Hugh Grant demanded extra £5k

Richard Curtis was worried Hugh Grant would pull out if he wasn't paid an extra £5,000 for the lead role.

Curtis recalled on BBC Radio 4: "I was worried about it."

His total fee was just £35,000.

Producer Duncan Kenworthy added: "We couldn’t afford much at all. So the 'friends' got £17,500 each and Hugh got £35,000. I remember Michael Foster, Hugh’s agent, saying, 'OK, we understand. £40,000 and he is yours.' I said, 'Sorry, you just don’t understand. It’s £35,000 and if you don’t accept that then obviously we lose him.'"