Hugh Grant Did a Lot of ‘Groveling’ After a Tantrum on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Set: ‘I Did a Christian Bale’
Hugh Grant is finding honor in opening up about losing his temper. The “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” actor admitted to getting angry at a woman on set whom he assumed was a studio executive. However, she was in fact a chaperone of a young child actor. Grant noted he did a “lot of groveling” after realizing his mistake.
“I lost my temper with a woman in my eyeline on day one,” Grant told Total Film (via Yahoo! Entertainment). “I assumed she was some executive from the studio who should have known better. Then it turns out that she’s an extremely nice local woman who was the chaperone of the young girl. Terrible. A lot of groveling… ”
Grant added, “I did a Christian Bale.”
The “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” star referenced Bale’s famous apology after a tape was leaked of him yelling at “Terminator: Salvation” cinematographer Shane Hurlbut on set after Hurlbut walked into a shot during a take. Bale previously called it an “unusual” outburst and a “great learning lesson” as an actor.
“No matter how much you lose yourself in a scene, you do not allow yourself to behave that way,” Bale said almost a decade later in 2018. “And yeah, of course, I’ve got enormous regrets about it.”
As for Grant, the actor has been open about his “tantrums” during productions. In 2012, John Stewart called Grant the worst “Daily Show” guest and a “big pain in the ass” during a Q&A with the Montclair Film Festival (via Entertainment Weekly). Grant tweeted a response, writing, “Turns out my inner crab got the better of me with TV producer in ’09. Unforgivable. J Stewart correct to give me kicking.”
Grant added to Vanity Fair at the time, “I did have a tantrum backstage [at ‘The Daily Show’]. About once a year, I have a really mega-tantrum, and sadly he witnessed one.”
While promoting “Bridget Jones’ Diary” in 2001, Grant admitted to Talk magazine to having “three kinds of rage” as a person. Director Sharon Maguire noted that while Grant is a “dreadful giggler in the midst of takes,” he’s also “very serious and coiled like a spring.”
Maguire said, “We had a standing joke about his 2:30 tantrum. I lost it several times myself. We called them our ‘tanties.’ I’d say, ‘Come to Mommy and tell her what’s wrong today. We’re not at home to Mr. Angry. We’re not at home to Mr. Tantrum.’ Hugh would say things like, ‘Oh, Mr. Tummy is acting up again. Mr. Tummy is ill.’ Or I’ve got Wendy Wind,’ which was obviously flatulence. But even in a bad thunder Hugh will win you over. He knows everybody will love him because they’ll be laughing.”