There is a particular breed of actor that cultivates universal contempt. Sometimes this is completely justified because the actor is as talented as Keanu Reeves, or sometimes it's completely justified because the actor is O.J. Simpson. Sometimes, however, you get actors who receive universal hatred despite seemingly having done nothing wrong. This is my attempt at defending 10 actors who are constantly given a hard time, but really aren't that bad. As I'm sure we can all agree, if there's one thing that these multi-millionaires need, it's for me to stick up for them on the internet. Cut them some slack, will you?
10. Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant is hated by many and for many reasons. He's that annoying, posh celebrity that your circa-1994 girlfriend likes more than you, or worse, he's that annoying, posh guy in all of those terrible romcoms that your circa-1994 girlfriend makes you endure with her. But wait a second: Hugh Grant "knows his place," so to speak. For the most part, he stays well within the realms of romantic comedy because that's what he's good at. For what they are, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral aren't terrible films. They're not great, but you could do a lot worse than to take one of those in. Plus, as I said, he is good at them. About a Boy is a real gem of a film and it proves that Hugh is capable of - if nothing else - some fantastic comic timing. It goes beyond that, though. If you, like myself, despise the corruption wrought within the news media, then Hugh is an ally - and a pretty hilarious one at that. He got into trouble in 2007 when he
threw a tuppaware container full of baked beans at a paparazzo. Technically, it's assault, but it's only assault against a member of one of the scummiest professions on the planet, so it doesn't really count. If Hugh is harassed by some idiot with a camera to the point that he wants to retaliate, then that's understandable, and if he chooses to retaliate by throwing baked beans at them (rather than taking the Russell Crowe approach, for instance), then it's a peaceful protest which is even better. He stepped up the ante, in 2011, when, sick and tired of his treatment in the press, he essentially single-handedly
brought down an entire newspaper by turning their own wire-tapping tactics against them. And you know what? Anybody who wants to stick it to Rupert Murdoch is OK by me.