TWO WEEKS NOTICE - with SANDRA BULLOCK & HUGH GRANT
Movie Interview by Kris Griffiths
Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant discuss BRIDGET JONES, Cary Grant and old flames at London's Dorchester Hotel.
The two of you have been longing to work together on a project for a while now. How happy were you with this one and how did it come together?
HUGH GRANT: We had been dying to do something together for ages. I had been watching Sandra for years and years and thinking that's the girl I should be making films with. Then we met up in New York about five years ago and talked about the possibility of collaborating, but after telling her a disgusting story which revolted her, she walked out of the room and I never saw her again for three years. In the meantime people were sending us tons of romantic comedy scripts, none of them any good, when finally Marc Lawrence came along, who'd done MISS CONGENIALITY with Sandy. It was a great idea and the whole thing fit very neatly into place. I personally think he's one of only two people in this world that can write really good romantic comedy scripts.
SANDRA BULLOCK: In general, romantic comedy scripts only follow one person's point of view but once a while one will come along that's balanced for two people and provides enough friction and entertainment. Every time we got a script it would be either good for Hugh and lousy for me and vice-versa but this one was wickedly funny. It just worked. Sometimes you think it works but when you both get on set you hate each other. In our case, we apparently loved each other at first, then hated each other, then we loved each other in France and I don't know if we're supposed to love or hate each other here in England...
HUGH GRANT: I think in England we hate each other but in Australia we've had a baby (laughs).
SANDRA BULLOCK: Does that answer your question?
Do you believe that opposites attract?
SANDRA BULLOCK: I don't really want to be with someone exactly like me but I also don't want to be with someone who is so opposite that I can't relate to them at all. As long as they buy me nice things...
HUGH GRANT: You've always had a strange taste in men...
SANDRA BULLOCK: Well I won't even start on your taste in women.
(To Sandra) You both go to a baseball game in the movie - have you been to a soccer match in England?
(To Hugh) And never mind the war in the Gulf, will you be campaigning to save Fulham's Craven Cottage?
HUGH GRANT: I don't know, do you want to see a football match on Saturday Sandra?
SANDRA BULLOCK: No, I won't be here, but my brother-in-law who's over here at the moment abandoned the family today to go and see Liverpool.
HUGH GRANT: The only time I ever took a girlfriend to Fulham we were standing on the terraces in the Hammersmith end and she sat down on the floor after three minutes and didn't stand up again. That was our last date. I'm very, very sad about Craven Cottage - I've always been a Cottager...
(To Hugh) Do you get frustrated that people are generally more interested in your love-life than the film?
SANDRA BULLOCK: I'm interested in his love-life.
HUGH GRANT: She's put more effort into my love-life than she has into the movie... always lining me up with girls and some of them very good choices.
SANDRA BULLOCK: Great choices.
HUGH GRANT: Yeah. What was the question? Am I frustrated with it? I suppose I am but on the other hand when I hear about any other actor or actress, I'd much rather hear about who they're shagging than what film they're doing next.
(To Hugh) As an established and gifted comedy actor, who have you drawn on for comic inspiration?
HUGH GRANT: Thank you for being so nice. There were always actors I loved whilst growing up but I've never tried to model myself on any of them. MONTY PYTHON and FAWLTY TOWERS did it for me, and Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks films. Journalists have always asked me if I'm a Cary Grant fan, presumably because we share the same name, but until recently I'd never actually watched a Cary Grant film and always lied about it. I don't really see any similarities between us, except I've been told that he used to wear ladies' underwear, which I do too.
(To Sandra) Do you prefer the FOUR WEDDINGS & A FUNERAL Hugh or the BRIDGET JONES Hugh?
SANDRA BULLOCK: I actually prefer a little perviness and seediness and a little twist. After watching BRIDGET JONES' DIARY I was like, wow - I had no idea he had this in him - let's work together!
(To Sandra) Like Lucy's predicament in the movie, do you think that there are men out there who would love to date you but are put off by your high profile? I bet there's a lot of seedy and pervy blokes out there whose hopes will now be rising high...
SANDRA BULLOCK: Bring on the pervs! It's hard for me to say really because I don't know what kind of vibe I'm giving off, but I'm never short of attention. You want to ask Hugh really because he's been around when I've been, er, working it (laughs). I've always been very lucky in love and have shared my time and space with some amazing people so I don't know... I don't know if I've answered your question at all and by the look on your face I don't think so (laughs).
