Preference today leans towards kindness over romance.

Hugh Grant: A Versatile Actor with a Colorful Past

Hugh Grant, the British actor known for his charming and comedic roles in romantic comedies like "Notting Hill" (1999) and "Love Actually" (2003), has demonstrated his versatility in recent years by taking on more challenging roles.

In 2023, Grant was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in "Heretic," a film where he played a villainous character. This was his seventh Golden Globe nomination, and he won his first film award 30 years ago for his breakthrough role in "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Grant has expressed his preference for villainous roles, finding them more profound. He stated that he should have continued playing such roles but did not. In the 80s, he often played villainous characters, a fact that may surprise some of his fans.

However, Grant's private life has not always been a romantic comedy. In the 90s, he was involved in a scandal after a tryst with a prostitute in Los Angeles. He was also a victim of the phone-hacking scandal that brought down the British newspaper "News of the World" in 2011.

Grant's romantic gaze was the same in his roles, as seen in his relationship with Andie MacDowell in "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Despite his personal struggles, he has managed to maintain a stable family life. He has been married to the Swedish television producer Anna Eberstein since 2018 and has five children in total – three with Anna and two from another relationship.

Grant's versatility as an actor was further showcased in the TV series "The Undoing," where he played a complex character with dark traits, contrasting sharply with his usual charming and comedic persona. He also appeared in the film "Wonka" (2023) as an Oompa-Loompa.

As Grant celebrates his 65th birthday on September 9, 2023, he continues to prove that he is not just a romantic comedy actor but a versatile and talented actor who can take on any role. A fourth installment of the "Bridget Jones" series was released this year, featuring Grant as the silver-haired Daniel.

Grant's mother wanted him to become the Archbishop of Canterbury in his youth, but it seems that fate had other plans for the actor. Despite the twists and turns in his career and personal life, Grant has remained a beloved figure in British cinema.