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Intense
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Hugh Grant has long been a, ahem, scandalous figure; the English actor’s prolific film career has oft been overshadowed by controversies in his personal life, causing us to frequently forget just what a gifted performer he really is. Despite all the tales of tense sets and illicit activities, however, I’ve always had a soft spot for Grant. Maybe it can be traced back to his endearing, floppy-haired 1990’s persona of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill that made me weak in the knees, or perhaps it was the cad he played in the Bridget Jones films. Regardless of when it happened, Grant’s on-screen electricity has always been apparent – and Amazon’s A Very English Scandal only speaks further to what he’s capable of.
As British MP Jeremy Thorpe, Grant does something totally extraordinary. He catches us off guard in the beginning of the series, delivering lines in what appears to be such a contrived manner that he’s hard to believe. A quick look through online clips of Thorpe, however, tells us that Grant got it uncannily right; he perfectly captures all the oddities of Thorpe’s persona, bringing humorous touches to the series whose subject matter is so frequently dark that it might otherwise have been a depressing slog. For all the moments that Grant gives us an uptight Thorpe, he also brings a humanity to sequences that ultimately gives the character more depth than many other actors might have. It’s easy for us to remember and perhaps villainize Thorpe for the terrible, ridiculous things he did to Norman, but Grant reminds us of his painful loneliness, of the isolated life lived by a man scared into hiding his sexuality from the world.
Grant may have struggled to move on from the adorably bumbling and delightfully sleazy roles that defined his career early on, but if 2018 has showed us anything, it’s that he has a pretty good idea of what he’s doing these days. A Very English Scandal, which may very well earn him some awards recognition, is proof that Grant is leaning into this new phase of his career. Another recent hit for the British gem? Paddington 2, which sees him take on what surprisingly becomes his best role in decades. He dons disguise after disguise as the theatrical villain in the beloved bear’s story, perfectly playing every entertainingly evil beat and embracing all of his best qualities as a performer. I dare you not to cackle as he scurries about as a nun or puts on a cockney accent in an attempt to trick anyone who might be onto him. It’s nothing short of magical.
Whether you’ve been a Grant fan for decades or you’re just now coming around to him after years of skepticism, you’ll likely find yourself stunned by his work on A Very English Scandal. The series may be one of the best things Amazon has ever put its name on – and that’s largely thanks to Grant’s performance. Don’t blame me if I seem a little smug about having believed in him all along.
