In The Envelope: An Awards Podcast

Throughout his over 30 years in the biz, Hugh Grant has evolved through different phases, defining an era of romantic comedies before subverting expectations with the character-driven parts he’s always preferred. “I’d much rather have a silly voice, a funny haircut, and a funny walk,” he says, revealing the intricacies of his character-building process and how it’s changed since his 1990s Hollywood breakthrough. In particular, Hugh advises listeners on how to make each take fresh and believable: “On film, you have to mean it.” A London native and Oxford student, Hugh dabbled in writing and performing sketch comedy before giving acting a go on stages all over England. After film and TV work, including an award-winning turn in “Maurice,” he auditioned for and booked “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” which became the highest-grossing British movie in history and earned Hugh a Golden Globe Award. His streak as a romantic lead continued with “Sense and Sensibility,” “Notting Hill,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “About a