Hugh Grant: reluctant he may be but talented he certainly is | Observer profile

Almost since he started acting, he has sought other purposes, including as a press abuse campaigner. But a brilliant turn in the new Paddington Bear film is set to herald an acting renaissance

There is no shortage of joyous moments during Paddington 2, the sequel to the 2014 surprise hit, and many of them revolve around a lip-smacking performance by Hugh Grant. He plays the villainous Phoenix Buchanan, a washed-up, narcissistic actor reduced to making dog food commercials, who spots a chance to finance his one-man show by stealing an antique book. The role gives the 57-year-old Grant a chance to don a variety of absurd disguises (among them a homeless man, a nun and a bishop) in his nefarious pursuit of riches. Grant appears to be enjoying himself enormously, which has not always been the case in recent times, on screen or off.

The actor is showing every sign of undergoing a renaissance. Last year, he gave one of his most nuanced performances, radiating warmth as the devoted husband of the world’s worst singer (played by Meryl Streep) in Florence Foster Jenkins. Protecting his wife from criticisms that littered her path like broken paving stones, he suggested not merely uxoriousness but tactical skill; he could turn an insult into a compliment or a damning notice into a rave, simply by inclining his head this way or that.

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from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2A8DBal