Hugh Grant reveals the derision he initially faced when it was revealed he was in Paddington 2.
It remains – genuinely – one of the most scandalous oversights of recent Oscar work that the superb Paddington 2 was overlooked for the shelf-full of gongs it utterly deserved to win. Perhaps snobbery played a part. As Hugh Grant acknowledges in a new interview with Vanity Fair, “people were full of derision. ‘Christ, has it come to that. Poor old Hugh. Paddington 2. Sequel to a kids film”.
But Grant had the last laugh. “It’s particularly annoying in the case of Paddington 2, because I genuinely believe it may be the best film I’ve ever done”.
In the same piece, the film’s director – Paul King – reveals that they were nervous about even approaching Grant for the role, not least because he’d been effectively retired from film acting for several years at the point he and co-writer Simon Farnaby contacted him. As King recalled, “We wrote this very awkward letter—‘We’ve come up with this role, of a kind of vain, washed-up old ham, whose best days are sort of behind him, his lips are sort of heading south along with his jawline, and we thought of you.’ Luckily he saw the funny side”.
The full interview with Grant can be found here. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/08/hugh-grants-very-english-comeback
As for Paddington 2? There’s a genuine argument that there are two camps on this one. Camp one is people who believe it to be one of the finest sequels and family films ever made. Camp two is people who haven’t seen it.
I, for one, agree with Hugh Grant on this one…
