Hugh Grant Says ‘It’s Really Nice’ Being Married: ‘I Should Have Done It Before’
Eternal bachelor Hugh Grant admits he has never been happier now he's married. The Brit actor reckons he should have taken the plunge years ago.
A Leopard Changing His Spots
Notting Hill star Grant was notorious for refusing to settle down with his last serious long-term relationship with fellow actor, Elizabeth Hurley. The ex-couple broke up in 2000. Following close to two decades of being single, he outlasted even George Clooney.
Then, Grant shocked the world by marrying his girlfriend of six years and mother to three of his five children in May of this year. The Brit actor tied the knot with Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein at the local registry office in a gloriously non-celebrity manner.
For anybody worried he might be having second thoughts about settling down for good, Grant happily revealed this past Wednesday that he loves being married.
"It's really nice. I can't pretend it isn't. I should have done it before," he gushed.
The actor was on the sofa to promote his upcoming Amazon miniseries A Very English Scandal. As far as his marriage is concerned, however, it couldn't be further from scandal.
The Perfect Fit
He and Eberstein have been seeing each other since at least 2012 when they had their first child together. A daughter followed in 2015, followed by another child earlier this year. Grant has a further two kids, with ex Tinglan Hong, who were born in 2011 and 2013.
Grant and Eberstein made it official on May 25 in a civil ceremony in London. The actor acknowledged at the time that the two were on the same page about marriage.
"My wife agrees with me that marriage is a pretty preposterous social construct. But when you've got three children, it's a nice thing to do," he explained.
The 57-year-old Golden Globe-winning actor joked that he might be too young to settle down, but advised he feels lucky to have such a great partner.
Although Grant's fatherhood came later in life, his ex and lifelong friend Hurley reckons having children has done nothing but good things for him.
"He's an enchanting dad -- really, really sweet. Having these kids has transformed him ... It's improved him. He's gone up the scale," she said in a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live.
Grant himself told PEOPLE at the beginning of the year that being a father is the best thing that has ever happened to him, describing himself as being surrounded by love thanks to his children.
A Very English Scandal hits Friday. The three-part miniseries is based on 1970s Brit politician Jeremy Thorpe played by Grant. His character infamously tried to take out a hit on his ex-gay lover after threatening him with exposing his sexuality.
