Richard E. Grant: Actors treated my daughter ‘appallingly’ when she worked on sets


We’re in a Richard E. Grant press cycle and the world is a better place for it! His new comedy series The Franchise is already airing in the US (on HBO Max), and is about to be released in the UK, hence the recent flurry of interviews. The Franchise follows a production crew as they film the umpteenth installment of a comic book movie, an obvious spoof of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since the show is about filming itself, Richard was asked in an interview what he thought was the most underrated job on a set. The runners, he said, without hesitation. Turns out his daughter Olivia worked as a runner for a couple years when she was starting out (she’s now a casting director), and Richard remembers that she was treated “appallingly” by some very big actors during that time. The way Richard tells it, though, he would have been upset on behalf of anyone’s son or daughter, not just his own.

All of this came to light during a recent interview with Sky News, where Richard was asked what the “most underrated job on a film set” is.

“The runners,” the star immediately replied. “Who are paid the least amount of money, they’re the youngest, they get there at five in the morning and they’re the last to leave. And if anything goes wrong, they get shat on from a dizzy height.”

“And I know because my daughter was a runner for two years and appallingly treated by some very well-known household names in England,” Richard continued, visibly angry. “Who changed their tune when they found out who her father was, which made it worse. It made me damn those people even more.”

Richard was then asked if he’d ever confronted any of the people who mistreated his daughter, and he admitted that he’d only personally encountered one of them.

“I’ve met one person, yeah,” he said. “And I’d never speak to him again.”

Olivia, now 35, is Richard’s only daughter, and he shares her with his late wife, Joan Washington.

According to her IMDb page, Olivia was a runner between 2014 and 2016, and worked on three movies during that time: The Riot Club, The Theory of Everything, and Florence Foster Jenkins.

While Richard did not name names in the interview, Hugh Grant, Meryl Streep, Sam Claflin, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, and Felicity Jones are among the big-name actors to have starred in those films.

Olivia has since established herself as a casting director. Earlier this year, she won the Zeitgeist Award from the Casting Society of America for her work on the 2023 blockbuster Barbie.

Meanwhile, one specific part of Richard’s quotes struck a chord with people as his interview was discussed on a popular Reddit forum.

“The fact they suddenly acted nice to her when they realised who her father is is so gross and fake,” one person wrote.

Several others agreed, with many taking the time to praise Richard for the fact that this had angered him more.

“The fact that he saw it as even worse when they found out who her father was and suddenly treated her better shows how much integrity he has. What a boss move!” a comment that has been upvoted thousands of times reads.

“Yeah, that part speaks volumes,” somebody else agreed. “It’s not just ‘I hate that they were mean to MY kid,’ but also ‘I’m furious that they’re out there treating these kids like shit including those who don’t have the protection of a famous parent.”

“I’m happy he’s speaking for all those people not just his daughter, i think that speaks volumes,” one more echoed.

[From BuzzFeed]

I don’t get frightened easily, and I’ve shared before that I’m the knucklehead always laughing in the audience at horror movies. But I fully believe that if you get damned by Richard E. Grant, that sh-t will stick. The way he said that really chilled me! So heaven help you if you compel that dear-hearted man to damn you! We’ve seen him as a devoted husband, and now it’s nice to see what a fierce father he is too. Though, like the commenters point out, you can really tell that it wasn’t just about this happening to his daughter. His sense of right and wrong is clear, and he doesn’t tolerate those who fail to step up. What a mensch. So, to the 1% of actors who make it really big out of the 2% of actors lucky enough to get work at all, just f–king be kind to people! Preferably to everyone you encounter, but at least start with all the hard-working crew on set. Ideally because it’s the right thing to do, but if that’s not enough incentive, then because you never know who will go on to become a casting director of a billion-dollar movie.

Photos credit: Justin Ng / Avalon and via Instagram

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14 Responses to “Richard E. Grant: Actors treated my daughter ‘appallingly’ when she worked on sets”

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  1. UnstrungPearl says:

    I’m guessing the man is Hugh Grant, famously grumpy on set. Who could the others be? The ones listed aren’t really household names apart from Eddie Redmayne and Meryl (can’t see it being her, too professional!)

    • Nanea says:

      I’ve witnessed Meryl being bitchy in public to two A-Listers at the biggest film festival in my home country, on different occasions.

      Both were established A-Listers, one slightly younger than her, and the lead in a movie were she had a much smaller part, but got nominated for more awards than the lead.

      The other one is much younger, but very kind and polite.

      So I guess it’s on her.

      • fodder says:

        It’s not Eddie, and it’s not Olivia. Lotsa effusive tweets about Eddie from both Richard and Olivia, and one about Meryl from Olivia.

      • North of Boston says:

        I saw Meryl on one of the big late night talk shows throwing shade at an A-list costar who had a small supporting role in a project she was the lead on. Someone who has a career-long rep as being very professional, great to work with and kind.

        It was a quick, out of the blue comment she tossed off as “jokey” but it was mean, narrow-minded and kind of ostracizing. I remember being kind of taken aback, and it made me think less of her.

        She’s a very good actress; I really enjoy films of her acting Shakespeare in NYC back in the day. But it would not surprise me if she was needlessly mean or not professional around “the help” or people she thinks beneath her

  2. fishface says:

    I’d put money on it being Hugh Grant. He’s well known for his assholery.

  3. Aimee says:

    Let’s face it: It was probably Hugh Grant.

  4. therese says:

    He said well known names in England. Sam Caflin was also mentioned.

  5. lucy2 says:

    Hugh Grant’s name popped into my head before I even got to the part about what films she worked on.
    Grant sounds like a good guy, and is definitely standing up for all, not just his daughter.

  6. Karen says:

    My bet is Hugh Grant because he admits himself he’s an ass. And I imagine Meryl has some mean days and/or has such high standards she’s inappropriately bitchy to everyone, not just entry-level staff.

    But I have to say, I’ve worked with a lot of actors of varying fame and stature and it was always the minor, just-starting-to-make it stars who were the worst. The A-list veterans were gems.

  7. AngryJayne says:

    I think the best part of this story is that he has a daughter that started off with an entry level job.
    You know?
    She could’ve been offered an internship and then just given a job as a casting director- but I love hearing about someone chips away at something difficult, and then shaping it into a better opportunity. Especially when it’s a celebrity or public figures kid.
    It makes them better at their job in the end!

  8. martha says:

    I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Hugh, but just guessing from REG’s reference to “some very well-known household names in England,” that it was someone not so well-known in the US. Maybe someone who mostly does tv?

  9. H says:

    I’ve loved Richard ever since I saw him in Jack & Sarah (cute romantic film) alongside Judi Dench. It’s wonderful to read he’s as nice as he seems.

  10. East Villager says:

    If you’re not following Richard E. Grant on Instagram, you’re missing out. His posts are so full of joy for life. i’ve adored him since the first time I saw Withnail and I. What a gem of a human being.