It only took Richard Curtis to get Hugh Grant on board with Bridget Jones' diary

When Hugh Grant was first offered the role of Daniel Cleaver in 'Bridget Jones's Diary', he felt the script wasn't quite up to par . "I didn't feel like they had the right script for a long time," he told Cinema.com:

"And I kept saying, 'It's not working, bring in Richard Curtis and help him rewrite it.' Eventually they did, and as soon as Richard got on board, I signed on the dotted line. So that was it."

Besides being incredibly successful, Curtis had another personal connection to the project, so his involvement wasn't entirely far-fetched. Curtis was also a lifelong friend and ex-partner of Fielding. "We dated - and he's been my best friend ever since," the author told Vogue.

Once Richard Curtis signed with "Bridget Jones", Grant was full steam ahead. Daniel marked a totally new direction for the actor but, rather than being afraid of this radical pivot, Grant totally embraced it. "I mean, I'm sick of Mister Nice Guy, I've done too much lately," he admitted to Cinema.com. "And I think it made the rest of the world vomit slightly as well. So 'Bridget Jones' was a really blessed relief."