“Switching into politics has crossed my mind,” the 63-year-old, famous for roles in hits like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary, shared in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The star was discussing his role as Edward Keplinger, the former chancellor ousted by Kate Winslet’s Elena Vernham on HBO’s The Regime, and acknowledged he has played a few politicians in his time. But he was hesitant on whether he would move forward with a switch to politics in real life.
“It has crossed my mind,” he agreed. “But what I really see close up is that it’s almost impossible to actually get anything done. It’s just impossible.”
He also said the abuse politicians receive has influenced his thoughts on the idea, along with advice from a family connection.
“My wife’s mother is a politician,” Grant explained. “She was quite senior in the Swedish Parliament. Whenever the subject comes up, she just says, “Don’t. You have to water down everything. It’s all horse trading. And nowadays the incoming abuse is unthinkable.”
He was referring to wife Anna Eberstein’s mother Susanne Eberstein, a former member of the Riksdag, which oversees the legislature of Sweden, from 1994 to 2019. Grant and Anna Eberstein married in 2018 and have three children together.
A period dabbling in politics himself has also played a part in his decision. In 2019 he mounted a campaign for people to vote tactically to prevent a Conservative majority to stop Brexit, but admitted that he ‘did very badly and ‘lost in every single constituency’.
He said the abuse at the time was “really extreme and shocking and threatening to one’s family.”
“What was interesting was the abuse that came in from the right,” he said. “I never know if they’re real or if they’re bots. But they’re good. They’re brilliant at what they do. And it was absolutely terrifying.”
