Hugh Grant found Love Actually dance scene ‘excruciating’

Hugh Grant has described his dance scene in Love Actually as "excruciating", admitting his moves were out of time.

The Hollywood star played the prime minister in Richard Curtis' classic Christmas film and in one memorable scene, danced around 10 Downing Street to Jump by The Pointer Sisters before being caught by a member of staff.

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But Grant has said that wiggling across the screen is up there with the most embarrassing moments of his life and admitted the thought of performing it filled him with horror.

In the ABC reunion special The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, Grant, 62, told host Diane Sawyer that he had hated the dance.

He said: "I saw it in the script and I thought, 'Well, I’ll hate doing that'. I didn’t fancy doing the dance at all, let alone rehearsing it."

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Writer and director Richard Curtis added that Grant "kept saying no" to the scene and said: "I think he was hoping I’d get ill or something and we’d say, 'Oh, well, what a shame, we’ll have to lose that dancing sequence'."

Grant wasn't happy with the finished result, either, saying: "And I’m out of rhythm, by the way, especially at the beginning when I wiggle my a**."

However, Curtis said that he thought the cringeworthy dance was just right: "I thought, 'That’s agonisingly embarrassing. He’s just perfect'."

It might be 20 years since he filmed the dance, but Grant has still not forgotten the embarrassment of the scene.

He said: "And to this day, there’s many people — and I agree with them — who think it’s the most excruciating scene ever committed to celluloid."

The hour-long reunion show for Love Actually will also feature the film's stars Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy and Laura Linney, and is set to air on ABC in the US on Tuesday, but a UK air date and channel has not yet been announced.

Watch: Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant to reunite with Love Actually co-stars