Hugh Grant has appeared in countless highly-acclaimed movies, so it’s not like the multi-award-winning actor needs to prove himself at this stage.
But as it turns out, he narrowly missed out on a role that could potentially have landed him his first Oscar.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2010, The King’s Speech writer David Seidler reported that Hugh was one of the top picks to play King George VI in the hit historical drama.
The writer said director Tom Hooper had been eyeing Hugh for the role, while David himself was keen to cast Paul Bettany.
Colin Firth was, in fact, third in line for the part, which was actually quite appropriate, given that King George VI was not the throne’s natural successor, either
He ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his portrayal of the monarch, while the film itself was also in the running for Best Picture.
Director Tom Hooper later told the Telegraph: “It was a blessing, really, because once I started talking to Colin Firth and getting to know him, the rightness of him playing the part was so profound.”
Speaking to Vanity Fair this year, Hugh admitted to having fallen out of love with acting in the late 2000s, around the time The King’s Speech was being filmed.
Following what the magazine called Hugh’s box ofice “bomb” Did You Hear About The Morgans?, the Notting Hill star said he was left feeling “completely marooned”.
But after appearing in the 2012 Wachowski flick Cloud Atlas, he was reminded of his passion for his craft.
“I thought, ’Oh yeah, I used to really enjoy doing characters—in fact, I almost used to enjoy acting,” he recalled.
“I started out doing silly voices, odd people, making people laugh at university, and then doing this comedy show in London. It was doing characters,” he said of his very early career.
“Then through sheer chance, maybe because of the way I looked, I got drawn into the leading romantic hero. It went fine, but it’s not what I think I’m best at—partly because it’s less fun.”
He has since appeared in films as diverse as Dungeons And Dragons, Heretic, The Gentlemen, Paddington 2 and Wonka.