Awkward Oscars interview: Why Hugh Grant needs to channel Keanu Reeves’ cool

Classy Keanu Reeves has given a masterclass to Hugh Grant in why its best in an interview to be more gentle dance than John Wick-style duel.

Hugh Grant, left and Keanu Reeves, right. Pictures: Supplied

Hear this Hugh, Keanu’s just delivered a masterclass on how to be graceful.

Much was made of Hugh Grant’s acerbic red-carpet responses at the Oscars, when the actor demonstrated the opposite of Love Actually for interviewer Ashley Graham.

Admittedly, Graham is no Leigh Sales, but it’s the Oscars, it’s the red carpet and she’s having to rustle up a gazillion questions for attendees. So, she didn’t really deserve his treatment. “What are you most excited to see tonight? she asked, to which he replied, “No-one in particular.” “Well, what are you wearing tonight then?” she said … “Just my suit,” and so on. In his defence, fans maintained he wasn’t being rude, just British.

I’m not sure about that. British – and Aussie – humour, can be dry and admittedly, sarcasm doesn’t seem to be a language many Americans speak.

English actor Hugh Grant and his wife, Sweedish producer Anna Elisabet Eberstein, attend the 95th Annual Academy Awards. Picture: AFP

However, there’s an art to comedy-rudeness – it’s a gentle duel, not a slash and burn. Everyone has an off-day, but if you’ve turned up to the Oscars, you need to bring your game face, even if you do get asked daft questions.

Interviewing people isn’t easy. You have to establish a rapport – much like tennis, you gently lob a question over the net and expect the subject to volley it back, not repeatedly smash it out of the court with one-word deliveries. Once they do that, it’s game over.

Most Hollywood stars play graciously, even when they’re doing a movie junket and are having to answer the same questions about their film relentlessly, for days. But every now and then you get someone morosely monosyllabic, who leaves you in a sweat as you watch your interview go up in flames.

Admittedly, actors do get asked vacuous questions: often from me. I recently did a Zoom junket with the cast of The White Lotus 2 and after a lengthy wait in my home office, OK, “worky corner” in the attic, just at the point my turn came to ask a pithy question of actor Will Sharpe, my husband walked up the stairs with the laundry and started hanging out his pants.

Distracted, my question evaporated from of my head and I panic-asked the lame, “what was your favourite moment?” You could see the light die in his eyes.

However, when faced with a blithering interviewer like myself, it’s best to be more Keanu and less Hugh.

Mr Reeves – the Dalai Lama of Hollywood stars – this week did an interview on London’s Capital Radio, with Roman Kemp, son of pop star Martin Kemp, from Spandau Ballet. However, his chat was anything but Gold, as he asked the star of John Wick: Chapter 4 if his character would be able to beat fitness instructor Joe Wicks in a fight.

A bemused Keanu rolled with the punches. “I know it’s hard to believe but John Wick doesn’t really wanna fight, so let’s just talk about life and fitness, John Wick hashtag fitness!” he gamely replied. That’s 15-love to Keanu. Or generally, just love to Keanu.

Even the radio station’s own social media trolled Kemp, posting, “Is this the most awkward interview of all time?” Hugh knows.