On “Watch What Happens Live” Thursday night, Hugh Grant was just a boy, sitting in front of a photo of Renée Zellweger, trying to identify her.
The two starred in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” and its sequel “Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason” together, but Grant still failed to recognize the actress in a line-up of his most famous female cast mates.
Host Andy Cohen decided to quiz Grant about the women he’s worked with by presenting the British actor with photos of actresses, including Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Zellweger, from the nose up, so he could only see their eyes and forehead.
When it came time to identify Zellweger, however, Grant protested that he had absolutely no idea who she was from the photo provided.
“Who is the one second from the right, because I’ve never seen her before in my life,” Hugh asked, according to The Daily Mail.
“Oh, Renée!” he exclaimed after Cohen informed him of his mistake.
Zellweger has been the subject of gossip ever since appearing on a red carpet in 2014 looking noticeably different. In August, the Oscar winner penned an essay for The Huffington Post about the ways tabloid culture perpetuates destructive notions about celebrity and beauty, in which she also refuted claims that she had elected for plastic surgery.
“It’s no secret a woman’s worth has historically been measured by her appearance,” Zellweger wrote. “Although we have evolved to acknowledge the importance of female participation in determining the success of society, and take for granted that women are standard bearers in all realms of high profile position and influence, the double standard used to diminish our contributions remains, and is perpetuated by the negative conversation which enters our consciousness every day as snark entertainment.”
Games aside, Grant also felt compelled to add that it would be “pushing it” to describe any of his former co-stars as “down-to-earth.”
“They all hate me, I think,” he revealed to Cohen.
Perhaps the actor would have more easily recognized Zellweger had he agreed to star in the third “Bridget Jones” film, which hits theaters this September. Grant explained that he was approached by producers years ago, but turned the opportunity down because of the script.
See a clip of Grant on “WWHL” below:
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