Hugh Grant has revealed he could be tempted into a shock career change despite receiving ‘terrifying’ abuse when delving into it in the past.
The esteemed actor, 63, shared that he would consider an improbable switch into politics, even though he had been heavily criticised for venturing into that in the past.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said: ‘[Switching into politics] has crossed my mind. But what I really see close up is that it’s almost impossible to actually get anything done. It’s just impossible.’
He continued: ‘I’ve had a bit of it before…but this was really extreme and shocking and threatening to one’s family.
Hugh added that he could potentially be put off the move into politics by the knock-on effect it could have on people around him.
He added: ‘You’ve got to bring so many people with you. My wife’s mother is a politician. She was quite senior in the Swedish Parliament.
‘Whenever the subject comes up, she just says, ”Don’t. You have to water down everything. It’s all horse trading. And nowadays the incoming abuse is unthinkable.”’
This was in reference to his mother-in-law Susanne Eberstein, a former member of the Riksdag, which oversees the legislature of Sweden, from 1994 to 2019 – serving as its First Deputy Speaker between 2010 and 2014.
Hugh married Susanne’s daughter, Anna, in 2018.
The big screen star said that he could be somewhat scarred by his own performance in the run up to the 2019 General Election.
Although he decided to campaign for people to vote tactically to prevent a Conservative majority to stop Brexit, he admitted that he ‘did very badly and ‘lost in every single constituency’.
The actor said that, although the abuse could put him off ever going into politics, he continued: ‘What was interesting was the abuse that came in from the right. I never know if they’re real or if they’re bots. But they’re good. They’re brilliant at what they do.
‘So, I do see that you have to be either very brave or insane to go into politics in the digital age.’
The news comes after Hugh and Colin Firth agreed to reprise their roles Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy respectively.
Firth and Grant have agreed to be part of the fourth – and probably final – Bridget Jones film which begins shooting in London in May and will again star Renee Zellweger.
Sources say the directors are ‘ecstatic’ that both agreed to star in the film. One insider said it ‘would not have been the same’ without them, adding:
‘Both men are very much in demand so to make everything come together feels like a great coup. However it ends for Bridget, there will be some rollercoaster rides with these two men involved.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
