Celebrated actor Hugh Grant, whose career once helped define 1990s era romantic comedies, has revealed that his children hated Paddington 2. The sequel to the 2014 family comedy was widely acclaimed for its cast, art design, and outright charming qualities. Aside from its critical praise, the film was also a big hit at the box office.

After the success of the first Paddington film, a sequel seemed the obvious next step. However, as is always the case with sequels to popular films, getting a second film just right is certainly no easy task. In order to stand a better chance at success, Paddington 2 brought in some new cast members, one of which was Grant. The role was a breath of fresh air for the then 57-year-old star, who played washed-up theatre star Phoenix Buchanan. After realizing the value of a book that Paddington has set his sights on, Buchanan steals it and frames the poor bear. This results in a rollercoaster adventure that sees Paddington do hard time at a gloomy prison and Buchanan scamper about London in search of hidden treasure.

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While Grant’s singing and the numerous disguises he employs throughout the film showcase the sort of impressive acting range he’s capable of, not everyone thought he was one of Paddington 2’s highlights. In a rather unfortunate case for Grant, his five children hated Paddington 2 and even wondered exactly why he was in the film so much. Grant revealed the painful truth while speaking recently with The Los Angeles Times. Thankfully, however, Grant says his kids have now come to love the film:

I arranged a special screening actually and I took several of my children and they hated it. One of them turned to me after a short period of time and said, “Why are you in it so much?” which was very hurtful. But I have to say subsequently they’ve come to love it.

Grant’s career, though highly successful, has often left the actor feeling conflicted about his status as an actor. He cites 2005 onwards as a period in his life where he had just had enough with Hollywood and acting. Following the failure of 2009’s Did You Hear About the Morgans? Grant was forced to consider that his days as an in-demand leading man were perhaps now behind him. This sort of ego blow wouldn’t be easy for anyone to take, but given Grant’s past success in film, it was an especially difficult learning process for him. Nonetheless, his turn as Buchanan in Paddington 2 placed him in a new light for many.

Of course, hearing your children question just why you’re in a film “so much” isn’t a very nice thing to hear. Fortunately for Grant, this wasn’t the general consensus. Indeed, many people who saw Paddington 2 were questioning why there wasn’t more of Grant. His performance was definitely one of the film’s major highlights, offering a glimpse at a side of the comedic actor that should be more widely seen in years to come.

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Source: L.A. Times

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Mike Jones
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Mike Jones is an author, screenwriter, world traveller and cinephile. His work has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, and he’s also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Cinema has always moved him in a big way and aside from having seen The Talented Mr Ripley more times than any other living person, he maintains a pretty darn healthy physical media collection. His favourite filmmakers include: Jordan Peele, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, the Dardenne Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Michael Haneke, Barry Jenkins and Andrea Arnold. Often jet-lagged, Mike once turned down a certain A-list celebrity’s offer to join them for a night of partying after a strange encounter in an airport.

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