Hugh Grant: Actor, ex ad-man, Seinfeld fan and Japanese idol

Hugh Grantwasn't always famous?

That's one of the takeaways from a wide-ranging interview Grant gave to Midday back in 1996, as he was promoting the Toronto-shotmovieExtreme Measures.

Grant, still with the trademark floppy hair of his early career,was there to talk about the film, but he ended up looking backon his path to stardom.

'You weren't a child actor?'

No, Grant was not a child actor.The question came up, as Midday's Tina Srebotnjakasked Granthow he ended up going into acting.

Grant explained that he worked on a studentfilm while going to Oxford University, which got him noticed. That led to opportunities in the business.

"I thought it'd be amusing for a year to do that while I worked out what I really wanted to do," said Grant, in the interview which aired on Sept. 24, 1996. "And here I am, an embarrassing number of years later, still doing it."

"So, what you just got the [acting] bug?" Srebotnjak asked.

"Yeah, I suppose so, yeah," said Grant. "You just want to finally crack it. And then you think: 'I'll give it up as soon as I've cracked it.' And you never quite do."

He used to write ad copy

Hugh Grant's ad-man past

28 years ago

Duration 0:19

Hugh Grant tells Midday about his past work as a copy writer.

Yes, he had a real jobbefore he was an actor. He wrote copy for advertisements.

"I loved it," said Grant. "I used to write commercials for Mighty White sliced bread, with 'all the goodness of brown, but the great taste of white.'"

He mentioned that he'd alsoworked on Red Stripe beer ads, adding, "I wish I had a Red Stripe lager now."

He was big in Japan

Becoming famous in Japan

28 years ago

Duration 0:50

Hugh Grant explains what made him famous in Japan.

"What was it that made you an overnight sensation in Japan?" asked Srebotnjak.

Grant explained that he became well-known in Japanafter starring in Maurice a film adapted from an E.M. Forster novel,produced by Ismail Merchant and directed by James Ivory years earlier.

"They just adore things that arevery, very British and that was an incredibly British film and all these young girls just went nuts," said Grant, noting that two books were then written about him in that country.

He joked he'd read translated versions andfound them "pretty riveting."

Canadians, comedy and Seinfeld

Hugh Grant on Canadians, comedy and Seinfeld

28 years ago

Duration 1:14

Hugh Grant gets talking about Canadians, their taste in comedy and his interest in Seinfeld.

Having spent time filming Extreme Measures in Canada, Grant said he felt at home here, as he was able to watch many British sitcoms on Canadian TV.

Grant said he suspectedCanadians understood U.K. humour because they were "half-British" to some degree.

He also defended the reputation of American sitcoms and named some of his favourites.

"If you watch their sitcoms, their best sitcoms are unbelievably funny, I think, and well-written," said Grant, calling Seinfeld "superb" and mentioning his appreciation for Friends and Murphy Brownas well.