Hugh Grant, the actor renowned for his roles in beloved romantic comedies such as Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary, recently shared how he lost confidence in his acting abilities due to harsh criticism early in his career. On the November 18 episode of the Smartless podcast, the 64-year-old actor admitted, “I entirely lost faith that I could do anything else. I believed my critics really,” but added that he now recognizes he may have been wrong.

Throughout his career, Grant became a household name for his charming roles in romantic films. However, as he got older, he noticed a shift in the type of roles he was offered, moving away from leading man parts and toward more quirky, character-driven roles. Despite this, Grant reflected on how he started in the industry doing more unconventional, comedic roles. “At the very beginning, if I had any talent, it was for doing strange characters and silly voices and outlandish things that weren’t anything like me,” he shared.

Grant’s early career began with performances in a comedy group during the ‘80s, where he and his troupe were quite successful. He reminisced about performing in pubs alongside notable names like Mike Myers, calling it a fun experience.

He also recalled the contrast between his romantic comedy roles and his more serious work. After the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant worked with the same director on the darker film An Awfully Big Adventure, in which he played a “nicotine-stained, predatory, evil, twisted, unpleasant theater director.” Reflecting on his performance, Grant admitted, “I was pretty good,” and wished he had explored more of these serious roles throughout his career.

While Grant expressed pride in his romantic comedy roles, he confessed that he wished he had diversified his career earlier. “It’s nice to have made movies that actually entertain people, and they’re much harder than people think,” he said. “But I wish I had more variety in my filmography while I still had some confidence.” He also shared a personal moment, revealing that while watching Love Actually with his wife, Anna Eberstein, she pointed out the film’s deeper meaning. She observed that the movie was largely about “pain,” which Grant agreed with, acknowledging that his best romantic comedies often explored the theme of dealing with unrequited love and emotional pain through humor.

Despite his regrets, Grant continues to reflect positively on his career, proud of his contributions to the genre, while acknowledging that he could have taken more risks earlier on.