Hugh Grant Is Suing UK Police Over Phone Hacking, Regrets Doing Movie for 20th Century Fox

by Josh Feldman | 5:36 pm, July 15th, 2011

» 21 comments

As News Corp. executives continue to drop like flies all around Rupert Murdoch, one of the key players in the widespread phone hacking scandal is taking legal action against the Metropolitan police. Actor Hugh Grant, who secretly recorded a tabloid reporter admitting to phone hacking several months ago, is suing the Metropolitan police over their potential involvement in the hacking cases.

Grant has been one of the most vocal celebrities piling on Murdoch’s media empire, and yesterday he (along with newspaper columnist Jemima Khan) filed a lawsuit against the police. The Metropolitan police have been implicated in the phone hacking scandal because of allegations that officers were bribed to give tabloid editors private information on celebrities and politicians. Grant’s lawyer has yet to comment on the suit.

Meanwhile, Grant is continuing to speak out on Murdoch, following his comments Wednesday that British politicians are “terrified” of Murdoch because of his influence on the media, and specifically acknowledged his previous involvement with News Corp. He admitted that he now regrets starring in the 1995 film Nine Months, because it was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

“It would certainly stick in my craw to work for Fox. I did make one film for them 16 years ago but I was naive then. I didn’t even know who owned [the studio].”

(Though given the film’s IMDB rating, it’s not hard to believe that all the actors involved with the project now regret being in it.)

Because of his constant piling on News Corp. in the past few months, Grant acknowledges the chances of him getting to do a film for 20th Century Fox are slim to none, but he told Entertainment Weekly, “It doesn’t bother me at all… I’m not wildly ambitious to make lots of films at the moment anyway.”

Grant’s last film role was in 2009′s Did You Hear About the Morgans?, and his next is in the 3D animated film The Pirates! Band of Misfits, scheduled to be released next March. However, if Grant is looking for any good acting roles, he might want to consider playing himself in the eventual film adaptation of this whole scandal.

After all, you know it’s coming. This is the kind of scandalous tale that Hollywood practically eats up. And just the thought of a poster reading “HUGH GRANT AS… HUGH GRANT” is enough to make Hollywood executives drool at the thought of making this the biggest scandal-driven movie since All the King’s Men. (Except with more sex.)

20th Century Fox, Hugh Grant, lawsuit, Murdoch, News Corp., News of the World, Nine Months, Phone Hacking

tatboy

Hugh Grant Is Suing UK Police Over Phone Hacking, Regrets Doing Movie for 20th Century Fox

And getting a nasty hooker… but I digress.
The Lantern of Truth

He admitted that he now regrets starring in the 1995 film Nine Months, because it was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

If you win the suit , how about refunding the price of the ticket to all the suckers that bought one .
The Lantern of Truth

The Lantern of Truth said:
how about refunding the price of the ticket

Or save up for one of Sheen’s hookers.
WillP

Just a thought? Does any actor want to work with 20th Century Fox anymore? Yikes.
Harry Flashman

“(Though given the film’s IMDB rating, it’s not hard to believe that all the actors involved with the project now regret being in it.)”

Heh.
Progressive kitty

And the hits just keep on coming …. in droves. :)
BlueBunny

“Grant has been one of the most vocal celebrities piling on Murdoch’s media empire” SAY WHAT YOU WANNA TAT! HUGH GRANT WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN FOR STARTING THIS BALL ROLLING AGAINST MURDOCK!
Cecelia

Hugh Grant regrets soliciting a prostitute AND taking so long to move on Elinore Dashwood.

That explains the brown furrow.
Cecelia

BROW furrow…

Brown furrow is the interesting part of a UPS uniform.
LOGICandREASON

He seems honest by saying he was naive then, just as he is naive now
winning

I regret once watching a movie that featured Hugh Grant.
ganymede

When this story first erupted, it was clear that most rightwing people would not grasp how devastating this will be for the Murdoch empire. I’m sure that everyone along with Hugh Grant agrees that hacking phones of private citizens is a sleazy activity for a supposedly respectful media organization. The number of hacked individuals is over 10,000 and still counting. Having lived in England for many years I understand that the British, in general, have a greater respect for privacy than we do, and, at this point, we really don’t know if Murdoch did much hacking here. The real crux of the Murdoch fiasco is that virtually all the non-Murdoch media have no love for Murdoch’s way of doing business. Yes, the more ‘liberal’ media will be saying ‘just desserts’, and they’ll twist the knife a bit more, but much of the attack on Murdoch is coming from Conservative politicians in Britain. The reason is their anger about being duped by Murdoch, and his former top assistant, Coulson. For sure, there will be spillover in this country, and, it will be interesting to see how the American public and media respond.
TfT

Dear Hugh Grant.

Yawn…..who give a shit about you anyway.

Sincerely.

TfT
gefforyk

ganymede said:
When this story first erupted, it was clear that most rightwing people would not grasp how devastating this will be for the Murdoch empire.

It is yet to be seen just how widespread the devastation will be.. But you are right about one thing this was way out of bounds and those responsible should be held accountable as the story is disgusting… Now if you are saying that Rupert Murdock at this point should be dismantled and burn in Hell, I would just like to point your attention to the Fast and Furious scandal coming out of ATF who operates under the pervue of the Justice Department… Now there are a lot of Conservatives who feel pretty much the same about Holder as you do about Murdock, but I think that we just have to wait and see how far along things proceed. You know, wait to see who knew and did what… In Holder’s case possibly hundreds of innocent Mexican lives lost at the hands of the ATF, Murdock, some pretty sleazy activity at one of his many news organizations.. Do you have no outrage for the losses of those Mexican families? For me there is no comparision in the magnitude of the two scandals, all the same the tapping of those phones was really bad and unforgivable, the tapping of the young girls phone was deplorable.. The funneling of high powered weapons into the hands of murderous Mexican Drug enforcers was nothing less than murder.
Kermit

Murdock is coming down… This is just the beginning not the end…… Many more flies a will drop before Murduck money is all tied up with legal and court cases… then when he can’t pay FOX and the lot… watch them start leaving in droves. Can’t wait :)
Dem4Ever

Evidently he doesn’t regret working for fox enough to return their money, does he?
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

Like everyone else, I use IMDB extensively for quick movie and television info, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone refer to an IMDB rating.

I guess thanks is first of all in order for drawing my attention to the ratings feature, but if by chance you were using it to avoid referencing RottenTomatoes, News Corp sold the site last year.
Miljanamandich

Has anybody noticed that Hugh Grant is suing the police,not Rupert Murdoch? Does anybody understand who broke the laws? The press is never prosecuted for publishing stuff,no matter how they came in possession of it.Otherwise there would be no tabloids.Or New York Times lol.
http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

I don’t think Hugh Grant has to worry about working on any 20th Century Fox films… or any other films, for that matter.
http://twitter.com/Staciisa_bitch Staci Chase

Good Job Hugh Grant!!
Jacques

Fuck Murdoch and the half of the world that he owns. Great job Hugh! You’re now officially my favorite actor.