Soon we will see Hugh Grant take on what is being called the role of his career in the upcoming horror movie Heretic, but the star has revealed that the inspiration behind his crazy villain actually came from real-life people.
“There have been people in my life who were useful to me, people who were very, very clever – brilliant, really, and in some ways very plausible and quite charming and quite bewitching, but who you gradually realize that there’s something deeply wrong with them,” said Grant in an interview with Entertainment Weekly when discussing which figures inspired his Heretic character Mr. Reed.
“And these people very often really struggle to have any relationships in life, any meaningful friendships, and resort to things like pranks and slightly unfunny jokes and model-making and stuff like that,” continued Grant. However, it is unclear who exactly the star is referring to as he wouldn’t discuss specifics.
Also starring Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher and Disney star Chloe East, Heretic follows two door-to-door Mormon Sisters who get the shock of their life when they meet an oddball homeowner who seems to be harboring a lot more than meets the eye. From what we have seen in the most recent full Heretic trailer, it is clear just by his demeanor that Grant’s Reed has ulterior motives when he invites the girls in on the premise of wanting to have a religious debate.
Later in the interview, Grant revealed what process he took to understand his character better, and would ask himself why Mr. Reed says and does certain things. “Very often, the answers to those questions lead off into areas of his past,” said Grant. “I jot those down and I create a vast kind of backstory and biography for the character.”
Well, whatever Grant has been doing is working as the movie already has struck up a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have been raving over Grant’s starring in first reactions to Heretic, with many calling it the actor’s best and most committed performance to date.
Heretic comes from filmmaking duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, best known for writing A Quiet Place and directing Haunt. The cast also includes Elle McKinnon, Stephanie Lavigne, Elle Young, River Codack, Haylie Hansen, and Carolyn Adair.
Heretic releases November 15 in the US and hits UK cinemas on November 21. For more, see our list of the best horror movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way.
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