The 2023 Oscars were held on March 12, and as is wont to happen at these awards shows, someone who wasn’t even in the running for an award stole the show. Hugh Grant remained one of the internet’s number one topics of discussion throughout the night, and not for a good reason. Grant started trending on social media during the Countdown to the Oscars for an odd interaction he had with model and TV presenter Ashley Graham.
Countdown to the Oscars was hosted by Graham, Vanessa Hudgens, and Lilly Singh this year. The pre-show captured the arrival of the stars on the red carpet and gave them a chance to show off their styles for the night and chat with the co-hosts about their hopes for the night. Graham and her co-hosts made their way from star to star, chatting them up if they were willing. As a result, there was nothing unusual about Graham approaching Grant for an interview. However, with the cameras rolling, viewers watched in real-time as the exchange grew more and more awkward.
Hugh Grant goes viral for rude Ashley Graham red carpet interview at 2023 Oscars
Grant’s interaction with Graham went viral and quickly sparked outrage from social media users. The interview didn’t start too badly, with Graham asking Grant what he enjoyed most about the Oscars. Grant can be seen casting about for something to say before dismissing the ceremony as “vanity fair,” implying he was a little above the frivolities of the night. Things soon deteriorated after that.
Graham followed up by asking Grant what/who he was most “excited to see.” When he seemed surprised/confused by the question, she clarified that she wanted to know if there was anyone he was excited to see win tonight. After all, he was presenting one of the awards for the night and should’ve been able to think of one person/film nominated for an award to mention. Instead, he told Graham he was rooting and excited for … no one …
After an awkward pause, she tried to get him to discuss his outfit and also brought up his cameo in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, questioning whether he had fun shooting it. However, Graham shut her down after each question, giving terse answers and very much acting as if the questions were silly and annoying. He was just wearing his suit, he was only in Glass Onion for 3 seconds, and apparently, he didn’t have any fun shooting his cameo. They certainly weren’t answers with an ounce of thought or effort in them. The worst part, though, was that, as he walked away, many caught what looked like an eye roll or a “yikes” expression, as if Graham had just asked him some utterly unbelievable questions.
Social media backs Ashley Graham and slams Hugh Grant for rudeness
Users quickly took to social media to react to the viral interview. The vast majority expressed support for Graham and slammed Grant for being so rude. After all, most users pointed out that he had accepted the mic and agreed to the interview with cameras rolling. Hence, it wasn’t as if Graham cornered him and forced him to partake in some silly interview. Additionally, she was promoting him and praised his work and history at the Oscars, making his attitude very difficult to understand. Lastly, if he was too above the Oscars and being asked questions related to the big night, he could’ve simply chosen to stay home.
Amid the social media discourse, some tried to defend Grant for being “real” and insinuated that Graham’s questions weren’t good enough or that she misunderstood his “vanity fair” statement. However, most backed her up and praised her for remaining polite and trying very hard to elicit a smile or an interesting response from Grant. After all, she was working the pre-Oscars red carpet—no one besides Grant was shocked that *gasp* she asked questions about the Oscars instead of whatever deep philosophical questions he seemed to be anticipating.
Ultimately, Graham was just doing her job, and the rude exchange definitely raises awareness for how celebrities should treat interviewers, presenters, hosts, reporters, and photographers. Most of them only require less than a minute of a celebrity’s time, and surely no celebrity is of such a high status that they can’t give someone the time of day and act polite for a minute. Many have been pointing out the stark contrast between Grant’s interview with Graham and Lady Gaga’s reaction to a photographer falling on the red carpet. As Gaga was walking the carpet, a photographer lost his footing and Gaga immediately rushed over to help the man, ensuring he was alright before continuing her walk.
Her reaction was completely normal and showed that celebrities can and should treat others decently regardless of status. Whether it’s a photographer tripping on the red carpet or a host asking non-riveting questions, everyone deserves respect and kindness.
(featured image: ABC)
