Why Hugh Grant Did His Jar Jar Binks Impression in ‘Heretic’…

Hugh Grant put his limited Star Wars knowledge to use in Heretic.

At one point in his new A24 thriller Heretic, the actor, 64, does an impression of Jar Jar Binks, the character made famous by Ahmed Best in the space-opera franchise’s prequel trilogy beginning with 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

As for whether the moment was scripted, Grant told the Associated Press in an interview published Monday, Nov. 4, “It’s hard to remember which was the writers, which was me. But I’m pretty sure doing the Jar Jar Binks impersonation was my idea.”

He didn’t even realize he had the impression inside him, explaining, “I just thought it would be fun if the character did that because it’d be just weird.”

“And, in fact, what’s odd about me is that I’ve never seen a Star Wars film,” Grant admitted.

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Mr. Reed, Grant’s character in Heretic, appears to be harmless at first, welcoming two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into his home. But as Sisters Barnes and Paxton (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) attempt to convert him to their religion, they become enmeshed in a psychologically twisted test of faith.

The new movie comes from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the filmmakers who cowrote and created the concept for John Krasinski’s original A Quiet Place movie. Beck and Woods, both 40, last collaborated as writers and directors on 2023’s 65, starring Adam Driver.

Grant told the AP he hasn’t seen many horror films himself, as “they’re too frightening for me” — especially considering he “watched The Exorcist when I was too young and I’ve been in counseling ever since.”

“I watched one by mistake recently, which was Midsommar. I thought it looked like a jolly, Swedish comedy. I put it on one evening for my Swedish wife who needed cheering up and she’s still very, very traumatized,” he joked.

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Grant chatted with PEOPLE about Heretic last month at the film’s AFI Fest premiere, calling his villainous character a “damaged, bad guy.”

“Good guys are difficult,” the Four Weddings and a Funeral actor said at the time. “They’re difficult to keep from being boring. I think almost any actor prefers being the damaged, bad guy. It’s much more interesting.”

He also added of preparing to play Mr. Reed, “There was a lot of research into cult leaders, religion and particularly religious iconoclasts and atheists.”

“And into serial killers, and particularly what made them the way they are — and the weird fact that frequently, after all the terrible things they did, they still had devoted followers or lovers,” Grant said.

Heretic is in theaters Nov. 8.