Grant on a roll with ‘Forgive,’ ‘Nutcracker’
NEW YORK — In the early ’90s New York City of “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Melissa McCarthy’s solitary down-and-out writer finds companionship and a soulmate in an outrageously campy homosexual.
As Jack Hock, homeless, alcoholic and exuberantly, outrageously endearing, Richard E. Grant, 61, is struggling to accept that this unexpected career peak is real.
“It’s all astonishing for me! Five years ago in my 50s, I thought (the business) is so youth-centric it’s crumbs off the big table now. If you’re not Tom Cruise, that’s the career trajectory you have.”
Instead his career upswing saw him as Hugh Jackman’s nemesis in “Logan,” the Snow Realm King in Friday’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and a role he can’t discuss in next year’s “Star Wars IX.”
“It’s like what John Lennon says, ‘Life is what happens in-between your plans.’ I’ve never had a career strategy,” Grant said in a one-onone interview.
“I’m a character actor who’s been in a pile of movies and TV things and then something catches fire, as with this film with Melissa McCarthy. You can’t predict that.”
Grant credits his upbeat attitude to keeping him rock steady. “I grew up in the smallest country in Africa, Swaziland. Saying you want to be an actor coming from Swaziland is as ludicrous and balmy as kids saying, ‘I want to be an astronaut.’
“That I’ve made a good living and doing movies — well, J.J. Abrams is directing ‘Star Wars’ (now filming) and every day I work I say to him, ‘Just pinch me because I can’t really believe I’m here.’
“I still get thrilled working on the things I do. I think that way you end up not being bitter and twisted.
“And I live in London and live a very full life. I write, host documentaries. All sorts of things that are not dependent on ‘Will this movie be a hit?’ I try to be as realistic and grounded as possible.”
His African roots saw Grant analyzing the relationship between McCarthy’s curmudgeonly Lee Israel and his Jack Hock as what kind of animal would they be?
“She’s a porcupine, prickly and private, and you’re going to get hurt if you go in there,” he decided.
“Jack is like a Labrador, he’ll lick you into submission. He won’t give up.”