Nice to have Hugh back

Reluctant movie star Hugh Grant returns for the comedy Florence Foster Jenkins. And the British actor has never been better.

Hugh Grant was perfectly happy living his life and as he puts it – “not acting” when the offer to work opposite Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins for British director Stephen Frears came his way.

Grant, who lives in London, has known Frears for years, and the director had often talked of working together. More recently, their paths crossed again. Grant is a key member of the Hacked Off campaign for greater press transparency in the UK and Frears is a supporter. Once again, Frears mentioned he would love to team up with Grant.

“I sometimes used to bump into him on planes and things, and he loves a chat, Stephen does. He used to say, ‘Let’s do something together.’ And I thought, ‘Oh no, I don’t think you’ll ever want me.’ He’s very classy and does awards sort of films, whereas I was making mass-market pap,” Grant jokes. “He very kindly has been a supporter of Hacked Off and suddenly Stephen produced a script, a genuinely good script, with a great part, and Meryl Streep.

“I hadn’t done very much acting for ages and wasn’t particularly missing it.” Indeed, 1990s Brit rom-com’s favourite bumbling suitor from Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill as well as the first two Bridget Jones franchise hits is now 55 and last seen in a mere supporting turn, in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. a year ago. “I was very busy doing other things in life, but Florence Foster Jenkins was too good to turn down.”