From Withnail to Marvel: the late blooming of Richard E Grant

Following a year of triumphs, including an Oscar nod, the actor talks about suddenly finding himself 'the guy of this moment'

"I knew it would be a flame that would die down very quickly, and that's exactly what happened," Richard E Grant tells me, talking about the comedown that's following a frenetic, flashy 12-month period.

He's sitting across from me at a hotel in Manhattan, pre-quarantine, and reflecting on a year that started with a role in true-crime black comedy Can You Ever Forgive Me?, for which he received an Oscar nomination, and ended with a part in the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.