VIDEO: Hugh Grant leads parade of outraged U.K. phone hacking victims

The World

For Hugh Grant, it was an unusually dramatic role on Monday.

For two and a half hours, the British actor revealed the downside of being famous to a judicial inquiry examining media ethics in the wake of the tabloid phone-hacking scandal.

Hugh Grant’s wry humor belied his frustration with journalists who he believes have gone too far. As one of the first witnesses before the inquiry, Grant recounted his efforts to keep the paternity of his newborn daughter a secret even as her mother was trailed by paparazzi. He finally released a statement after a quick chat with his publicist.

“We had a hasty conversation on the phone while I was filming in Germany. It was not ideal circumstances, I was dressed as a cannibal at the time,” Grant said to laughter.

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