43 Years Ago He Debuted on Screen, Now the World Loves Him. Guess Who?

Is it even necessary to introduce Hugh Grant? Globally recognized for his charming roles in iconic romantic comedies like “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill,” and “Love Actually,” the British actor is a stalwart of cinema.

We know a lot about the illustrious career of Hugh Grant (who has called one of his most beloved characters “despicable”), but it’s quite possible you’ve never seen his screen debut. It was in 1982, in a TV movie titled “Privileged” where he wasn’t credited as Hugh Grant, but rather… Hughie Grant!

“Privileged” tells a story set in Oxford. Produced by the Oxford Film Foundation, the movie was shot, for its exterior scenes, in Oxford. The plot follows a group of drama students at Oxford who are producing a modern version of a classic play, over which they also find themselves in fierce competition for roles.

The film, very much entrenched in the Oxford culture, mixes elements of a thriller with love, friendship, and rivalry. Hugh (or rather, Hughie) Grant, who was just 22 years old at the time, was actually a student at Oxford!

Directed by Michael Hoffman (known for “One Fine Day,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Gambit”), “Privileged” features actors and actresses who, like Hugh Grant, would go on to make names for themselves. These include Imogen Stubbs (later seen with Grant in “Sense and Sensibility”), Mark Williams (known for playing Arthur Weasley in the “Harry Potter” series), and James Wilby (“Maurice”). Notably, the film also marked the debut of composer Rachel Portman, the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Film Music for “Emma.”

Hugh Grant’s Persuasive Portrayal of an “Aristocratic Outsider,” According to Variety

So how was Hugh Grant’s performance in the largely unknown “Privileged”? In its review dated July 14, 1982, Variety mentioned that the film might have “limited appeal” to most audiences but highlighted that the actor, listed as Hughie Grant, delivered a compelling performance as an “aristocratic outsider.”

Five years after this debut, Hugh Grant gained widespread recognition for his role as a repressed homosexual in “Maurice,” a performance that earned him an award at the Venice Film Festival, shared with James Wilby (the titular Maurice), his co-star from… “Privileged”!

Trailer for the 2024 horror movie “Heretic,” starring Hugh Grant, released in theaters: