We'll soon see Hugh Grant take on what's being called the role of his career in upcoming horror film Heretic, but the star has revealed that the inspiration behind his crazed villain actually came from real-life people.
“There have been people in my life who have been helpful to me, people who were very, very smart, brilliant, actually, and in some ways very plausible and quite charming and quite fascinating, but with whom you slowly come to realize that there is something deeply wrong,” Grant said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly when discussing which figures inspired his Heretic character, Mr. Reed.
“And these people often have a hard time having relationships in life, meaningful friendships, and they resort to things like jokes and kind of lame jokes and modeling and things like that,” Grant continued. However, it's not clear who exactly the star is referring to, as he declined to give details.
Also starring Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Disney star Chloe East, Heretic follows two Mormon sisters who go door-to-door and get the surprise of a lifetime when they meet a strange landlord who seems to be hiding a lot more than meets the eye. From what we've seen in the latest full trailer for Heretic, it's clear from his behavior alone that Reed (Grant) has ulterior motives when he invites the girls over under the premise of wanting to have a religious debate.
Later in the interview, Grant revealed what process he went through to better understand his character, wondering why Mr. Reed says and does certain things. “Very often, the answers to those questions lead me into areas of his past,” Grant said. “I write them down and create a sort of vast backstory and biography for the character.”
Well, whatever Grant has been doing is working, as the film has already reached a score of 91%. Rotten tomatoesCritics have been enthusiastic about Grant's starring role in First reactions to Hereticand many called it the actor's best and most committed performance to date.
Heretic is produced by 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 is released in the US on November 15 and hits UK cinemas on November 21. For more, check out our list of the best films ever made. The best horror moviesor stay up to date with Upcoming Horror Movies heading your way