Hugh Grant 'almost died' filming Four Weddings and a Funeral motorway scene

Hugh Grant almost died while filming Four Weddings and a Funeral, the movie’s director has revealed as the film celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Filmmaker Mike Newell recalled the terrifying moment that Grant, then aged 34, and Charlotte Coleman, who played his on-screen best friend Scarlett, were involved in a near-fatal incident amidst production.

In the opening scene, viewers watch as Grant’s character Charles and Scarlett race to a wedding in their Mini and reversing on a motorway after missing their exit.

However, Newell revealed that the scene wasn’t faked for film as the British star was behind the wheel of the car as it almost reversed at full speed into a lorry.

He told The Guardian: “That scene on the motorway, for some reason, Hugh was actually driving – he shouldn’t have been but he was.

“They were within inches of backing at full speed into a truck that was coming at them.

“I suddenly saw the whole film collapsing in front of me, and what I had done was engineer the death of the leading man on the motorway.”

Grant beat fierce competition from other British stars, including Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman, to be cast in the romantic comedy, which was written by Richard Curtis.

The retrospective comes five years after Red Nose Day reunited the cast for a mini Four Weddings and a Funeral sequel called One Red Nose Day and a Wedding.

It saw Grant and Andie MacDowell reprise their roles as Charles and Carrie to watch their onscreen daughter, played by Lily James, marry another woman, played by Alicia Vikander.

Rowan Atkinson also reprised his part as the hapless priest Father Gerald as well as Kristin Scott Thomas as Fiona, Sophie Thompson as Lydia and John Hannah as Matthew.

At the time, MacDowell revealed that she and Grant are still close and see each other "a few times a year" and said she was "teary-eyed" over it.

Speaking to the Radio Times ahead of the charity sequel, she said, "It’s kind of silly but when you get older and you have the opportunity to be put back into a similar situation with these people who you had such a close connection to and you had such good memories of, it’s really affecting.

"[Grant and I] have a huge bond through the success of the movie, because it was the beginning really for him, that was a big announcement to the world of his talent.

“He’s very sweet and funny, and we both feel deeply connected to Four Weddings.”