Hugh Grant is, and always has been, so much more than his romantic comedy reputation suggests. That’s not to denigrate the noble genre (which has a deep cinematic history) but to encourage a delve into the English leading man-turned-character actor’s lesser-known filmography. For instance, did you know that his latest film, Heretic, is not the first horror he’s starred in?

If you were already aware of Ken Russell’s 1988 vampiric fever dream The Lair of the White Worm, congratulations—you’re either an elite Hugh Head or a true freak. Again, that’s not to denigrate the noble act of freakage but to embrace it, like Grant has. In our following conversation, he discusses the liberation of being in his “freak show era” by way of playing the villainous Mr. Reed in Heretic.

At first glance, one wouldn’t expect this bespectacled man in a dowdy brown sweater to be engaging in diabolical, Jigsaw-like antics. Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) certainly didn’t when they knocked on his door. Now they’re trapped in his isolated house, subjected to his literal tests of their faith, forced to listen to his lengthy monologuing about Jar Jar Binks, Radiohead and Lana Del Rey.

Letterboxd , on the other hand, are sadistically enjoying Mr. Reed’s diatribes—Grant’s performance in particular. “I’d do anything for you, Hugh Grant,” Lady Dakota begins her review, going on to affirm that “this was a really wonderful film—had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and had great dialogue that explored the guts of religion without being necessarily for or against or overtly cliche… I repeat, I’d do anything for you, Hugh Grant.”

We’re going to be talking about your illustrious career, starting with Maurice, your highest-rated leading role on Letterboxd. The really have taken to its eloquent dialogue, its tenderness, and the depiction of the ache of desire—and they’re mourning what happens to your character Clive’s hair once he becomes “straight”. Could you talk about that transformation from natural, floppy-haired, clean-shaven, to more unnatural, slicked-back, mustachioed?
Hugh Grant: As I recall, and this is 40 years ago—well, he buttons up, doesn’t he? He’s almost out of the closet with Maurice, but not quite. Then, he scurries back into the closet in a big way and gets married. The look was to try and emphasize his closeted nature. The hair gets Brilliantined, that terrible little mustache we stuck on. Then, there’s all these not-overly-subtle metaphors of, right at the end of the film, I actually shut the shutters. I mean, talk about closeting.

There are also many comparisons to Call Me by Your Name, which makes sense as that was also written by the great James Ivory. Have you seen that film, and if so, did you notice the foundations that Maurice had laid?
I did see that film, and I thought it was very, very good. What I also thought was how nice for Jim, who comes from a generation where I don’t think it was very easy to be out, nor to talk about your orientation. And, clearly, by the time he made Call Me by Your Name, he was ready to do that, and I’m happy for him.

I got to see The Lair of the White Worm on 35 millimeter at the New Beverly Cinema recently.
Oh, that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. Who does the programming?

Quentin Tarantino owns that theater, so he has a little bit of sway. Music and Lyrics also played there, from his personal recommendation.
He does love that film. I had this weird experience that some do in London: this sweaty person pushed his way through the crowd to me, and it was Quentin Tarantino. And to my enormous surprise, he said, ‘Oh, man, I love Music and Lyrics.’ He said he watched it on a plane, and was so disappointed that the plane landed before the film ended, that he had to quickly go and order it from Blockbuster or something. And I thought, ‘Surely not, not Quentin Tarantino,’ but maybe you’re right. I want to go to that cinema very badly.

I miss 35 millimeter so much. It’s almost like a thirst. Scott [Beck] and Bryan [Woods], who made Heretic, have their own version of that. They’ve set up a cinema in whatever the curious town they live in in Iowa is, and it plays 35 millimeter classics, so they feel the same way as we do.

I’m very heartened to hear that. Now we can dig into Heretic, your new horror film from the two of them. I interviewed you on the Dungeons & Dragons carpet, and you gave me some elaborate backstories for Phoenix Buchanan of Paddington 2, and Forge, of course. Could you tell me a bit of backstory for Mr. Reed?
I can tell you two things. One is that he had a great loss somewhere in his life. Someone died who was very special to him, and he, in his grief, looked for some comfort in religion and didn’t find it. That partly explains his encyclopedic knowledge of religion and his disdain for it. But, more broadly, he was just that kid who seemed nice, and actually quite charming in a way, and to whom people would be drawn for a bit. But suddenly, they think, ‘No, yuck, there’s something wrong here.’

He was not invited to parties and sleepovers. He’s sad about that, and has overcompensated throughout his life by trying to be ever more fascinating, and groovy, and different, and playing pranks on them. He’s superintelligent, to an almost sort of painful degree, hence his fascination with trying to organize everything. His plan for the two girls in this film has been written down. It’s an incredible labyrinthine program—‘If they do this, then we do that. If they do that, then we do this’—and it’s all part of the world he built, the house he’s actually physically built, the weird analog locks on the doors, all that.

You’ve said multiple times that you are in your “freak show era.” Have you always had this in you, and is it cathartic to finally let it fly?
When I started acting, I thought the only thing I was good at was character work. I never wanted to be too close to whatever I am, but for some reason, that’s what I had to do, when I had a sort of successful romantic comedy career. And it’s been nice to get back to Hallowe’en acting.

And Letterboxd, too—people love it on Letterboxd! I have to ask: did making the ‘PoP! Goes My Heart’ music video for Music and Lyrics help you prepare for Phoenix Buchanan’s song-and-dance number?
[Laughs] No. Music and Lyrics dancing was hell, because it was free-form—express yourself, enjoy the music, feel it like a real rock star. I’m so not that person, and I really struggled with that. I had to have my charming makeup lady in New York bring me little swigs of whiskey in a 7UP bottle, and a certain amount of lorazepam to really get in the mood for that one. Phoenix Buchanan’s dance is a wholly different choreographed showbiz theatrical number, where I just had to work and work and work, go to a film studio and try and learn the steps.

You’re always saying that you hate singing and dancing, and yet you’re constantly doing it: you dance in Florence Foster Jenkins, and you sing in About a Boy and Wonka as well, and a little bit of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead in this film. So, is that the truth? Do you really hate it?
For free-form, it was difficult. In Music and Lyrics and in Love Actually, that’s hard, but the older I get, the more I love song-and-dance in films. And the more I watch Fred Astaire films and things like that, I just think, ‘What’s the point of any other kind of film? They’re so exquisite.’ It’s so sad that they’re not fashionable anymore, the great Hollywood musicals. Bring them back; I’d love to be in one.

I agree. So, you’ve played several villains now, but I think the most diabolical one might be Daniel Cleaver of Bridget Jones’s Diary. He has caused me and many women so much psychic damage.
Tell me about that.

I’m interviewing you, here, and I’m running out of time!
Oh, all right.

Letterboxd hosted a screening of Bridget Jones’s Diary recently, so I can speak a little bit to the psychic damage, which was tittering [and booing] when your character’s on-screen, and the rowdiness during the fight scene. Your frenemy Colin Firth has credited you with deciding to badly improvise that fight—can you confirm or deny that?
That is true. It’s something I’d always wanted to do. I never really believed fight scenes in movies, because they are so choreographed by stuntmen. You know, [mimes punching] to the jaw. And I’ve never seen anyone fight like that. Particularly, I’ve never seen middle-class, Oxbridge-educated Englishmen fight like that. So there was something of a struggle when it came to that scene, to get rid of the stunt team, excellent though I’m sure they were, and say, ‘No, no, we’re just going to go free-form and fight like two hopeless pussies.’

I said, ‘The only way we can get him in and make him enjoyable and relevant is if we invent a real story for what’s happened between Bridget 2 and Bridget 4, in the intervening 22 years. Something needs to have happened, more than him just picking up girls at parties, shagging them.’ And so we did come up with something. I mean, he’s still Daniel, but I hope he now has added layers.

Which of the films from your filmography do you think the most Letterboxd have slotted into their four faves?
How nice. Paddington 2?

The answer is actually Notting Hill. Thousands and thousands of have picked this one, including the actress Ayo Edebiri. For all these fans, which film from your filmography would you like them to add to their watchlists, which might be more underseen?
There’s a very obscure film called An Awfully Big Adventure. I thinking, ‘I’m quite good in that,’ and that was a whole strand of my acting career I wish I’d pursued for longer. I made it just before Four Weddings came out and sent me down romantic comedy alley for years. I wish I’d kept a bit of that other one going.