Hugh Grant is one of England's finest actors, known for his portrayal of charming and vulnerable leading men in notable films such as Notting Hill and Love, Actually. Born in 1960 in London, Grant studied English literature at Oxford and initially viewed acting as a creative outlet. He gained attention for his roles in popular period pieces including The Remains of the Day, Sense and Sensibility and Maurice.
Through the years, Grant has transitioned into a more dramatic character actor appearing in various action movies like The Gentlemen and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as well as fantasy films including Cloud Atlas and the highly anticipated film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Out of Grant's extensive and pretty impressive filmography, these are 10 of his best and most popular movies, ranked by their popularity on cinephile website Letterboxd.
10 'Maurice' (1987)
In 1909, young Maurice Hall (James Wilby) attends Cambridge where he meets a wealthy and handsome student named Clive Durham. As they grow close, Clive admits to Maurice that he has romantic feelings for him revealing that he's gay. At first, Maurice pulls away but soon, he realizes that he feels the same way and the two engage in a torrid secretive affair.
Before Maurice, Grant had only appeared in one movie, Privileged, and had actually abandoned all aspirations of professional acting when he got the part of Clive. Maurice is an adaption of the coming-of-age romance by E.M. Forster and the follow-up film by director, James Ivory, who had gained box office success with another adaption of Forster's novels, A Room With a View.
9 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (1994)
When it comes to love, Charles and his friends have always been unlucky until Charles meets an American, Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at a wedding and starts to think that good fortune has finally found him. Unfortunately, Carrie returns to the states, but after they continue to cross paths with each other at several weddings and a funeral, Charles starts to believe that he and Carrie are meant to be.
At the time of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant had given up on acting, but the movie ended up being his breakout role and essentially launched his career. Grant went on to win the BAFTA award for Best Actor and the movie earned two Academy Award nominations. The movie received positive reviews from audiences and critics including Roger Ebert who praised Grant and his 'endearing awkwardness.'
8 'Cloud Atlas' (2012)
Several individuals find themselves in various timelines that span six decades. Between helping a poor composer complete his masterpiece shortly before World War II and an engineer in 2144, each character and scenario are connected in some way through both life and death.
Cloud Atlas is an epic science-fiction film adapted from the 2004 novel by David Mitchell starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Grant enjoyed his roles as the lovable lead in various rom-coms but like any other actor, he eventually wanted to move into new territory. Cloud Atlas marked his first against-type role which led to more complex, dark characters like Fletcher from The Gentlemen and Jonathan Fraser in the HBO miniseries, The Undoing.
7 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (2015)
At the height of the Cold War, an unknown group of criminals plan to disrupt the fragile balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union with the use of nuclear weapons. CIA agent, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) must put aside their political differences and work together to track down the criminal organization before they cause a deadly global disaster.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the popular 1964 television series by the same name starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. Grant plays Alexander Waverly who was originally played by another English actor, Leo G. Carroll, in the television show. Carroll appeared in various classic movies and several Alfred Hitchcock movies including North By Northwest, Strangers on a Train and Rebecca.
6 'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001)
Bridget (Renée Zellweger) decides to make a New Year's Resolution of taking control of her life and starts to keep a diary of what she hopes will happen. When she meets Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and Daniel Cleaver, the two men fight to win her heart ensuing in a series of romantic but hysterical events that changes Bridget's life forever.
Bridget Jones's Diary is based on the 1996 book by Helen Fielding which in turn, is a reinterpretation of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. Grant along with Zellweger and Firth reprise a brilliant balance of the hysterical love triangle from classic screwball comedies and the chivalrous emotion and depth of a classic Hollywood romance. The movie earned various awards and several nominations including an Oscar nomination for Zellwger for Best Actress.
5 'The Gentlemen' (2019)
Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is a self-made businessman who has built a lucrative marijuana operation in London. When people start to hear rumors about Pearson wanting to cash out, various schemes and criminals come out of the woodwork including a group of MMA fighters and a wealthy entrepreneur to make a move for Pearson's empire.
Grant reunites with director, Ritchie, in The Gentlemen which also stars Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, Kate Beckinsale and Succession star, Jeremy Strong. While Grant doesn't have a ton of screen time, he serves a purpose as the cheeky, pot-stirrer, Fletcher. In October 2020, a spin-off series was reportedly in the works at Miramax Television and according to Variety, it officially got the green light in November 2022 after being picked up by Netflix.
4 'Paddington 2' (2017)
Paddington has since settled in with the Brown family and become a beloved member of the neighborhood. With aunt Lucy's 100th birthday approaching, Paddington spots a lovely pop-up book that would make the perfect gift but when the precious item's stolen, Paddington's wrongfully accused of the crime forcing the bear to find the real thief and clear his name.
In Paddington 2, Grant plays an eccentric and washed-up actor, Phoenix Buchanan and is another against-type roles. Brown family. In 2022, the movie got a second wind after the release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Success starring Pedro Pascal and Nicolas Cage. The film has an ongoing running gag about Paddington 2 being the greatest movie of all time and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Cage really does love the movie calling Grant's performance 'deliciously wicked.'
3 'Notting Hill' (1999)
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Bookstore owner, William Thacker, has always lived a simple life in London but when American actress, Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) his humble existence is thrown into publicity overdrive. As the two grow closer, their love affair blooms into a romance, but between their drastically different lifestyles, they must find some common ground before they can build a life together.
Since Grant and screenwriter, Richard Curtis, had spun gold together in other hit films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones's Diary, it was a no-brainer to cast Grant as Thacker in Notting Hill. The movie earned generally positive reviews and was compared to the 1953 romance, Roman Holiday by Variety calling it the "90s version" of the classic movie starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
2 'Love, Actually' (2003)
Weeks before Christmas, several very different couples in London deal with their relationships through the hectic holiday month as well as the everyday ups and downs that come with every relationship. As the holiday grows closer, each story becomes more intertwined by the one thing that brings everyone together; love.
Love, Actually is a romantic holiday favorite with a brilliant cast of stars like Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Kiera Knightly. The movie is full of memorable moments, but none can top Grant's now iconic dance scene that the actor was dreading to film. According to an interview with Deadline, Grant admitted that when he first read the scene in the script he thought, "Well I'll hate doing that," but despite his feelings, he pulled it off like a true professional.
1 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' (2022)
Miles Bron (Edward Norton) is a tech billionaire who invites his friends to his private Greek island for an extravagant getaway. As the guests arrive, Bron reveals he's prepared a murder mystery game for everyone but when someone actually turns up dead, infamous detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is on another case.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a follow-up to Rian Johnson's murder mystery, Knives Out. Grant has a perfect cameo as Blanc's significant other, Phillip and while the appearance is brief, it adds another layer to Blanc's elusive personal life and debonair charm without getting off track from the main plot. The movie has other celebrity cameos including Angela Lansbury, Ethan Hawke and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.