No one does it like Hugh Grant does. He’s handsome, he’s British, he’s charming, and he’s funny. He’s the perfect leading man for any drama, any romance, any comedy. He’s even managed to deliver a great performance or two in children’s movies. Hugh Grant would honestly be a national treasure if not for the fact that he came from the United Kingdom.
Since the 1980s, Hugh Grant has been charming the pants (or trousers) off of audiences across the globe. He started out doing mostly television roles, sticking with them throughout most of the mid-80s, but become an immediate star once he started doing feature films in the late 80s. In the decades since, Grant has become of the best and most delightful male leads in modern film.
Paddington 2
It might be the most recent film on this list, but it is by far Grant’s most well-received role to date. Easily winning over critics and audiences alike, Paddington 2 has Grant doing something he doesn’t often do: playing the villain. Granted, it’s a movie about a little talking bear, but he’s a nasty villain nonetheless. It’s a crowdpleaser in the best possible way, and Grant is at the top of his game.
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Sense and Sensibility
Based on the classic novel by Jane Austen and adapted to the screen by Emma Thompson, Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility remains one of Grant’s most iconic roles. For many, the two evoke each other—Grant reminds them of how great the film is, and the film reminds them of how great an actor he is. It’s the greatest vicious cycle imaginable.
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Maurice
As it turns out, his first role in a feature film remains one of his best roles to this day. Grant had already made an impression on television screens across Britain, but Maurice allowed Grant the chance to become an international star. Needless to say, he seized the opportunity and made a name for himself. It’s a wonderful film and an equally wonderful vehicle for Grant.
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Love Actually
Perhaps one of the best Christmas films ever made, Love Actually also proves to be one of Grant’s most heartwarming films. It’s a beautiful movie with a cast full of British icons like Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, and Colin Firth, but Grant’s role remains a standout despite all the star power surrounding him.
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Notting Hill
When you put Hugh Grant up against Julia Roberts, it’s hard to imagine the end result being anything but endearing. The two are both incredibly dynamic leads, both charming in their own ways, and both at one of the highest points in their respective careers. It’s a lovely movie with lovely performances all around, but especially from Grant.
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Four Weddings and a Funeral
The charm is turned up to eleven in Four Weddings and a Funeral—one of Hugh Grant’s strongest leading roles. The film follows Grant through the five titular events as he wrestles with the fact that he, a bachelor, might’ve finally found true love. It’s a hilarious and lighthearted film and one that Grant carries almost entirely on his own.
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About a Boy
From Nick Hornby—the same writer responsible for the source material for such films as Brooklyn, An Education, and Wild—comes About a Boy. Grant stars as his usual immature bachelor character in the film alongside a young Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette. Rachel Weisz comes in later in the film, but until that point, the movie is definitely Grant’s.
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Florence Foster Jenkins
Some actors might find it hard to keep up when sharing the lead in a film with Meryl Streep, but this isn’t really a problem for Grant. He’s certainly endearing enough, especially when Streep is in a relatively lighthearted role compared to her other work. Grant might not have earned an Oscar nomination for his role like she did, but he certainly does enough to keep the film afloat.
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Bridget Jones’s Diary
The first of three films focusing on Renee Zellweger’s Bridget Jones, Hugh Grant plays one of two important men in her life (the other’s played by Colin Firth). All three actors are endlessly watchable and quite funny in their own rights, especially Grant. He makes it seem so casual here, like the characters he plays aren’t much of a stretch from his real persona.
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Cloud Atlas
Hugh Grant might not be the first actor you’d associate with the Wachowski sisters, he certainly seems like he knows what he’s doing throughout Cloud Atlas. The movie is a head trip, spanning the entire history of civilization and jumping from soul to soul as each character is reincarnated over and over again. Grant keeps it interesting, playing six completely unique roles in one.
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