Hugh Grant says playing an Oompa Loompa was 'awful' but here's why he was perfect
Many of us may remember Hugh Grant as a leading romantic comedy star, so naturally eyebrows were raised when it was announced he would be playing an Oompa Loompa in the latest Wonka film.
However, after watching the movie, you may find the casting to be a genius choice.
Perhaps, age and time have created a new niche for the star of romantic comedies such as Notting Hill (1999) and Music And Lyrics (2007).
Director Paul King of the Paddington movies recognised Grant's curmudgeonly nature and decided he would make a perfect Oompa Loompa.
Wonka is set 25 years before Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and follows a young Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) as he tries to make his dream of opening his own chocolate shop a reality. He encounters obstacles at almost every turn but with the help of his found family, and even a little assistance from Grant's Oompa Loompa, he manages to keep on going.
This is not the first time King and Grant have worked together. Grant earned praise for playing a failed actor and villain in Paddington 2 (2017).
In the spirit of his character, he grumpily complained about how "awful" it was working with motion capture technology for Wonka.
"You wear a kind of crown of thorns, it's very very uncomfortable," the 63-year-old actor said over Zoom from the film's London press conference on Nov 29
"I made a big fuss about it."
"It was a bicycle helmet!" countered King.
Grant elaborated on how he was called in every two months to repeat what he did, which would go on for two years.
"I couldn't have hated the whole thing more," he said.
Although this is not Grant's first time working with computer-generated imagery (CGI), he is still not used to it.
“I still can’t really work out what’s me, where I end and where the animator starts,” he said.
"My old, old father said at the premiere of Paddington, after he'd watched 25 minutes, he turned to me and said, 'Is that a real bear?'
“It’s very confusing, with CGI now, you can’t tell what’s going on.”
Despite his grumpiness and complaints, the actor did not eliminate the possibility of working with King again.
"It would be lovely," he said.
"You (King) love making films and I slightly hate it but I've got lots of children and need money."
- Wonka is now playing in Singapore.
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