Hugh Grant’s awkward Oscars red carpet interview has people talking

Actor Hugh Grant’s uneasy Oscars red carpet interview is gaining traction on social media, and not in a good way.

The 62-year-old, who presented an award on Sunday, has divided public opinion online, with many accusing him of talking down to model Ashley Graham while she was asking him questions, including about his role in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

When Graham asks Grant if he’s hoping to see any actor win an award, he appears confused by the question, responding, “No one in particular.” The interview would get more tense and awkward from there.

“What are you wearing tonight, then?” Graham asks. “Just my suit,” Grant replies, noting that he doesn’t remember the name of his tailor.

Graham awkwardly transitions to Grant’s brief cameo in Glass Onion, hoping to get a sense of the long-time actor’s experience on set.

“I am barely in it. I am in it for three seconds,” Grant says. “But still, you showed up and had fun, right?” Graham asks. “Almost,” Grant adds.

Graham then puts an end to the interview, with Grant looking away as it wraps.

It quickly attracted the audience’s attention, with some, including news outlets, commenting on Grant’s awkward demeanour and treatment of Graham. One viewer went as far as to call it the worst Oscars interview ever.

In contrast, others pointed to Grant’s sarcastic sense of humour being taken out of context and criticized Graham’s questions. At the Vanity Fair after party, referenced in the tense interview, Graham told CNN that she was raised to “kill em’ with kindness.”

Grant is known to be private and rarely gives public interviews, and has often been labelled as “grumpy” by British newspapers over the years.

The 62-year-old stars in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, a 2023 spy action comedy film directed by Guy Ritchie. In 2021, Grant was nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in The Undoing.