“I got to see Adele because of Spice World!”
Legendary actor Richard E Grant tells Closer how working with the Spice Girls earned him A-list pals
He’s one of the nation’s favourite H actors and is known for his typically posh roles. But more recently, he caused a stir on American TV comedy Girls, where he played troublesome addict Jasper.
Now Richard E. Grant tells Closer that working on Girls was a dream come true, but that he wishes he’d been invited back to spend more time with the show’s main star Lena Dunham, aka Hannah Horvath.
Richard – who played the Spice Girls’ manager in Spice World in 1998 – says: “I’d been working on a film with a guy whose wife was the producer of Girls. He came up to me and said: ‘Have you ever heard of Lena Dunham?’ And I replied: ‘Er, yes!’ I’d seen every episode of Girls! Lena then contacted me and said she’d written me the part of a drug addict in one episode and of course I said I’d do it. I ended up coming back for four episodes!
I haven’t been asked back for the final series though, so I’m a bit upset about that.
“I was amazed someone of Lena’s age had even heard of me, but she said she loved me from Spice World! I was derided for doing that film, but I got a gig in Girls and also front row tickets from Adele because she was a Spice World maniac!”
INTERVIEWING THE PRESIDENT
And Richard, 59, reveals how during his time hosting TV series Richard E. Grant’s Hotel Secrets in 2012, he even interviewed Donald Trump – and recalls him reeking of hairspray.
“I can’t believe I have interviewed the President of the United States,” says Richard. “I was fascinated by his hairdo – the smell of L’oréal Elnett hairspray filled the room as he walked in and his hair was a golden pompadour delight. It is a work of art.
“We only had 10 minutes scheduled with him, but it ended up being an hour and a half! We could not stop him talking. As long as you flattered him, he was ready to sit and talk for five years.”
Richard, who is father to 27-year-old Olivia with his wife, voice coach Joan Washington, first rose to stardom as loveable alcoholic Withnail in Withnail and I in 1987 – despite being intolerant to alcohol himself. And while he’s had a prolific career in both films and TV, he doesn’t consider himself “wildly famous.”
WORKING WITH THE SPICE GIRLS
The star reveals: “I’m aware if someone’s walking down the street and they recognise me – but I’ve never had wild fame.
“I’m proud of where I’ve got to, though. From the moment I said I wanted to be an actor, people told me I had no chance. But if you follow your passions and just keep going, you can make it.”
And when Closer asks Richard who was his favourite Spice Girl, he replies: “I loved all of them and I can’t pick a favourite because if I did, I’d be kicked by one of them!”
l Richard took part in this year’s Advertising Week Europe, uniting the advertising, ad tech, client, creative, marketing and media ecosystem