Hugh Grant loves Sundays with kids, frets over ‘Four Weddings’

Elegant, witty, debonair Hugh Grant has experienced four weddings, a funeral and a love affair with Bridget Jones.

It’s his latest movie where he sends someone beloved up the river that is causing a stir. Yes, Grant is the reason a classic little bear does jail time in the new “Paddington 2.” Does this mean that the Brit-turned-movie-bad-guy is getting the ire of children around the globe?

“Most nights, my house is stalked by children carrying flares,” says Grant, 57. “The truth is the only child I met who hasn’t loved the film and me in it was my own son. I took him to see the film with about 200 of his friends and they all adored it. My son? He sat stony-faced and said, ‘Why are you in it so much?’ ”

Grant can’t dwell. He’s busy filming “A Very English Scandal,” due out later this year, about British politician Jeremy Thorpe, who is accused of murdering his ex-lover in 1979.

It reunites him with his “Florence Foster Jenkins” director Stephen Frears.

Review-Journal: How do you like to spend your Sundays?

Grant: I have young children, which is life changing. I highly recommend children because your Sundays are spent in parks and watching lovely movies. There might be a little bit of golf for me. … I can tell you we never watch a Hugh Grant film as a family. In fact, we try to avoid them all.

In “Paddington 2,” you play a narcissistic theater actor who is forced to do dog food commercials. Would that be the worst?

I haven’t done a dog food commercial yet, but I feel like after this film it can only be a matter of time.

Your character is delightfully over the top in “Paddington 2?” Have you ever gone this far over?

“Nine Months.” Basically, it is fun to play a man like this who had bottomless reservoirs of self-regard combined with paranoia and loathing. I love playing someone deeply unpleasant, narcissistic and washed up. It was lovely to just wade around in that. I can’t really find the psychological motivation in it. I’m just going for cheap laughs.

Is it true you had to turn your first movie role down?

Absolutely true. When I left university for the summer, I went to a screening of this strange student film I shot. These agents were there and said, “Do you want to be actor?” I said, “Well no, I’m going to get my graduate degree in the fall.” But then I had second thoughts. I thought, “Maybe, I’ll say yes to acting for a year instead of writing essays.” I was cast in the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Mel Gibson right away and it meant money and 20 weeks shooting in Tahiti. But then I learned that in those days in England, you needed to earn your equity card doing regional theater. I had to turn the movie down and do regional theater, which was quite sad. I didn’t go off to Tahiti. I went off to play a tree, but it all worked out.

Is it true that you first thought “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” your first film, wasn’t that good?

When the film was done, everyone in it sat around and watched it. We all thought it was awful. There were no laughs in the room and that worried me. Then look what happened. It was a big hit.

Were the rumors true that you were considered as the next James Bond?

That is not true. I don’t know why. I always thought I brought a natural menace to the big screen.

You went through that period of crazy fame. What is it like for you now?

I’m more left alone now when I’m out than I ever was, which is delightful.

What do you like the most about filmmaking — and like the least?

I only really like when the whole thing is finished and it works. The rest is riddled with anxiety. It’s just worry, worry, worry. Should we change this? Should we do that? There is worry about casting and budget. I take on all these worries through editing. … With film, you’re in the hands of so many other factors, you can never really pat yourself on the back, even if you had a good day.

Do you have advice for young actors?

I guess I might say don’t sell out. But I did sell out horribly before “Four Weddings,” I did any work that came my way because I needed the money. Since then I never got into a project knowing it was a big hit. I do feel smug about that. I just found whenever you do something for the money, it comes back to bite you.

Do you ever get to Vegas?

I do not. I’m quite busy at home.

Do people still call you Hughie?

I was Hughie until 21 and still am to a lot of people. Even more people actually call me Mungo. My full name is Hugh John Mungo Grant. It’s a stupid name. The Mungo began as playground brutality and it stuck.

Finally, did Bridget Jones choose the wrong guy?

Of course she chose the wrong guy. Don’t you think so? If not, I might be hurt.