Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English 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".