The only reason my work seems to be eclectic up to a certain period is because I was a failure as an actor.

He studied English literature and graduated with 2:1 honours. Grant's first studio-financed Hollywood project was Chris Columbus's comedy Nine Months. Gone from the screen for two years Grant next reteamed with Paul Weitz (About a Boy) for the black comedy American Dreamz (2006).

The entertainment media's coverage of Grant's life off the big screen has often overshadowed his work as a thespian. In a career spanning 30 years Grant has repeatedly claimed that acting is not a true calling but just a job he fell into. He later played against type with multiple cameo roles in the epic drama film Cloud Atlas (2012).