Hugh Grant slates one of his most iconic 90s characters as 'despicable'

Hugh Grant has taken on several memorable roles throughout his career, especially in beloved romantic comedies. However, there is one character he particularly dislikes.

The 64-year-old is best recognized for his roles in films like Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the Bridget Jones's Diary series, along with numerous other projects.

He is set to reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver in the upcoming sequel to Mad About The Boy.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actor from Heretic reflected on his remarkable career and criticized his character from the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill, calling the fictional William Thacker 'despicable.'

“Every time I’m lounging at home, flipping through channels after a couple of drinks, and I see this show, I can’t help but wonder, ‘Why doesn’t my character have any guts?’” he said.

In one part of the movie, Anna is at my place when the paparazzi show up at the front door and ring the doorbell. I remember just stepping aside and letting her go ahead to answer it. It feels terrible.

I've never had a girlfriend, or now a wife, who hasn't questioned me with, "Why didn't you intervene? What's wrong with you?" I honestly don't have a good explanation for that.

"That's the way it was phrased. Honestly, I find him quite contemptible."

In the film Notting Hill, written by Richard Curtis, Julia Roberts played the role of Anna Scott, a movie star who unexpectedly discovers a bookshop run by the clumsy William, portrayed by Hugh Grant. Their chance encounter leads to an exciting and whirlwind romance.

As their relationship began to falter, she became well-known for saying: "I'm simply a girl, standing before a boy, asking him to love me."

The cast included Rhys Ifans, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, and Gina McKee, with Roger Mitchell directing the film.

Even though Hugh wasn’t particularly excited about his own role, he had only compliments for his talented co-star. He remarked, “When you’re working with someone as fantastic as Julia, you can’t help but think, ‘Wow, she’s incredible. I’ll never measure up to her.’”

"She has a remarkable ability to express emotions, and there's something about her that makes her skin seem almost translucent. It’s as if you can catch a glimpse of her inner self."

Earlier this year, Julia shared her thoughts on the film during a conversation with Richard for British Vogue. She confessed that she nearly turned down the opportunity because she felt extremely uneasy about the part.

"To be honest, one of the toughest experiences I've faced was acting in your film as a movie star. I felt really uneasy," she shared.

"I think we’ve discussed this numerous times, but I nearly turned down the role because it felt – well, it felt really uncomfortable."

"I had no idea how to handle that individual."

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