Hugh Grant, English actor and producer
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is a British actor. His awards include a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Honorary César. As of 2018, his films have grossed a total of nearly US$3 billion worldwide from 29 theatrical releases.He first received attention for his performances in costume dramas including the Merchant-Ivory films Maurice (1987), for which he received the Volpi Cup, and The Remains of the Day (1993) as well as Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Restoration (1995). Grant achieved international success after appearing in Mike Newell's romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), whereupon he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor. Grant became widely known in cinema, as a charming, vulnerable, witty romantic lead. After the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant established himself as a leading man with satirical comic talent. Grant starred in the romantic comedies Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), About a Boy (2002), Two Weeks Notice (2002), Love Actually (2003) and Music and Lyrics (2007).Grant began to take against-type parts, starting with multiple roles in The Wachowskis' epic science fiction drama film, Cloud Atlas (2012). He received critical acclaim for his portrayals of St. Clair Bayfield in Stephen Frears' Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) alongside Meryl Streep. For his performance Grant received a British Academy Film Award, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. The following year he starred in the family comedy Paddington 2 (2017) as the antagonist, Phoenix Buchanan for which he received a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. In 2018, he portrayed Jeremy Thorpe in the BBC miniseries A Very English Scandal earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series nomination. Grant also starred in the action films, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) and The Gentlemen (2019). Most recently Grant starred in the HBO psychological thriller miniseries The Undoing (2020) opposite Nicole Kidman.
Grant is known as a meticulous performer who approaches his roles like a character actor, working hard to make his acting appear spontaneous. Hallmarks of his comic skills include a nonchalant touch of sarcasm and studied physical mannerisms. The entertainment media's coverage of his life off the big screen has often overshadowed his work as an actor. He has been outspoken about his antipathy towards the profession of acting, his disdain towards the culture of celebrity and his hostility towards the media. He emerged as a prominent critic of the conduct of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation during the News International phone hacking scandal. In a career spanning more than 35 years, Grant has repeatedly claimed that acting was not his true calling but rather a career that developed by happenstance. However, in 2020, after moving on to more character roles, he has stated that he "enjoys acting now".
1960Sep, 9
Hugh Grant
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Events on 1960
- 17Mar
Bay of Pigs Invasion
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion. - 21Apr
Rio de Janeiro
Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 09:30, the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro. - 9May
Combined oral contraceptive pill
The Food and Drug Administration announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill. - 4Jul
Flag of the United States
Due to the post-Independence Day admission of Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, the 50-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, almost ten and a half months later (see Flag Act). - 29Oct
Muhammad Ali
In Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay (who later takes the name Muhammad Ali) wins his first professional fight.