Hugh Grant poked fun at his past legal drama during the premiere of his latest movie.
While introducing his new film Heretic at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre on Thursday, October 24, the actor got the crowd laughing with his few words.
“I have nothing interesting to add to that except that it is very nice to be here,” Grant, 64, shared via The Hollywood Reporter. “Hollywood Boulevard has always been a lucky place for me.”
The surprising joke left many audience members laughing and recalling the actor’s run-in with police nearly 30 years ago.
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Back in 1995, Grant was arrested for lewd conduct with a sex worker. At the time, the actor — who was dating Elizabeth Hurley — was arrested two blocks to the south on Sunset Boulevard at 1:30 a.m., when police officers allegedly caught him receiving oral sex in his white BMW. Grant later shared he was “not in a good frame of mind” at the time of the incident.
This isn’t the first time Grant has poked fun at his arrest. While appearing on The View in March 2023, the actor was asked about why he speaks out against how the British tabloids invade people’s privacy.
“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, well he’s just bitter because he got arrested with a hooker in 1995,’” he joked on the daytime talk show. “But actually it had nothing to do with that because that was never uncovered by tabloids. It was that the bloody police gave everyone the information. It was nothing to do with that.”
Grant explained that some tabloids need to be reminded that “with power comes responsibility.”
“These big newspaper owners — largely non-tax-paying newspaper owners — are living above the law and invading the privacy of people whose kids are being killed in a road accident or whatever to get the sensational article,” he said. “No one dares to take them on in Britain because they’re so scared of them, especially the politicians. That’s why politicians, really in my country, are chosen by the press. … That’s what my campaign is about.”
Grant was able to continue his career after his arrest in Hollywood. In addition to landing roles in beloved movies like Love Actually and About a Boy, the actor now has the opportunity to star in a religious horror thriller.
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Heretic follows two young Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by Mr. Reed (Grant).
“It’s nice of AFI to have us. It’s nice of you to show up,” Grant told the audience at the AFI Fest screening. “It was nice of these girls to be so brilliant in the film. It was nice of [directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods] to put me in it and nice of the producers to pay me so little. I hope you enjoy it.”
Heretic opens in theaters everywhere on November 8.
