life. While imprisoned in
6885-642: A stained glass window in Churston Ferrers Church, near Greenway.) Katherine Champernowne's paternal aunt was Kat Ashley , governess of Queen Elizabeth I, who introduced Raleigh and his brothers to the court. Raleigh's maternal uncle was Sir Arthur Champernowne ( c. 1524 –1578), a Member of Parliament , Sheriff of Devon and Admiral of the West . Walter Raleigh junior's immediate family included his full brother Carew Raleigh , and half-brothers John Gilbert, Humphrey Gilbert and Adrian Gilbert. As
7038-513: A total of nearly US$ 3 billion worldwide. In 2022, Time Out magazine listed Grant as one of Britain's 50 greatest actors of all time. Grant made his feature film acting debut in Privileged (1982), followed by the romantic drama Maurice (1987) for which he gained acclaim as well as the Volpi Cup for Best Actor . He then acted in a string of successful period dramas such as The Remains of
7191-494: A truly international star whose image was endlessly promoted in tabloid newspaper articles, television chat shows and magazine profiles, especially in mass circulation women's magazines. Grant was careful to play up to the affable and self-deprecating English gent. His interviewers commented frequently on his romantic attractiveness, a modern matinée idol, blue eyed, very good looking in a classically English way, with his floppy hair and charming smile, his impeccable manners leavened by
7344-452: A velvet bag until her death. After Raleigh's wife's death 29 years later, his head was removed to his tomb and interred at St. Margaret's Church. Although Raleigh's popularity had waned considerably since his Elizabethan heyday, his execution was seen by many, both at the time and since, as unnecessary and unjust, as for many years his involvement in the Main Plot seemed to have been limited to
7497-506: Is "having a fine and liberating time playing a supercilious court portrait painter", and Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times said he has "some delicious moments" in the film. He made his debut as a film producer with the 1996 thriller Extreme Measures . Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel each gave the film three out of four stars, with Siskel writing "Hugh Grant's work in Extreme Measures is
7650-459: Is Thorpe, and everything about his performance is exactly so. It's the role of Grant's life, and he performs it even more brilliantly than he did Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 ." The Sunday Times stated, "It's become tediously predictable to praise this drama but, as Thorpe, Hugh Grant really has proved he's getting better as he's getting older". Grant was nominated for several awards, including
7803-467: Is all or any of it true? With this role and that in the recent A Very English Scandal , Grant has become expert at bringing his charm to darker characters." Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com was less impressed with the series but called Grant's performance as the "series-best". Grant received a Screen Actors Guild Award , Golden Globe Award and Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for his performance. In 2023, Grant reunited with Guy Ritchie for
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#17330858930187956-516: Is generally assumed to have been a junior branch of the Raleigh family, 11th-century lords of the manor of Raleigh, Pilton in North Devon, although the two branches are known to have borne entirely dissimilar coats of arms, adopted at the start of the age of heraldry ( c. 1200 –1215). His mother was Katherine Champernowne, the third wife of Walter Raleigh senior. She was the fourth daughter of Sir Philip Champernowne (1479–1545), lord of
8109-474: Is maybe too clever for its own good as there is of him that's gorgeous and kind of woolly and flubsy." Filmmaker Paul Weitz said that Grant is funny and that "he perceives flaws in himself and other people, and then he cares about their humanity nonetheless". British newspapers regularly refer to him as "grumpy" . Grant is a self-confessed "committed and passionate" perfectionist on a film set. The American film critic Dave Kehr has written that Grant "is known in
8262-410: Is one of the sleaziest and most unsympathetic characters Mr. Allen has ever created". In a role devoid of his comic attributes, The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Grant deftly imbues his character with exactly a perfect blend of charm and nasty calculation." In 2000, Grant also joined the supervisory board of IM Internationalmedia AG , the powerful Munich -based film and media company. In 2001, his turn as
8415-482: Is only a small part of it." Grant is known as a meticulous performer who approaches his roles like a character actor , working hard to make his acting appear spontaneous. In a career spanning more than 35 years, Grant has repeatedly claimed that acting was not his true calling, but rather a career that developed by happenstance. However, in 2020, after moving on to more character roles, he has stated that he "enjoys acting now". Grant has expressed boredom with playing
8568-526: Is that he just never cuts the crap. He's become one of those actors who's all shambling self-caricature, from his twinkly crow's feet to the time-lapsed half century it takes him to actually get one of his lines out." The film provided both its stars a chance to satirise the woes of international notoriety, most noted of which was Grant's turn as a faux-journalist who sits through a dull press junket with what The New York Times called "a delightfully funny deadpan". Grant also released his second production output,
8721-402: Is unique." Many of Grant's films of the 1990s followed a similar plot that captured an optimistic bachelor experiencing a series of embarrassing incidents to find true love, often with an American woman. In earlier films, he was adept at plugging into the stereotype of a repressed Englishman for humorous effects, allowing him to gently satirise his characters as he summed them up and played against
8874-465: Is used primarily to describe television and film actors, as opposed to theater actors. An early use of the term was in the 1883 edition of The Stage , which defined a character actor as "one who portrays individualities and eccentricities". Actors with a long career history of playing character roles may be difficult for audiences to recognize as being the same actor. In contrast to leading actors , they are generally seen as less glamorous. While
9027-515: The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday on 18, 21 and 24 February. His lawyer stated that all of the articles' "allegations and factual assertions are false". Grant said, in a written statement, that he took the action because: "I was tired of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday papers publishing almost entirely fictional articles about my private life for their own financial gain." He went on to take
9180-499: The BBC miniseries A Very English Scandal (2018) and a husband accused of infidelity and murder in the HBO miniseries The Undoing (2020). Grant has been outspoken about his antipathy towards the profession of acting, his disdain towards the culture of celebrity, and his hostility towards the media. He emerged as a prominent critic of the conduct of Rupert Murdoch 's News Corporation during
9333-575: The BBC One miniseries A Very English Scandal , which marked his second collaboration with director Stephen Frears . The miniseries, and in particular Grant, were widely and highly praised. Digital Spy ' s review stated that "There's always been a bit of the devil in Grant's best turns, and in Thorpe, a man with a fully-realised dark side, he's found his richest part in years". The New Statesman wrote, "Hugh Grant
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#17330858930189486-508: The Battle of Moncontour (3 October 1569) in France. In 1575 or 1576, Raleigh returned to England. In 1577 and again in 1579 Raleigh made voyages with his half-brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert in attempts to find a Northwest Passage . They failed to find a passage, but succeeded in raiding Spanish ships. See Plantations of Ireland From 1579 to late 1580, Raleigh took part in the suppression of
9639-493: The Desmond Rebellions . He was present at the siege of Smerwick , where he led the party that beheaded some 600 Spanish and Italian soldiers. In September 1584, Queen Elizabeth I had the land surveyed to be divided amongst her "Undertakers"(People she appointed to undertake supervision of colonization of the region) to colonize. In 1585, Raleigh received 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) (approximately 0.2% of Ireland) in
9792-476: The Italian Renaissance influence of dense classical reference and elaborate poetic devices. His writing contains strong personal treatments of themes such as love, loss, beauty, and time. Most of his poems are short lyrics that were inspired by actual events. In poems such as "What is Our Life" and " The Lie ", Raleigh expresses a contemptus mundi (contempt of the world) attitude more characteristic of
9945-471: The London Film Critics Circle named Grant its Best British Actor and GQ honoured him as one of the magazine's men of the year 2002. "His performance can only be described as revelatory", wrote critic Ann Hornaday, adding that "Grant lends the shoals layer upon layer of desire, terror, ambivalence and self-awareness." The New York Observer concluded: "[The film] gets most of its laughs from
10098-603: The Middle Ages than of the dawning era of humanistic optimism. But his lesser-known long poem "The Ocean's Love to Cynthia" combines this vein with the more elaborate conceits associated with his contemporaries Edmund Spenser and John Donne , expressing a melancholy sense of history. The poem was written during his imprisonment in the Tower of London. Raleigh wrote a poetic response to Christopher Marlowe 's " The Passionate Shepherd to His Love " of 1592, entitled " The Nymph's Reply to
10251-520: The Munster Plantation , including the coastal walled town of Youghal and, further up the Blackwater River , the village of Lismore . Raleigh made the town of Youghal in Ireland his occasional home during his 17 years as an Irish landlord, frequently being domiciled at Killua Castle , Clonmellon , County Westmeath . He was mayor there from 1588 to 1589. Raleigh encouraged veterans of
10404-947: The Nativity , told as an Ealing comedy , gained them a spot on Russell Harty 's BBC2 TV show Harty Goes to ... . In 1986 he played Eric Birling in a production of An Inspector Calls at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester , directed by Richard Wilson , giving a performance that Grevel Lindop , writing in the Times Literary Supplement , described as "outstanding". In 1985 and 1986, Grant had minor roles in eight television productions, including TV films, historical miniseries and single episodes of series. His first leading film role came in Merchant-Ivory 's Edwardian drama film Maurice (1987), adapted from E. M. Forster 's novel. He and co-star James Wilby shared
10557-884: The News International phone hacking scandal . Grant was born on September 9, 1960 in Hammersmith Hospital , the second son of Fynvola Susan MacLean (1933–2001) and Captain James Murray Grant. His grandfather, Colonel James Murray Grant, DSO , was decorated for bravery and leadership at Saint-Valery-en-Caux during World War II. Genealogist Anthony Adolph has described Grant's family history as "a colourful Anglo-Scottish tapestry of warriors, empire-builders, and aristocracy." His ancestors include Sir Walter Raleigh ; William Drummond, 4th Viscount Strathallan ; James Stewart ; John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl ; Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham ; Sir Evan Nepean; and
10710-515: The Orinoco river basin in South America in search of the golden city of El Dorado . These expeditions were funded primarily by Raleigh and his friends but never provided the steady stream of revenue necessary to maintain a colony in America. In 1580 Raleigh went to fight in Ireland against the 2nd Desmond Rebellion . In December 1581, he returned to England. He took part in court life and became
10863-462: The Orinoco river, in violation of peace treaties with Spain and against Raleigh's orders. A condition of Raleigh's pardon was avoidance of any hostility against Spanish colonies or shipping. In the initial attack on the settlement, Raleigh's son, Walter, was fatally shot. Kemys informed Raleigh of his son's death and begged for forgiveness, but did not receive it, and at once committed suicide. On Raleigh's return to England, an outraged Count Gondomar ,
11016-667: The Primetime Emmy Award , Screen Actors Guild Award , Golden Globe Award , BAFTA Award for Best Actor. In 2019, Grant played another against-type role, in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen , his second collaboration with the director following The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Grant plays Fletcher, a seedy and unscrupulous private investigator, which he called "a fun bit of casting" referring to his Hacked Off campaigning. He has stated he based his character on tabloid reporters who "used to be my enemies and now they're my friends". Even though
11169-477: The South Pole , the explorer would have lived to be 100. That's how good Hugh Grant is at rescuing doomed ventures." While promoting Woody Allen 's Small Time Crooks (2000) on NBC's The Today Show in 2000, Grant told host Matt Lauer , "It's my millennium of bastards". Small Time Crooks starred Grant, in the words of film critic Andrew Sarris , as "a petty, petulant, faux-Pygmalion art dealer, David, [who]
11322-547: The Spanish Armada . After England's 1588 victory over the Spanish Armada, the ships were given permission to sail. The second delay came after White's small fleet set sail for Roanoke and his crew insisted on sailing first towards Cuba in hopes of capturing treasure-laden Spanish merchant ships. Enormous riches described by their pilot, an experienced Portuguese navigator hired by Raleigh, outweighed White's objections to
11475-451: The Tower of London . Raleigh's trial began on 17 November in the converted Great Hall of Winchester Castle . Raleigh conducted his own defence. The chief evidence against him was the signed and sworn confession of his friend Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham . Raleigh repeatedly requested that Cobham be called to testify. "[Let] my acuser come face to face, and be deposed. Were the case but for
11628-628: The Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for their portrayals of lovers Clive Durham and Maurice Hall, respectively. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he balanced small roles on television with film work, which included playing Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd Baron Delamere in the BAFTA Award -nominated White Mischief (1987) and a supporting role in The Dawning (1988) opposite Anthony Hopkins and Jean Simmons . In 1988 he had
11781-653: The capture of Cádiz , where he was wounded. He also served as the rear admiral (a principal command) of the Islands Voyage to the Azores in 1597. On his return from the Azores, Raleigh helped England defend itself against the major threat of the 3rd Spanish Armada during the autumn of 1597. The Armada was dispersed in the Channel and later was devastated by a storm off Ireland. Lord Howard of Effingham and Raleigh were able to organise
11934-463: The siege of Smerwick . Later, he became a landlord of property in Ireland and mayor of Youghal in east Munster , where his house still stands in Myrtle Grove . He rose rapidly in the favour of Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. He was granted a royal patent to explore Virginia , paving the way for future English settlements. In 1591, he secretly married Elizabeth Throckmorton , one of
12087-697: The 1800s would lead to the Great Famine when they were the only crop not exported in bulk to Britain from 1840 to 1852, a time when potatoes across the continent were destroyed by a gigantic outbreak of blight known as the European Potato Failure. Amongst Raleigh's acquaintances in Munster was another Englishman who had been granted land in the Irish colonies, poet Edmund Spenser . Raleigh's management of his Irish estates ran into difficulties which contributed to
12240-467: The 55-year-old actor has just sealed his first-ever Oscar nomination." Carrie Rickey of Yahoo! Movies commented that Grant "deserves the Globe, an Oscar nomination, and the recognition — finally — that he is unique and irreplaceable among modern actors". He was nominated for his first individual Screen Actors Guild Award and also earned nominations for a BAFTA , a Golden Globe , a Critics' Choice Award ,
12393-495: The British press, it is common to compare young romantic comedy actors to him. I've never been tempted to do the part where I cry or get AIDS or save some people from a concentration camp just to get good reviews. I genuinely believe that comedy acting, light comedy acting, is as hard as, if not harder than serious acting, and it genuinely doesn't bother me that all the prizes and the good reviews automatically by knee-jerk reaction go to
12546-802: The Day (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Restoration (1995). Grant emerged as a star with Richard Curtis 's romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), for which he won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Actor . He starred in further romantic comedies such as Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and its 2004 sequel , About a Boy (2002), Two Weeks Notice (2002), Love Actually (2003) and Music and Lyrics (2007). Grant began to take against-type parts earning nominations for two BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his roles as St. Clair Bayfield in Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) and
12699-467: The Morgans? (2009). In a 2020 interview with The Sydney Morning Herald , he said: "I got old and ugly and I'm not appropriate for romantic comedy films anymore, which has been a great blessing". Even though his recent credits include political dramas like A Very English Scandal and crime films like The Gentlemen , Grant is still often associated with his Richard Curtis -scripted romantic comedy films. In
12852-489: The Queen's ladies-in-waiting , without the Queen's permission, for which he and his wife were sent to the Tower of London . After his release, they retired to his estate at Sherborne , Dorset . In 1594, Raleigh heard of a "City of Gold" in South America and sailed to find it, publishing an exaggerated account of his experiences in a book that contributed to the legend of " El Dorado ". After Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, Raleigh
13005-580: The Shepherd ". Both were written in the style of traditional pastoral poetry and follow the structure of six four-line stanzas employing a rhyme scheme of AABB , with Raleigh's an almost line-for-line refutation of Marlowe's sentiments. Years later, the 20th-century poet William Carlos Williams would join the poetic "argument" with his " Raleigh Was Right ". All finished, and some unfinished, poems written by Raleigh or plausibly attributed to him: In 1845, Shakespeare scholar Delia Bacon first proposed that
13158-624: The Spanish ambassador, demanded that Raleigh's death sentence be reinstated by King James, who had little choice but to do so. Raleigh was brought to London from Plymouth by Sir Lewis Stukley , where he passed up numerous opportunities to make an effective escape. Raleigh was beheaded in the Old Palace Yard at the Palace of Westminster on 29 October 1618. "Let us dispatch", he said to his executioner. "At this hour my ague comes upon me. I would not have my enemies think I quaked from fear." After he
13311-546: The Spanish, he was arrested and executed in 1618. Little is known about Sir Walter Raleigh's birth but he is believed to have been born on 22 January 1552 (or possibly 1554 ). He grew up in the house of Hayes Barton (in the parish of East Budleigh ), in East Devon . He was the youngest of the five sons of Walter Raleigh (1510–1581) (or Rawleigh) of Fardel Manor (in the parish of Cornwood ), in South Devon. Raleigh's family
13464-476: The Tower until 1616. His son, Carew, was conceived and born (in 1604 or 1605) while Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower. In 1617, Raleigh was pardoned by the King and granted permission to conduct a second expedition to Venezuela in search of El Dorado. During the expedition, a detachment of Raleigh's men under the command of his long-time friend Lawrence Kemys attacked the Spanish outpost of Santo Tomé de Guayana on
13617-450: The Tower, Raleigh wrote his incomplete The History of the World . Using a wide array of sources in six languages, Raleigh was fully abreast of the latest continental scholarship. He wrote not about England, but of the ancient world with a heavy emphasis on geography. Despite his intention of providing current advice to the King of England, King James I complained that it was "too sawcie in censuring Princes". Raleigh remained imprisoned in
13770-544: The UK-based Simian Films Limited. He appointed his then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley , as the head of development to look for prospective projects. Simian Films produced two Grant vehicles in the 1990s and lost a bid to produce About a Boy to Robert De Niro 's TriBeCa Productions . The company closed its US office in 2002 and Grant resigned as director in December 2005. Before the release of Four Weddings and
13923-499: The acerbic host of an American Idol -like reality show where, according to Caryn James of The New York Times , "nothing is real ... except the black hole at the centre of the host's heart, as Mr. Grant takes Mr. Cowell's villainous act to its limit". American Dreamz failed financially but Grant was generously praised. He played his self-aggrandising character, an amalgam of Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest , with smarmy self-loathing. The Boston Globe proposed that this "just may be
14076-414: The action Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre alongside Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza . The movie was originally planned to be released on early 2022 but had several delays. While the film was a box office flop with mixed reviews, Grant's performance still received mostly positive response. The A.V. Club said Grant "delivers a fantastic character performance" and "is so committed that he throws off
14229-532: The balance of the ensemble because no one else is as good as he is." He next appeared as an ambitious rogue and con artist Forge in the fantasy adventure film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves . Jonah Nink of Chicago Reader praised his performance by saying "None of the cast holds a fireball to Hugh Grant, however, who owns every second of his goofball performance as one of the film's villains." Also in 2023, Grant appeared as an Oompa-Loompa in Wonka ,
14382-512: The best work he's done on screen." In 2020, Grant starred in HBO miniseries The Undoing , opposite Nicole Kidman and Donald Sutherland . The miniseries was premiered on 25 October 2020 to mixed reviews, though Grant's performance was widely acclaimed. Film critic Caryn James said Grant has the "richest part" and added, "He sharply defines Jonathan as a slippery character, and walks the line expertly to keep us off guard. How much should we trust Jonathan? When he starts confessing some secrets,
14535-473: The celebrity in the press and is known in the media for his guarded privacy. On probing of his personal life, he has remained steadfast in "offering a dead bat to any question he feels is not general enough". He has described himself as a reluctant actor, has called being a successful actor a mistake and has repeatedly talked of his hope that film stardom would just be "a phase" in his life, lasting no more than ten years. A 2007 Vogue profile referred to him as
14688-630: The construction of a new fort protecting the approaches to Saint Helier , Fort Isabella Bellissima, or Elizabeth Castle . Royal favour with Queen Elizabeth had been restored by this time, but his good fortune did not last; the Queen died on 24 March 1603. Raleigh was arrested on 19 July 1603 at what is now the Old Exeter Inn in Ashburton , charged with treason for his involvement in the Main Plot against Elizabeth's successor, James I , and imprisoned in
14841-427: The deepest, darkest, most serious performances and parts. It makes me laugh." Remarking upon his romantic comedy star era, some film critics, such as Roger Ebert , have defended the limited variety of his performances, while some others have dismissed Grant as a " one-trick pony ". Eric Fellner , co-owner of Working Title Films and a longtime collaborator, said, "His range hasn't been fully tested, but each performance
14994-475: The delay. When the supply ship arrived in Roanoke, three years later than planned, the colonists had disappeared. The only clue to their fate was the word "CROATOAN" and the letters "CRO" carved into tree trunks. White had arranged with the settlers that if they should move, the name of their destination be carved into a tree or corner post. This suggested the possibility that they had moved to Croatoan Island , but
15147-551: The earlier attempts of the Roanoke Colony settle in Ireland, including Thomas Hariot and John White from the 1585 trip. (He was the governor of the 1587 trip, but returned with the delivery ship to acquire additional supplies.) Raleigh is credited with introducing potatoes to England and Ireland. though potatoes are more likely to have arrived through the Irish trade with Spain; they were known as An Spáinneach Geal (the bright Spaniard) before his time, A potato crop failure in
15300-570: The east coast) received the name "Virginia" for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I , which is the origin of the name of the modern day state . In 1585, he sent a militarized group to North America to set up a fort to raid Spanish ships and become the first English colony in North America. The voyage was led by Sir Richard Grenville and the colony on Roanoke Island was governed by Ralph Lane . The colony ran out of food after clashes with
15453-478: The epic drama film Cloud Atlas , an experience he has talked about positively, saying: I thought before I read it that I'd turn it down, which I normally do, but I was interested in meeting [ Cloud Atlas co-directors] the Wachowskis because I have always admired them enormously. And they are so charming and fascinating.... I slightly called my own bluff. In one of the parts I am a cannibal , about 2,000 years in
15606-411: The evolved expertise of Hugh Grant in playing characters that audiences enjoy seeing taken down a peg or two as a punishment for philandering and womanising and simply being too handsome for words-and with an English accent besides. In the end, the film comes over as a messy delight, thanks to the skill, generosity and good-sport, punching-bag panache of Mr. Grant's performance." About a Boy also marked
15759-410: The film "plays like a vanity production for Grant". Janet Maslin , praising Grant as "superb" and "a dashing cad under any circumstances", commented, "For him this film represents the road not taken. Made before Four Weddings and a Funeral was released, it captures Mr. Grant as the clever, versatile character actor he was then becoming, rather than the international dreamboat he is today." His next role
15912-612: The film [and he] gives this pleasing heartbreaker the touch of gravity it needs", while Roger Ebert observed that "the Cary Grant department is understaffed, and Hugh Grant shows here that he is more than a star, he is a resource". Released a day after the blockbuster Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , About a Boy was a more modest box office grosser than other successful Grant films, making all of $ 129 million globally. The film earned Grant his third Golden-Globe nomination, while
16065-646: The film industry as a meticulous performer who takes his time to prepare a role – someone who works hard to make it look easy – though that isn't a trait he admires in himself". He is noted by co-workers for demanding endless takes until he achieves the desired shot according to his own standard. He dropped his agent in 2006, ending a 10-year relationship with CAA . He has proclaimed in interviews that he does not listen to external views on his career: "They've known for years that I have total control. I've never taken any advice on anything." In 1996, Grant won substantial damages from News (UK) Ltd over what his lawyers called
16218-464: The film received mostly mixed reviews, Grant's performance was praised. Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter called Grant "a beating comic heart" of the film, adding that "he weighs up every wry line with relish, and Ritchie makes strong use of his deadpan comic talents." Joe Morgenstern of Wall Street Journal also highly praised his work, writing, "[I]n a word, Mr. Grant is sensational. In two more words, he's absolutely hilarious; it's some of
16371-404: The film was also received well by critics. CNN reviewer Paul Clinton said, " Notting Hill stands alone as another funny and heartwarming story about love against all odds." Reactions to his Golden Globe-nominated performance were varied, with Salon.com 's Stephanie Zacharek criticising that, "Grant's performance stands as an emblem of what's wrong with Notting Hill . What's maddening about Grant
16524-507: The future, and I thought, "I can do that. It's easy." And then I am suddenly standing in a cannibal skirt on a mountaintop in Germany and they are saying, "You know, hungry! We must have that flesh-eating, like a leopard who is so hungry", and I am thinking, "I can't do that! Just give me a witty line!" After Cloud Atlas , Grant has never starred in a romantic comedy film with an exception of the dramedy The Rewrite (2014), where "romantic comedy
16677-474: The gold and silver that might be mined there. This charter specified that Raleigh had seven years in which to establish a settlement, or else lose his right to do so. Raleigh and Elizabeth intended that the venture should provide riches from the New World and a base from which to send privateers on raids against the treasure fleets of Spain . The charter was originally given to Sir Humphrey Gilbert who pitched
16830-526: The great comic role that has always eluded Hugh Grant", and critic Carina Chocano said, "He is twice as enjoyable as the preening bad guy as he was as the bumbling good guy." In 2007, he starred opposite Drew Barrymore in a parody of pop culture and the music industry called Music and Lyrics . The Associated Press described it as "a weird little hybrid of a romantic comedy that's simultaneously too fluffy and not whimsical enough". Though he neither listens to music nor owns any CDs, Grant learned to sing, play
16983-518: The idea to Queen Elizabeth I and died at sea while attempting to accomplish it. On April 27, 1584, the Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe expedition set sail from England on an exploratory mission to determine what resources were available in North America. They returned with two of the local inhabitants, Manteo and Wanchese, in August 1584, and reported of their findings. The region (the majority of
17136-569: The last half-hour, after a plot-seeding-walk-on earlier in the movie, peps things up considerably". In 2016, Grant played St. Clair Bayfield , partner of the title character , in the film Florence Foster Jenkins , directed by Stephen Frears and starring Meryl Streep . His performance drew raves from film critics as "career-best" ( Screen International ), "one of his best performances in years" ( Indiewire ), "best work of his career" ( Variety ) where he "goes deeper, darker and riskier" ( Rolling Stone ). Rafer Guzman of Newsday said "Surely
17289-567: The legendary city. Once back in England, he published The Discovery of Guiana (1596), an account of his voyage which made exaggerated claims as to what had been discovered. The book can be seen as a contribution to the El Dorado legend. Venezuela has gold deposits, but no evidence indicates that Raleigh found any mines. He is sometimes said to have discovered Angel Falls , but these claims are considered far-fetched. In 1596, Raleigh took part in
17442-506: The local inhabitants and eventually left with Sir Francis Drake in June 1586 after resupply attempts failed. Sir Richard Grenvile arrived shortly after the Lane colony left with Drake. He left supplies and 15 men on Roanoke Island and returned to England. They were never seen again. On July 22, 1587, Raleigh attempted a second expedition, again establishing a settlement on Roanoke Island. This time,
17595-616: The male god's countenance that he knows all too well". In 2002, Grant starred as the trust-funded womaniser, Will Freeman, in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby 's best-selling novel About a Boy . The BBC thought Grant delivered an "immaculate comic performance", and with an Academy Award-nominated screenplay, About a Boy was determined by The Washington Post to be "that rare romantic comedy that dares to choose messiness over closure, prickly independence over fetishised coupledom, and honesty over typical Hollywood endings". Rolling Stone wrote, "The acid comedy of Grant's performance carries
17748-448: The manor of Modbury , Devon, by his wife Catherine Carew, a daughter of Sir Edmund Carew (d. 1513) of Mohuns Ottery (in the parish of Luppitt ), Devon,. Katherine was the widow of Otes Gilbert (1513–1546/7) of Greenway (in the parish of Brixham ) and of Compton Castle (in the parish of Marldon ), both in Devon. (The coat of arms of Otes Gilbert and Katherine Champernowne survives in
17901-430: The names of character actors are not featured prominently in movie and television advertising on the marquee , since a character actor's name is not expected to attract film audiences. Some character actors have been described as instantly recognizable despite their names being little known. They are colloquially referred to as "that guy", or "that guy" actors, as in the 2014 documentary That Guy Dick Miller ; with
18054-475: The observation that finally "gone [were] the self-conscious 'Aren't I adorable' mannerisms that seemed endearing at the start of his film career but have grown cloying in more recent movies". According to Carina Chocano, amongst film critics, the two tropes most commonly associated with Grant are that he reinvented his screen persona in Bridget Jones's Diary and About a Boy and dreads the possibility of becoming
18207-407: The occasional expletive". The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and, among numerous awards won by its cast and crew, it earned Grant a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role . It also temporarily typecast him as the lead character, Charles, a bohemian and debonair bachelor. Grant saw it as an inside joke that
18360-481: The opportunity to stress, "I'm also hoping that this statement in court might remind people that the so-called 'close friends' or 'close sources' on which these stories claim to be based almost never exist." Character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric or interesting characters in supporting roles , rather than leading ones. The term is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. While all actors play "characters",
18513-513: The passing of information from Raleigh. In 1588, Raleigh had some involvement with defence against the Spanish Armada at Devon. The ship that he had built, offered to sell to Spain, and later sold to the crown, the Ark Royal , was Lord High Admiral Howard 's flagship. In 1592, Raleigh was given many rewards by the Queen, including Durham House in the Strand and the estate of Sherborne, Dorset. He
18666-438: The piano, dance (a few mannered steps) and studied the mannerisms of prominent musicians to prepare for his role as a has-been pop singer, based loosely on Andrew Ridgeley , member of 1980s pop duo Wham! . The film, with its revenues totalling $ 145 million, allowed him to mock disposable pop stardom and fleeting celebrity through its washed-up lead character. According to the San Francisco Chronicle , "Grant strikes precisely
18819-657: The pouch was a Latin inscription: Comes meus fuit in illo miserrimo tempore ("It was my companion at that most miserable time"). Raleigh's head was embalmed and presented to his wife. His body was to be buried in the local church in Beddington , Surrey , the home of Lady Raleigh, but was finally laid to rest in St. Margaret's, Westminster , where his tomb is located. "The Lords", she wrote, "have given me his dead body, though they have denied me his life. God hold me in my wits." It has been said that Lady Raleigh kept her husband's head in
18972-412: The productions of his early career " Europuddings , where you would have a French script, a Spanish director and English actors. The script would usually be written by a foreigner, badly translated into English. And then they'd get English actors in, because they thought that was the way to sell it to America." At 32, Grant claimed to be on the brink of giving up the acting profession but was surprised by
19125-503: The queen. The following year, the unauthorised marriage was discovered and the Queen ordered Raleigh to be imprisoned and Bess dismissed from court. Both were imprisoned in the Tower of London in June 1592. He was released from prison in August 1592 to manage a recently returned expedition and attack on the Spanish coast. The fleet was recalled by the Queen, but not before it captured an incredibly rich prize —a merchant ship (carrack) named Madre de Deus (Mother of God) off Flores . Raleigh
19278-466: The rare actor who can play a silver-tongued sleaze with a hidden inner decency." He was paired with Sandra Bullock in Warner Bros. 's Two Weeks Notice (2002), which made $ 199 million internationally but received poor reviews. The Village Voice concluded that Grant's creation of a spoiled billionaire fronting a real estate business was "little more than a Britishism machine". Two Weeks Notice
19431-550: The right note with regard to Alex's career: He's too intelligent not to be a little embarrassed, but he's far too brazen to feel anything like shame." In 2009, he starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the Marc Lawrence 's romantic comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? , which was a critical failure and box office disappointment. Grant was featured in the Wachowskis ' and Tom Tykwer 's epic science fiction film Cloud Atlas in 2012, playing six different dark characters. In
19584-759: The role because he did not yet have an Equity card, which could only be earned through acting in regional theatre. To obtain his Equity card, he joined the Nottingham Playhouse and lived for a year at Park Terrace in The Park Estate in Nottingham . Richard Digby Day directed him in small roles at the Nottingham Playhouse in Lady Windermere's Fan , an avant-garde production of Hamlet and Coriolanus . Bored with small acting parts, Grant created
19737-433: The role to make his character more authoritative and less haplessly charming than earlier Curtis incarnations. Roger Ebert claimed that "Grant has flowered into an absolutely splendid romantic comedian" and has "so much self-confidence that he plays the British prime minister as if he took the role to be a good sport". Film critic Rex Reed , on the contrary, called his performance "an oversexed bachelor spin on Tony Blair" as
19890-500: The same year, Grant lent his voice to the Aardman stop motion animation The Pirates! Band of Misfits . He reunited with Lawrence again for a dramedy film The Rewrite (2014), starring opposite Marisa Tomei . The film received mixed-to-positive reviews, while Grant's performance was praised by many critics; director Quentin Tarantino has stated that the film is one of his favourites of
20043-510: The scale of the production, 20th Century Fox , the whole thing. And I just tried much too hard, and you know I forgot to do basic acting things, like mean it. So I pulled faces and overacted, it was a shocker". Next in 1995, he starred as Emma Thompson 's suitor in her Academy Award -winning adaptation of Jane Austen 's Sense and Sensibility , directed by Ang Lee . In 1995 he also performed in Restoration ; Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote that Grant
20196-658: The script of Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). "If you read as many bad scripts as I did, you'd know how grateful you are when you come across one where the guy actually is funny," he later recalled. Released in 1994 with Grant as the protagonist, Four Weddings and a Funeral became the highest-grossing British film to date with a worldwide box office in excess of $ 244 million, making him an overnight international star. His entry in The Trouble with Men: Masculinities in European and Hollywood Cinema states " Four Weddings made him
20349-450: The son of Walter Raleigh and Catherine Champernowne. He was the younger half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and a cousin of Sir Richard Grenville . Little is known of his early life, though in his late teens he spent some time in France taking part in the religious civil wars . In his 20s he took part in the suppression of rebellion in the colonisation of Ireland ; he also participated in
20502-502: The star "flirted with himself in the paroxysm of self-love that has become his acting style". In 2004, he reprised his role as Daniel Cleaver for a small part in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason , which, like its predecessor, made more than $ 262 million commercially. Gone from the screen for two years, Grant next re-teamed with Paul Weitz ( About a Boy ) for the black comedy American Dreamz (2006). Grant starred as
20655-419: The star, due to the parts he played, was assumed to have the personality of the screenwriter ( Richard Curtis ), who is known for writing about himself and his own life. Grant later expressed "Although I owe whatever success I've had to Four Weddings and a Funeral , it did become frustrating after a bit that people made two assumptions: One was that I was that character – when in fact nothing could be further from
20808-459: The term character actor is often applied to an actor who frequently plays a distinctive and important supporting role. In another sense, a character actor may also be one who specializes in minor roles. A character actor may play a variety of characters in their career, often referred to as a "chameleon", or may be known for playing the same type of roles. Character actor roles are more substantial than bit parts or non-speaking extras . The term
20961-510: The time a direct grant grammar school . He was educated on a scholarship and played 1st XV rugby , cricket , and football . He also represented Latymer Upper on the quiz show Top of the Form , an academic competition between two teams of four secondary school students each. In 1979, he won the Galsworthy scholarship to New College, Oxford , where he studied English literature and graduated with
21114-403: The truth, as I'm sure Richard would tell you – and the other frustrating thing was that they thought that's all I could do. I suppose, because those films happened to be successful, no one, perhaps understandably, ... bothered to rent all the other films I'd done". In July 1994, he signed a two-year production deal with Castle Rock Entertainment and, by October, he became founder and director of
21267-525: The type simultaneously. These performances were sometimes deemed excessive, in the words of The Washington Post ' s Rita Kempley, due to Grant's "comic overreactions—the mugging , the stuttering, the fluttering eyelids". She added: "He's got more tics than Benny Hill." His penchant for conveying his characters' feelings with mannerisms, rather than direct emotions, has been one of the foremost objections raised against his acting style. Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post once stated that, to be effective as
21420-480: The year and called Grant a "perfect leading man". In 2015, he had a supporting role as Alexander Waverly in Guy Ritchie 's crime thriller The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ; Entertainment Weekly described his performance as "the only bit of fun" in the film, and Glenn Kenny of Rogerebert.com gave the film a mixed review but stated that "while it can't be said that Hugh Grant saves the movie, his return to prominence in
21573-511: Was a "riveting turn" for Grant. Grant will return to the romantic comedy genre, reprising his role as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy , which is scheduled for release in 2025. Grant has stated that his role is brief and the film has more dramatic depth than previous parts, claiming the script has made him cry. Over his career Grant has received numerous accolades including
21726-438: Was again imprisoned in the Tower, this time for being involved in the Main Plot against King James I , who was not favourably disposed towards him. In 1616, he was released to lead a second expedition in search of El Dorado. During the expedition, men led by his top commander ransacked a Spanish outpost, in violation of both the terms of his pardon and the 1604 peace treaty with Spain . Raleigh returned to England and, to appease
21879-457: Was allowed to see the axe that would be used to behead him, he mused: "This is a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all diseases and miseries." According to biographers, Raleigh's last words, spoken to the hesitating executioner, were: "What dost thou fear? Strike, man, strike!" Having been one of the people to popularise tobacco smoking in England, he left a small tobacco pouch , found in his cell shortly after his execution. Engraved upon
22032-599: Was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era , he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America , suppressed rebellion in Ireland , helped defend England against the Spanish Armada and held political positions under Elizabeth I . Raleigh was born to a landed gentry family of Protestant faith in Devon ,
22185-618: Was appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard . However, he had not been given any of the great offices of state . In 1591, Raleigh secretly married Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton (or Throgmorton). She was one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting , 11 years his junior, and was pregnant at the time. She gave birth to a son, believed to be named Damerei, who was given to a wet nurse at Durham House, and died of plague in October 1592. Bess resumed her duties to
22338-520: Was approached by a talent agent offering to represent him. Still intending to begin his MPhil at the Courtauld Institute, Grant declined, but then later reconsidered, thinking that acting for a year would be a good way to save some money for his studies. Soon afterwards he was offered a supporting role in The Bounty (1984) starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins , but was prevented from playing
22491-548: Was as a cartographer in 1917 Wales in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995). Grant's first studio-financed Hollywood project was opposite Julianne Moore in Chris Columbus 's comedy Nine Months (1995). Though a hit at the box office, it was almost universally panned by critics. The Washington Post called it a "grotesquely pandering caper" and singled out Grant's performance, as
22644-433: Was elected a burgess of Mitchell , Cornwall, in the parliament of 1593. He retired to his estate at Sherborne, where he built a new house, completed in 1594, known then as Sherborne Lodge. Since extended, it is now known as Sherborne New Castle . He made friends with the local gentry , such as Sir Ralph Horsey of Clifton Maybank and Charles Thynne of Longleat . During this period at a dinner party at Horsey's, Raleigh had
22797-447: Was featured in the BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . A galliard was composed in honour of Raleigh by either Francis Cutting or Richard Allison . The state capital of North Carolina , its second-largest city, was named Raleigh in 1792, after Sir Walter, sponsor of the Roanoke Colony . In the city, a bronze statue, which has been moved around different locations within the city,
22950-483: Was followed by the 2003 ensemble comedy, Love Actually , headlined by Grant as the British Prime Minister . A Christmas release by Working Title Films, the film was promoted as "the ultimate romantic comedy" and accumulated $ 246 million at the international box office. It marked the directorial debut of Richard Curtis , who told The New York Times that Grant adamantly tempered the characterisation of
23103-650: Was hosted by The John Martin Gallery in a charity exhibition, organised by his son, called "James Grant: 30 Years of Watercolours". Hugh's mother worked as a schoolteacher and taught Latin , French , and music for more than 30 years in the state schools of West London. She died at 67 of pancreatic cancer . On Inside the Actors Studio in 2002, Grant credited his mother with "any acting genes that [he] might have." Both his parents were children of military families, but despite that background, he has said, his family
23256-716: Was not always affluent as he grew up. He spent many of his childhood summers hunting and fishing with his grandfather in Scotland. Grant has an older brother, James "Jamie" Grant, a New York-based investment banker. Grant started his education at Hogarth Primary School in Chiswick , then moved to St Peter's Primary School in Hammersmith , followed by Wetherby School , an independent preparatory school in Notting Hill . From 1969 to 1978, he attended Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, at
23409-399: Was sent to organise and divide the spoils of the ship. He was sent back to the Tower, but by early 1593 had been released and become a member of Parliament. It was several years before Raleigh returned to favour, and he travelled extensively in this time. Raleigh and his wife remained devoted to each other. They had two more sons, Walter (known as Wat) in 1593 and Carew in 1605. Raleigh
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