Actress Elizabeth Olsen has delivered a blunt verdict on Hugh Grant's iconic character from the beloved British romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, labelling him a 'cheater' who doesn't truly care about the film's protagonist.
Premiere Revelations
The 36-year-old star made her candid comments during the London premiere of her new romantic comedy Eternity on Monday night. Olsen attended the event alongside her co-stars Miles Teller, 38, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, 39, and John Early, 37.
While discussing love triangle tropes with Metro.co.uk to promote her upcoming film, Olsen reflected on one of cinema's most famous romantic entanglements from the 2001 classic. She didn't hold back when asked about Daniel Cleaver, Hugh Grant's charismatic but unreliable character who competes with Colin Firth's Mark Darcy for Bridget's affection.
'Yes. I mean, she shouldn't be with Hugh Grant,' Olsen stated unequivocally. 'He's a cheater,' she added with a laugh. 'He doesn't really care about her, he cares about himself.'
Love Triangle Debate
Despite her strong criticism of the character, Olsen revealed she remains a huge fan of the film itself, citing it as one of her 'favourites'. However, she questioned whether the central conflict even qualified as a genuine love triangle, suggesting there was never any real competition between the two male leads for Bridget's heart.
When asked about other famous love triangles in popular culture, the actress admitted she hadn't seen The Summer I Turned Pretty and wasn't a fan of the Twilight Saga during its initial release, making Bridget Jones's Diary her clear frontrunner in the category.
Dating Advice and Relationship Philosophy
The happily married star, who tied the knot with husband Robbie Arnett in 2019, also shared some thoughtful advice for singles, suggesting that people often approach dating as a 'box-ticking exercise' rather than focusing on genuine connection.
'It kind of goes along with the themes of our afterlife and eternity,' Olsen explained. 'I think we often are thinking that we're looking for the most perfect fill in the blank because the world tells us that you can find the most perfect toothbrush, you can find the most perfect hair curler, you can find the most perfect whatever.'
She continued: 'And I think that might not be the goal. I think the goal is [finding] people who just make you feel happy, not check all your boxes.'
The actress also revealed her belief that people could experience multiple great loves within a single lifetime, depending on their circumstances. 'I believe that people, depending on their life circumstances, could have many loves. So I guess I believe in soulmates because I believe you can't predict what happens.'
Olsen added: 'Loss happens, and I hope for people who feel like they had a soulmate that they could find another great love in their life. So I still believe that there are many loves in one lifetime, or however many that suit one's life experiences.'
Eternity, which explores themes of love and afterlife choices, sees Olsen's character Joan reaching the afterlife only to discover she must choose between spending eternity with her first husband Luke (Callum Turner), who died at war, or her second husband Larry (Miles Teller), with whom she built a life for 65 years and had children.
The film is scheduled for release in cinemas on November 26.
