It was his breakthrough role, but Four Weddings and a Funeral director, Richard Curtis has revealed that Hugh Grant wasn’t his first choice to play Charles.
While we can’t imagine anyone else playing the iconic character, Curtis was against casting Grant in the 1994 romantic comedy. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, Curtis said he found the actor, “annoying, too good-looking, and a bit posh.”
The screenwriter, who is known for a slew of romantic comedies including, Notting Hill and Love Actually was eventually overruled by the film’s director, Mike Newall.
He insisted on Grant for the role of Charles, who meets and falls for Carrie (Andie MacDowell), the American that he keeps crossing paths with at weddings.
But, if Curtis had his way, there could have been another famous face playing the character.
“We auditioned about 70 people for Hugh’s part. Eventually it was down to Hugh and Alan Rickman,” Curtis revealed.
“I went for Alan but I was outvoted. I just thought Hugh was a bit annoying, too good-looking and a bit posh.
While it might not have been what he hoped for, he did admit that it worked out well in the end.
“I was right about all of those things,” he said. “But he was also very good.”
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