Hugh Grant claims he was first offered interesting roles after becoming 'too old and ugly' for rom-coms

Hugh Grant has said he started getting interesting parts once he got “too old and ugly for romantic comedies.”

The British star, 59, has not been in a rom-com since 2014’s The Rewrite.

Speaking on The Chris Evans Virgin Radio Breakfast Show on Monday morning, he said: “As soon as I got, as I’ve said before, too old and ugly for romantic comedies, I got quite interesting parts.

“You know, Florence Foster Jenkins was an interesting part. Paddington Two, brilliant film. And then, you know, I did Jeremy Thorpe in the BBC series.

“And suddenly, yes, I can see a career I could have for 20 years.”

The actor said when he started acting he thought of it as a temporary job and has “been meaning to give up ever since”.

“Just never quite got round to it,” he said. “But I know I sound ungrateful and I shouldn’t be.

“People have given me brilliant opportunities, you know, Richard Curtis made me rich and I’m very, very grateful. And I think those films are brilliant.

“All I’m saying is it’s been quite nice not to have to fall in love or give anyone a flower for the last five years.”

Grant’s latest role is in Guy Ritchie’s film The Gentlemen, which also stars Matthew McConaughey.

He said he ended up in the movie after Ritchie’s assistant fell off his bike in front of him in the street as he was on his way to marry his wife Anna Eberstein.

He said: “I was just off to get married one day and I was crossing the road and a man falls off his bike in front of me and I said, ‘Oh, oh well, poor chap’ and helped him up.

“Turned out it was Guy Richie’s assistant and Guy was on the bicycle behind.

“He said, ‘Sorry Hugh, thanks for picking him up. He’s always falling off.’

“And we dusted him off. And then he said, ‘Oh, by the way, Hugh, I have this script I want to send you’, so he sends me this script.”

Grant's career is the topic of a one-off documentary, Hugh Grant: A Life on Screen, which airs on Boxing Day.