Hugh Grant's reinvention from Hollywood heartthrob to 'slimy villains': How actor best known for his charming romcom roles has swapped to 'revolting' characters in horror films

He's known for romcoms specified arsenic Love Actually, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary - truthful it's nary wonderment fans of Hugh Grant's person been near shocked astatine his latest portion successful a 'spine-chilling psychological horror'.

Dubbed his creepiest domiciled to date, nan British actor, 63, plays a man who kidnaps a brace of young, female Mormon missionaries, earlier subjecting them to a terrifying bid of tests and games, reported nan Independent.

Titled Heretic, nan movie - group to beryllium released on November 15 - is written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, nan writers behind John Krasinski’s 2018 post-apocalyptic scary A Quiet Place.

But while fans were near amazed by Hugh's latest project, it's not nan first clip nan erstwhile Hollywood heartthrob has played a 'slimy villain'.

In fact, nan much 'revolting' roles, arsenic nan character calls them, person now go thing of a taxable successful Hugh's profession arsenic he reinvents himself from charming romcom lead to creepy bad feline characters.

Hugh's roles person go noticeably darker arsenic he's grown older; successful 2018 he gave viewers a thoroughly seedy toff successful TV's return connected Jeremy Thorpe, A Very English Scandal.

It came aft his highly celebrated quality in 2017's acclaimed Paddington 2, erstwhile he played nan bad feline successful his domiciled arsenic tap-dancing ex-actor Phoenix Buchanan.

In 2019, he appeared on the large surface playing a far-from-gentlemanly backstage interrogator successful Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen. 

He past appeared connected TV alongside Nicole Kidman successful nan domiciled of Jonathan Fraser, a children's oncologist pinch a acheronian concealed successful The Undoing.

It's adjacent to opportunity that some Thorpe and Dr Fraser are a acold outcry from nan foppish characters he played successful Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill. 

'I do find that arsenic I turn older I'm progressively drawn to, and much comfortable in, revolting roles,' he told The Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine successful 2020. 

'The much revolting nan better. The camera is simply a very overseas point successful that it's a small spot for illustration a dishonesty detector. It tin benignant of smell retired truths you didn't moreover cognize existed. 

'One of nan things it loves is evil successful quality beings, because nether nan very bladed veneer of civilisation we each person immoderate evil successful there.

'You look astatine immoderate of nan awesome films by group for illustration Tarantino aliases Scorsese and you wonder, "Why are we enjoying them truthful much?" 

'The reply is because they touch connected thing very existent astir each of us. So erstwhile you play personification who's beautiful unpleasant you're already moving pinch a reality that nan camera likes. And that's what makes playing bully guys overmuch harder than playing bad guys.'

Appearing connected The Drew Barrymore Show successful 2023, Hugh said: 'I sewage excessively aged and fat and disfigured to do romanticist comedies obviously, truthful I sewage disconnected pinch much absorbing things.' 

It's not nan first clip Hugh has thought arsenic much. In 2019, nan character admitted that he thinks he is now excessively aged to prima successful anymore romanticist comedies.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Hugh said: 'I've gotten excessively aged and disfigured and fat to do them anymore, truthful now I've done different things and I've sewage marginally little self-hatred.'

Although, contempt confessing that he felt for illustration he was 'in a box' playing nan antheral lead successful respective rom-coms, nan character joked that he couldn't kick astir nan money it brought him.

He explained: 'I was being paid tons of money. I was very lucky. And astir of those romanticist comedies I tin look squarely successful nan look — 1 aliases 2 are shockers, but connected nan full I tin look them successful nan look and group for illustration them. And I americium a large believer that our occupation is to entertain. '

When questioned astir what he wished he knew astir navigating fame and occurrence astatine nan commencement of his career, Hugh revealed that he wishes he'd person explored different genres.

He said: 'I should've made absorbing decisions and done different stuff. Instead, I repeated myself almost identically astir 17 times successful a row.' 

Over nan years, Hugh has starred successful a full of 15 romanticist comedies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999) and Love Actually (2003), pinch his past starring rom-com capacity being successful The Rewrite (2014). 

The past clip Hugh appeared successful a scary movie was reportedly successful Ken Russell’s 1988 pagan scary drama The Lair of nan White Worm.

A trailer for his latest offering, Heretic, was released precocious - starring fans to remark their astonishment complete his prime of character.

One personification wrote connected X: 'Absolutely present for Hugh Grant’s latest profession phase, parlaying his foppish romcommy charm and channelling it into devious maniacs. HERETIC is speaking my language.'

Another wrote: 'Love maine a creepy Hugh Grant character,' while a 3rd added: 'This is… not nan domiciled I was expecting for Hugh Grant. But I’m present for this trailer!'

In nan clip, Hugh is shown capturing nan 2 young women (played by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher) earlier insisting: 'I won’t support you if you wish to leave, but I want you to take which doorway to spell done based connected your faith.'

The actor's creepy characteristic past writes nan words 'BELIEF' and 'DISBELIEF' successful chalk connected 2 doors.

Heretic is group to beryllium released connected November 15