Hugh Grant Called This Former Co-Star a ‘Genius’: ‘She’s 1 of the Few Actresses I Haven’t Fallen Out With’
Hugh Grant’s long career has paired him up with many a leading lady but, according to the actor, there are very few who he’s continued to stay friendly with. During an interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Grant shared his love for one of his rom-com co-stars, explaining, “she’s one of the few actresses I haven’t fallen out with.”
Hugh Grant shared that he and his ‘Bridget Jones’ co-star still keep in touch
Grant starred with Renée Zellweger in 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and the 2004 sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
The two actors have continued to stay in touch over the years, which is a big accomplishment for Grant, as he alluded to not being on friendly terms with many of his co-stars.
When asked about the Bridget Jones star, Grant gushed about Zellweger. “I love Renée,” he said. “Uh, she’s one of the few actresses I haven’t fallen out with.”
He continued, “And, we, we got on very well together and we still exchange long emails. Hers, in particular, at least 70 pages each.”
Grant joked, “Interesting stuff, but quite hard to decipher.”
Jokes aside, the actor has nothing but affection and praise for Zellweger. “She’s a properly good egg and a genius,” he said. “Did you see her Judy Garland? About as good as acting gets.”
Hugh Grant didn’t get along with many of his co-stars
During a 2016 interview on The Graham Norton Show, Grant shared some insight into how many of his female co-stars didn’t like him over the years.
He said that Nine Months co-star Julianne Moore is a “brilliant actress, loathes me,” while his About a Boy co-star Rachel Weisz is “clever, beautiful, despises me.”
Drew Barrymore, who he starred with in Music and Lyrics, also isn’t a Grant fan. “Made her cry, hates me,” he explained. He didn’t appreciate that Barrymore gave him notes while filming, explaining to the guest next to him, Meryl Streep, “She made the mistake of giving me notes, which, how would you take that?”
Streep fired back, “I took them very well, didn’t I?” She clarified, “I’m kidding!”
His Four Weddings and a Funeral co-star, Andy MacDowell, didn’t loathe the actor, however. During an episode of Watch What Happens Live, a fan asked MacDowell about her experience working with Grant. “I really can’t think of a bad part about working with Hugh, he was adorable,” she said.
When host Andy Cohen pointed out how Grant believes he’s the “crankiest person on the planet,” MacDowell said that wasn’t her experience. “He wasn’t when I was working with him,” she said. “He wasn’t really famous at all. I mean he was torturing me because I was well known, and little did he know, hahaha, that he was about to hit the big-o big time.”
