Hugh Grant: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. William Thacker - Notting Hill

In Notting Hill, Grant plays what is arguably the "straightest" incarnation of his classic persona in a performance that almost verges on parody of such a thing. And yet the sincerity that he unleashes on screen, coupled with Richard Curtis' witty, charming script (the role was written especially for Grant) ensures this as one of his best and most likeable performances. As travel book store owner William Thacker, it's a role he was surely born to play. Thacker's life is turned upside down, you'll remember, when movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walks into his book shop one day, setting in motion a sequence of events that leads the pair to falling in love. Grant's bumbling has never been more apparent than it is here ("Whoopsie-daisies"), but Thacker is such an inherently likeable character - downtrodden, but never cynical - that you just can't help but root for him. Also: he's incredibly funny.