Hugh Grant let Nicholas Hoult choose his car when he was 12 and said it was a 'terrible choice'
Published on Jul 08, 2025 at 3:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 08, 2025 at 9:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Hugh Grant let Nicholas Hoult choose his car when he was 12 and it ended up being a ‘terrible choice’.
Nicholas Hoult is a star in his own right, thanks to roles in Nosferatu and Superman.
But way back at the start of his career, he appeared alongside Hugh Grant in the 2002 film About A Boy.
And it was whilst working on this film that he chose a car for his older co-star – a choice that the Notting Hill actor described as ‘terrible’.
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Nicholas Hoult once chose a car for Hugh Grant
Nicholas Hoult has made a name for himself in Hollywood playing roles in critically acclaimed films like The Menu, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Favourite.
And his star is only set to rise further as he plays Lex Luthor in the new Superman film.

But before all of that, he got his start appearing in About A Boy with Hugh Grant.
This film follows Will Freeman (Grant), a carefree bachelor who befriends a 12-year-old boy played by Hoult.
The movie was a big hit at the time of its release, largely due to the pair’s on-screen chemistry.
But it turns out that they had just as much fun off-screen.

When the film wrapped, Grant gifted the up-and-coming actor his first set of golf clubs.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the British actor also allowed the 12-year-old to pick out his car.
It was a job the young Hoult felt equipped to do.
“I loved cars,” Hoult told Vanity Fair.
“I remember I’d go out and buy car magazines, and I’d bring them to work and be like, ‘I think you should get this one.’”
So, which car did he talk his colleague into buying?


An Aston Martin Vanquish – and Grant is still not happy about the choice to this day.
“It was a terrible choice of yours, actually,” Grant remarked.
“It broke down, humiliatingly, the whole time.”
This obviously isn’t a universal experience – after all, the Vanquish is a beloved supercar, also synonymous with Pierce Brosnan’s appearance as James Bond in Die Another Day.
At least Hoult has had a better track record choosing his roles than he has choosing cars.
Celebrity cars – the best of the best
It’s not often that you hear a celebrity bemoan a car they owned.
Because let’s face it, with their salaries, they can afford the best of the best in the car department.
Whether it’s Katy Perry, Brad Pitt, or Lady Gaga, actors and musicians have some of the most iconic car collections in the world.
But it’s not totally unheard of for them to regret a car purchase.
Shaquille O’Neal was left regretting two Ferraris, after drastic measures to try and fit inside them backfired massively.
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