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Film Scouts: What sold you on doing "Extreme Measures"? Had
you read the book?
Hugh Grant: I hadn't read the book and to be absolutely honest I still
haven't read the book because the script once we had found it was already
a long way from the book. Elizabeth (Hurley, Grant's girlfriend and producer)
found the script and showed it to me. It was the kind of film I really
admire, that is it's thrilling and entertaining and edge of your seat and
all that. A good night out, but at the same time it's not brain dead.
There is a moral ambiguity to it that I found particularly appealing. As
a by-product it was nice to have something that could edge me out of that
comedy corner that I've found myself backed into at least in America.
FS: Was the character British in the book? Or did they try to make you
American?
HG: It was written as an American as most of the scripts that come to me
are, but I never do that. I do the switch act. I personally made it British
and warmed it up a bit.
FS: You received the Golden Globe and British Academy Award for "Four
Weddings and a Funeral" but would you prefer to be known for more serious
work?
HG: That's a tough question. The thing I'm really queenie about is whether
or not the script is any good. To be honest with you I don't really care
if it's comedy, serious or a musical. Well, I would care if it was a musical.
You'd care.* On the whole I like it when there are a few jokes around.
Even in a serious thing it helps, that's why I wrote in a few jokes, particularly
in the first half of this film.
FS: Where does the name of your production company Simian Films come from?
HG: It was just a little in joke between me and Elizabeth because she has
this psychotic obsession with apes and she thinks I look like a monkey which
I don't see.* It's humiliating really. It was a little in joke and has
become a public humiliation.
FS: Were you at all intimidated having Elizabeth Hurley as your producer
and your boss? To work under her?
HG: I live under her.* No particular difference expect she got paid for
it this time. It works well.
FS: What did you learn from director Michael Apted?
HG: He's the master of practicality. They say film making is ninety-eight
percent organization and two percent inspiration and he got that two percent
but he certainly got that ninety-eight percent. If you aren't really organized
you don't have a chance to be creative on the day on the set. He's terrifyingly
organized particularly about punctuality. He'd go nuts if you were two minutes
late on the set. Even to me and I hired him which is ridiculous!*
FS: When you made "Four Wedding and a Funeral" did you have any
idea it would be an international success?
HG: No, up until then I had made international failures.* I was convinced
it would be another in my long line. I always thought the script was good
but we had so little time and money that we screwed it up good and proper.
I was very surprised when it hit. Startled.
FS: How did it feel to have more control over the process of the movie
making with "Extreme Measures"?
HG: We obsessed on it. We became a pair of nutters. We developed the
script for a year and then produced it for a year, so we thought about nothing
else. Start to go a bit mad. It is quite intense but we loved it. Especially
after years and years of just acting where you've been sitting there thinking,
"just put the camera there." To be allowed to say those things
was very liberating.
FS: How hard is it to go back into the movies just as an actor?
HG: It will be hard. Just the other day I came close to committing to
another Hollywood project which would be just me as an actor and I think
that's why one of the reasons I weaseled out of it at the last moment.
I think you get a taste for power and there's no turning back, like Mussolini.*
FS: Does this film making experience give you more sympathy for the directors
and producers?
HG: I do, actually and I have a much clearer sense of the importance of
performance which is the only thing I used to do. I realize now that the
whole thing doesn't revolved around actors.* Editing was fascinating.
For instance, when I do my next film, if I do five takes I'll do it five
different ways rather than trying to get one perfect or one version. You
need options in the editing room. Stuff like that.
FS: What about Gene Hackman? Where you surprised that he accepted a part
that was rather small?
HG: We were jubilant when he took the part. We were sitting around saying,
"If we could get Gene Hackman for this role, that would be ideal but
we won't get him so..." And then he took the bait and that was a champagne
day. But from then on I was gibbering at the prospect of having to play
against this guy. He is an enormous film star in my book and he always
looks like he is furious.* I was terrified that his trailer would be unclean
or something not to his satisfaction. As it turned out, he couldn't be
less like that. He is very much an actor's actor and all he wants is to
do the job. Sits around and has lunch with the crew. He's very unstarry.
But first scene with him my words came out backward like I was talking
in tongues or something.
FS: What was it like working with Roman Polanski on "Bitter Moon"?
HG: Well, you know he's a nutter. A genius but bonkers. Coming from a
cozy English tradition, and going to Paris. He doesn't work in the morning
at all. (Impersonates Polanski) "I hate the morning." So you
come in at lunch time and go into make up. Instead of someone saying, "Do
you want a cup of tea and a donut?", they say, " Would you like
a line of cocaine?" And then his wife will be there in make-up, usually
topless, (another imitation) "So you like these?" Yeah their
great.* Very bohemian. "Bitter Moon" had trouble finding a distributor
until after "Four Weddings" but I like it. And there are other
psychotics who like it.
FS: Are there more plans for Simian Films?
HG: We have several in the works and there is one in particular that I
like. It is me against the Mafia if you can imagine anything as absurd
as that.*
FS: What about other genres? Hugh Grant as an action star? We saw you
on the motorcycle.
HG: Very butch. I got very into the action stuff and suggested that I
wear an eye patch and a tank top.* But they said it didn't go well with
the white coat. No, I don't think that will wash.
"Extreme Measures" certainly washes. And Mr. Grant is off
to the Coast to generate more interest in his latest project.
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