Hugh Grant has had his fair share of super-hit films and holds high value in Hollywood. Now a veteran actor who has climbed the ladder of popularity and reached great heights, Grant revealed that he also wants to test the waters in politics.
Known for his illustrious career on screen, Hugh Grant recently revealed that he has intentions to venture into politics. It’s no secret that politics and Hollywood are peas of the same pod that thrive on popularity and power. Here’s what Grant thinks about it and how soon his fans might get to see him being the off-screen hero.
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“It’s All Horse Trading”: Hugh Grant Opens Up About His Opinions On Politics
Hugh Grant is all set for his next project, HBO’s political TV series ‘The Regime’, wherein he takes on the lead role alongside Kate Winslet. While he is seemingly having a good time living a political drama on-screen, the actor has indicated his intentions to try his hand at it off-screen as well.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hugh Grant said he has thought about entering politics though he also expressed skepticism about the practicality of change in the field. When asked if he would ever want to go into politics himself, the star said, “It 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. You’ve got to bring so many people with you,” he added.
“My wife [Anna Elisabet Eberstein]’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,” the star said.
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“It Was Absolutely Terrifying”: Hugh Grant Recalls His First Hand Experience During A 2019 Political Campaign
Hugh Grant has played several politicians in various films, including ‘Love Actually‘ and ‘A Very English Scandal’. Besides, he has also seen politics up close as he was a part of the 2019 UK general election campaign. At the time, he campaigned for tactical voting against conservative candidates.
Speaking about the same, Grant said he was disillusioned with the outcome after he mounted “a tiny campaign to try and persuade people to vote tactically”.
“In our electoral system, this was the way to prevent Boris and company getting back into power,” Grant said of his political gig. “I campaigned in a few marginal constituencies for whoever was the closest rival to the conservative candidate. Actually, I did very badly. We lost in every single constituency,” he added.
He also recounted facing intense backlash and threats, particularly from right-wing factions. “I never know if they’re real or if they’re bots. But they’re good. They’re brilliant at what they do. And it was absolutely terrifying,” he said.
“I’ve had a bit of it before during the Hacked Off campaign, but this was really extreme and shocking and threatening to one’s family. So, I do see that you have to be either very brave or insane to go into politics in the digital age,” he added.
Grant’s most recent acting gig was in the whimsical film ‘Wonka’, where he starred alongside Timothée Chalamet. The actor also gained attention at the BAFTA Film Awards for channeling his Oompa Loompa character while presenting the Best Director prize.
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