“I decided not to do it”: Hugh Grant Talks Why He Left $744.6M Franchise Despite Promising Future
Romantic comedies, commonly known as RomComs, have been a beloved genre in the film industry for decades. And Bridget Jones being one of them has been super successful. The Series combines humor, relatability, romantic tension, and empowering themes, all wrapped in a modern twist on classic romantic storytelling.
Another reason why we all like this film is because its enduring appeal lies in its ability to capture the complexities of love, relationships, and self-discovery authentically and entertainingly. But did you still like the third part where one of its main characters was missing?
Bridget Jones 3 was without One of Its Main Characters
You read it right! Daniel Cleaver is one of the main characters in Bridget Jones’s Diary. He is portrayed by Hugh Grant in the 2001 film. Daniel Cleaver is Bridget Jones’s charming and charismatic boss, who also happens to be her love interest. He is depicted as a womanizer and has a flirtatious relationship with Jones throughout the movie. He continued to be in the second part too but sadly not in the third. Hugh Grant did not play Cleaver in the 2016 Briget Jones Baby and his character was replaced. Speaking on Free Radio Once in the West Midlands, Grant confirmed that he won’t be in the third part:
“I decided not to do it, but I think they’re going to go ahead and do it without Daniel. The book’s excellent, by the way, but the script is completely different – well, the script as I last saw it a few years ago.”
Also in an interview with Bustle, Grant explained that he didn’t think his part was up to the usual standards for which he stated:
“When they came to me a few years ago, they had a good central premise, but I didn’t think the script completely worked. So I worked with them on it for some time, almost a year, I think, and I could never make the second half of the film work … especially for my character. So in the end we sort of ran out of time, and I said, ‘I think you should make it with someone else.'”
The first part was well-received by critics and grossed $281 million worldwide. And the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, grossed $265 million in 2004. Despite the success Grant did not do Daniel.
Who Replaced Hugh Grant?
As there was no Daniel Cleaver in the movie, there had to be someone for Bridget and it was Jack Qwant, played by Patrick Dempsey. The actor replaced Hugh’s character. In the third part, Bridget had a baby and the father could be Mark or Jack in which Jack was a handsome rich man. The character played by Damsey was praised by all his co-stars. Colin Firth who plays one of the main characters from the movie once said to an outlet:
“This guy Jack seems to be more of the charming good guy, and in some ways that’s scarier.”
Even though Hugh Grant did not play any character in Bridget Jones, he was loved for the sequels he was in, and for being such a phenomenal actor Grant is still standing out in Hollywood.
Watch Bridget Jones on Amazon Prime.
Source: The Guardian
