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Celebrity birthdays: Hugh Grant turns 54

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Happy birthday, Hugh Grant! As the British actor turns 54, HELLO! Online takes a look at what the stars have in store for Hugh and you...This is what Hugh, who is a Virgo, can be expecting today: 'Don't frighten the horses. Don't set a cat amongst the pigeons. And whatever you do, leave that box alone, it's got Pandora's name on it and even she won't be silly enough to try to open it a second time. Play it safe.

Keep it sweet. Get your head below the parapet and don't let your name end up on anyone's wanted list.' There! That's conventional wisdom for you, in a nutshell. It keeps a lot of people sat on sofas but does little to promote heroism. Yet it just so happens that today, life requires you to be heroic!

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hugh grant© Photo: Getty Images

Hugh Grant was born at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, London. He was educated at Hogarth Primary School in Chiswick but then moved to St Peter's Primary School. From 1969 to 1978, he attended the independent Latymer Upper School on a scholarship and played 1st XV rugby, cricket and football for the school.

He also represented Latymer on the popular quiz show, Top of the Form, an academic competition between two teams of four secondary school students. In 1979, Hugh won the Galsworthy scholarship to New College, Oxford. 

Here he made his acting debut as he starred in his first film Privileged, produced by the Oxford University Film Foundation. He also studied English literature and graduated with 2:1 honours. After attending Oxford University, Grant rejected the opportunity to do postgraduate studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London to pursue a PhD in the history of art, so that he was able to focus solely on his acting career. Much of Hugh's early films went unnoticed except for the performance as a sexually conflicted Edwardian in Ismail Merchant and James Ivory's Maurice, which won him a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival.

The release of hit comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994 was the pivotal moment that transformed the handsome actor into an internationally renowned star. His charming performance as a fool in love earned Hugh a Best Actor Golden Globe.

The heartthrob continued to impress as he appeared in the Ang Lee-helmed Sense and Sensibility in 1995, alongside actress Emma Thompson, and in another period piece, Restoration.

He firmly reinstated his reputation of being one of Hollywood's most charming leading men, when he returned to romantic comedy with 1999's Notting Hill opposite Julia Roberts. He has also had leading roles in 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary with Renee Zellweger, 2002's About a Boy based on the book by Nick Hornby, and 2003's Love Actually which also played to his comedic strengths. Hugh has won 13 prestigious awards including a BAFTA. 

Although Grant never married, he dated model Elizabeth Hurley from 1986 to 2000 and journalist Jemima Khan from 2004 to 2007. The 54-year-old bachelor is a father to three children.

He has a son and daughter born to actress Tinglan Hong and another son born to Swedish television producer Anna Eberstein.

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