Hugh Grant is wildly talented at bringing characters to life on the big screen...and sometimes on the phone or over email.
Most actors have a talent agent that will help them find work in exchange for, typically, a 10% cut of anything they book. But during an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Grant divulged how he avoided having an agent for years and thus kept more of his earnings to himself. “I do have an agent again now, but I did for four years not have one," Grant told stern. “I told everyone that if you want me, go to James Howe Ealy in London. And he didn't exist. It was me on a different email account."
"James Howe Ealy handled everything," Grant said about perhaps his greatest acting role to date. "He'd get these email and they would say 'Can you get this script to Hugh?' And I would write back 'Yeah, I'll try and get him to read it this week.' I saved myself an absolute fortune."
But the facade was far from perfect. As James Howe Ealy, Hugh would have to make up excuses as to why he couldn't get lunch when contacts were in London and adopt a golf-commentator inspired Scottish accent every time he hopped on the phone. Eventually, the jig was up.
"I started to slip up because if I'd had a drink or two, I'd write emails as James and I'd sign off 'Hugh' by mistake," Grant admitted.
