10 Films That Prove Hugh Grant Is Still the British Zaddy of My Dreams
- 1/11
10 Films That Prove Hugh Grant Is Still the British Zaddy of My Dreams
Though the Internet's swift and sudden obsession with HBO's The Undoing proved to the public that, yes, Hugh Grant can be a "serious" (as well as hauntingly convincing) actor, the show had a contrasting effect on others—and by others, I mean me.
If anything, bingeing the show over a two-night span just reminded me that even when Grant is portraying a conniving, ruthless murderer, one just can't seem to shake the dozens of signature rom-com king roles that proceeded The Undoing; the ones that bring back memories of when Grant was endearingly charming (not in a psychopathic sense), unequivocally suave, and, well, simply put, just plain sexy. As much as Grant may be aiming to desert his reputation as a swoon-worthy leading man (he told The Hollywood Reporter back in June that he's "too old and too ugly" to continue on with the genre), I'm here to declare that I don't need Grant to be deep, serious, or brooding. I just need him to be hot, and if we were to ever meet IRL, to blissfully and respectively waste my time.
Since that will almost absolutely never happen, we'll always have the movies. So below, I've rounded up 10 of Grant's hottest on-screen portrayals, including his stints as a brooding bookstore owner, the prime minster of Britain, and the British zaddy of my dreams. - 2/11
1) Bridget Jones's Diary
Hugh Grant in his prime. The actor portrayed a sleazy but seriously sexy publishing executive and the failed love interest/absolutely inappropriate boss of Renée Zellweger's titular protagonist in the 2001 film. Like most of Grant's roles, his charm—and let's face it, hair—distract viewers from the fact that his characters tend to be cheating jerks.
- 3/11
2) Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Let us remind you this is a list of Grant's hottest roles—not his best ones. Grant and his costar, Sarah Jessica Parker, lacked the chemistry needed for this 2009 comedy to work, but Grant did what he knows best nonetheless: threw on a suit and looked damn good doing so.
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- 4/11
3) About a Boy
In the 2002 adaption of Nick Hornby's beloved novel, Grant plays a responsibility-ridden bachelor who forms a unique friendship with a teenage boy who ends up teaching him more about life, love, and relationships than any adult could. Aside from the plot, the film centers on Grant's early-aughts wardrobe full of snug knit sweaters and sporty bomber jackets, which adds to his character's "hot potential dad" appeal.
- 5/11
4) Privileged
You can't tell us Grant doesn't favor a young (and albeit leaner) JFK Jr. in his 1982 screen debut.
- 6/11
5) Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Grant plays a more run-down, rugged, and problematic version of his comeback character in the 2004 sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary, but his repeat appearance, in my opinion, was necessary to make the sequel work and continue to provide the drama for one of my favorite fictional early-millennium love triangles.
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- 7/11
6) Love Actually
Grant is inarguably at his most charming in the 2003 classic holiday film where he plays the prime minister of Britain who eventually falls in love with his girl-next-door-esque assistant. The film's hottest moment? Easily the iconic dance scene after the PM unwinds with a pint after a long day's work.
- 8/11
7) Sense and Sensibility
As Edward Ferrars in the film adaptation of Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility, Grant brings all the charm, courtesy, and wit we’d expect of a gentleman of the Regency era. Courtship is certainly not lost in this Oscar winner. And seeing him in period costume can make a girl swoon.
- 9/11
8) Two Weeks Notice
Again playing a rich womanizer, Grant stars in this 2002 film opposite Sandra Bullock. Our favorite sartorial moment? Grant scantily wrapped in nothing but a towel.
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- 10/11
9) Four Weddings and a Funeral
Boyish Hugh, a timeless script, and those tortoiseshell glasses equal a winning formula.
- 11/11
10) Notting Hill
Notting Hill (1999) isn't just one of Grant's most defining rom-com roles, it's one of the rare times he isn't portraying a pompous playboy. If anything, his role as a travel bookstore owner and his sheepish demeanor around Julia Roberts's celebutante character show Grant at his most endearing.
Here lies our ode to our charming, British rom-com king.
