Hugh Grant has enjoyed an amazing career in film and television that is still thriving now that the actor is in his 60s. Grant made a name for himself starring in several romantic comedies throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
And while he has revealed that he is grateful for the opportunity those films brought, he doesn’t look back fondly on his performance in all of them.
While Hugh Grant did like his character in 2020’s The Undoing (despite the fact that he was a murderer in the HBO miniseries), he was less impressed with his work as Samuel Faulkner in 1995’s romantic comedy Nine Months, in which he starred alongside Julianne Moore.
Was it actually making the film that Grant couldn’t stand—similar to the way he felt about his much-dreaded dancing scene in Love Actually—or the way his actual portrayal of Samuel Faulkner came out? Keep reading to find out.
Hugh Grant’s Career In The 1990s
Hugh Grant’s career in the film industry has spanned more than three decades. The British actor made a name for himself in the early 1990s as a rom-com leading man.
Thanks to movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, Grant was typecast as the bumbling yet charming British gentleman.
In 1995, Grant starred in the Chris Columbus movie Nine Months, again playing a romantic leading man.
The Movie ‘Nine Months’
Unlike many of Hugh Grant’s other early films, Nine Months is set in the United States. The film tells the story of a couple who fall pregnant unexpectedly and the hilarious hurdles they have to overcome in those nine months.
The film also stars Julianne Moore, Tom Arnold, Joan Cusack, Jeff Goldblum, and Robin Williams. Although it won over some fans, the film didn’t fare overly well amongst critics, receiving mixed reviews.
Hugh Grant’s Character In ‘Nine Months’
In Nine Months, Hugh Grant plays the role of Samuel Faulkner, a British child psychologist living in San Francisco. Samuel thinks his life is perfect the way it is and is nearly devastated when his girlfriend Rebecca announces she’s pregnant.
He freaks out, eventually causing his girlfriend to leave him. He then must mentally prepare himself for the arrival of the baby in order to win back his girlfriend.
Some viewers found Samuel to be a selfish and immature character, given the way he responds to his girlfriend’s pregnancy.
Alternatively, others criticized the film for demonizing Grant’s character when he’s within his rights to not want children.
What Hugh Grant Said About His ‘Nine Months’ Role
According to IMDb, Hugh Grant was critical of his performance as Samuel Faulkner in Nine Months. The site reports that Grant believed he ruined the movie by “grotesquely over-acting.”
Grant was reportedly paid significantly more for this role than he was used to receiving at the time, and so tried to “up his game” and ended up overdoing his performance.
The site went on to claim that Grant has been “eternally apologetic to all involved ever since.”
The Critical Reception Of ‘Nine Months’
Nine Months grossed $138 million worldwide, but critics mostly had negative responses to the film. Many claimed that Hugh Grant was miscast as Samuel Faulkner.
Reviewers from a range of media outlets, including The Times, Newsweek, and the Financial Times, criticized the script, labeling the film as forgettable. Some indicated that watching the film felt like it took longer than nine months.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Nine Months received a low rating of just 25% on the Tomatometer.
What Roles Hugh Grant Prefers To Play
Many Hugh Grant fans associate him with the many rom-com roles he has played during his successful career. But the actor himself has revealed that he prefers to play characters that are a little edgier.
In 2021, Grant told talk show host James Corden that he finds it a relief to not have to play charming gentleman-types anymore: ““It is odd for me because I almost do enjoy acting now,” Grant admitted (via Hollywood Reporter).
“It’s been such a relief to not have to be the charming leading man. I gave it my best shot. And some of those films I did like that are lovely, and I love them for being popular. And I am grateful for them—grateful again. But, it has been a lovely relief now that I am allowed to be twisted, ugly weird, misshapen.”
Grant himself has suggested that he’s not like his rom-com characters in real life, and gets annoyed when people expect him to be like them.
“I get very annoyed when people think I’m nice or diffident or a polite English gentleman," the actor explained, before joking, "I’m a nasty piece of work and people should know that.”
