Something Strange Has Happened To Hugh Grant & I Blame Paddington Bear

Summary

• Hugh Grant’s career shift began with his role in Paddington 2, playing a villain.
• Grant has since taken on a variety of roles, including darker characters like in Heretic.
• His romcom stereotype is now broken, making it difficult for him to return to his previous roles.

Actor Hugh Grant has taken a strange career shift in the past few years, and I believe that Paddington 2 is at fault. Hugh Grant has appeared in all kinds of beloved movies since the start of his career, with him being an immensely popular actor for romantic comedies in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, many fans of Hugh Grant have noticed that the actor’s career has shifted in a major way in the past few years. Although this isn’t a bad thing, it definitely has something to do with his involvement with Paddington.

Born September 9, 1960, Hugh Grant is an English actor who has been consistently active since the early 1980s. Although he had appeared in popular films before, Grant had his big break in 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, with the film showing off his prowess as a comedic actor and as a romantic leading man. Hugh Grant continued to appear as a lead in romcom movies in the late ’90s and early 2000s, starring in films like Notting Hill, Bridget Jones‘s Diary, and Love Actually, although his career has taken a different path in recent years.

Paddington 2 Started A Hugh Grant Career Shift

He Now Plays Villains More Often

Hugh Grant had a surprising role in 2017’s Paddington 2, and I believe that this film is what started the major Hugh Grant career shift. In the sequel, Hugh Grant played the main villain, with him being a gentleman thief who crosses paths with Paddington Bear throughout the film. Hugh Grant’s character in Paddington 2 is absolutely hilarious, with him easily being one of the highlights of the movie. Grant’s role in Paddington 2 has become a fan-favorite, something I agree with, although it did signal the beginning of the end of Grant’s former Hollywood persona.

Ever since Paddington 2, Hugh Grant has left his typecast of sarcastic leading men in romcoms, with him now playing a wide variety of characters. Some of these against type roles include villain characters, something that can be seen in Hugh Grant movies like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story. Grant has also joined franchises like Wonka and The Gentleman, with both of these projects highlighting his acting prowess and range, something that his old romcoms failed to point out.

Hugh Grant’s Heretic Character Is Probably His Darkest Role Ever

And I Couldn’t Be More Excited

Hugh Grant’s career path is taking another surprising turn, as his darkest role ever seems to be approaching. The first trailer for A24’s Heretic is out now, with the film following two Mormon missionaries who are kidnapped by a potential convert and put through a variety of terrifying tests. In Heretic, Grant plays a man who initially seems friendly, although his true sinister nature is revealed when the two missionaries discover that they have been locked in his house, one that seems to be full of traps.

I am incredibly intrigued by Hugh Grant’s role in the film, as it seems to be an even darker turn than his career shift that was already laden with villains. Grant’s performance in the Heretic trailer is creepy, with him luring two girls in and kidnapping them. However, he also seems to have very strong views on religious belief, with his plan involving him testing these views on the two missionaries. I am excited to see how Grant pulls off this dark career turn, pushing him even further away from his romcom roots.

Hugh Grant’s 1990s & 2000s Stereotype Is Now Truly Broken

He Can Never Go Back

Although Hugh Grant was consistently in romcoms throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the release of the Heretic trailer signals that his romcom stereotype is now truly broken. After appearing in an absolutely terrifying role like his villainous one in Heretic, it will be hard for Grant to go back to being the charming romantic lead that he was once known for, with the actor potentially gambling his career on this exciting new role.

Even compared to his roles in movies like Paddington 2, Wonka, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Hugh Grant’s role in Heretic seems to be especially darker. It is always interesting to see an actor as well-established as Hugh Grant branch out and try something new. While I am certain that the warm reception of Hugh Grant’s Paddington 2 role had a lot to do with this career shift, I think that the change is welcome considering his successes so far.