Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boyhas Hugh Grant back as Daniel Cleaver after he skipped the third movie,Bridget Jones’s Baby, and he returned in a different role. Now joining the trend of long-awaited sequels is theBridget Jonesmovie serieswith its fourth installment. TitledBridget Jones: Mad About the Boyand directed by Michael Morris, it’s based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Helen Fielding, and it reunites with Bridget a decade after the third movie – and, unfortunately, Bridget is dealing with a personal tragedy.
Bridget’s husband,Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), diedfour years beforeMad About the Boy, but Bridget continues to struggle to adjust to life without him. Bridget’s friends encourage her to date again and go back to work, and so she does as she decides it’s time to live again. In the process, Bridget meets 29-year-old Roxster (Leo Woodall), with whom she has a relationship, and Mr. Walliker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), her son’s science teacher who ends up helping him with his grief. Also accompanying Bridget is Daniel Cleaver, in his big return after his fake death inBridget Jones’s Baby.
Hugh Grant Needed A Reason To Return As Daniel Cleaver
Daniel Cleaver is introduced in the firstBridget Jonesmovie and he was Bridget’s boss. After heavy flirting with each other, Bridget and Daniel begin dating, butDaniel is known for being a womanizer. Daniel cheats on Bridget, and she ends up with Darcy. Daniel returns inBridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, where he continues with his womanizing ways and reconnects with Bridget when they work together on a new travel TV series. This time, it doesn’t take much for Bridget to see he hasn’t changed.
InBridget Jones’s Baby, Daniel’s absence is explained through a plane crash, and he’s presumed dead.
Daniel is the big absentee inBridget Jones’s Baby, where, instead of another Darcy-Bridget-Daniel love triangle, there’s a Darcy-Bridget-Jack mess when Bridget doesn’t know who the father of her baby is. InBridget Jones’s Baby, Daniel’s absence is explained through a plane crash, and he’s presumed dead. Right at the end ofBridget Jones’s Baby, Daniel is revealed to be alive, but this wasn’t enough reason for Grant to return forMad About the Boy, as he wanted more for his character.
Speaking toDeadlineahead of the release ofMad About the Boy, Grant explained he had read the source novel and loved it, and though he was ok with playing Daniel again, he wanted something different for him. Grant shared that they had to work out something for Daniel ashe didn’t want him to be the same womanizer from the past movies, and wanted more dimension and depth for the character. Luckily, he got what he wanted, andMad About the Boyhad the series’ best Daniel Cleaver.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Cast – Every New & Returning Character
Bridget is joined by old friends in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, while also introducing new and interesting characters ready to win her heart.
Why Hugh Grant Skipped Bridget Jones' Baby
R.I.P. Daniel, But Not Really
HadBridget Jones’s Babyhappened as planned, there would have been a place for Daniel Cleaver in it, but Grant toldPeoplein 2024 thathe couldn’t fit his character in the story, so he decided to step aside. As production ofBridget Jones’s Babywas reportedly delayed due to creative differences between the script and the cast, it was initially reported that Grant disliked the story and left, which was later denied by producer Tim Bevan (viaTHR).
Although Daniel’s presence was missed, Grant was right in choosing to step down fromBridget Jones’s Baby, as he wouldn’t have fit the story. It’s unclear what Daniel’s role would have been inBridget Jones’s Baby, but having him instead of Jack (Patrick Dempsey) would have felt repetitive and would have been detrimental to Bridget’s story and development. Daniel’s fake death actually felt fitting and helped give the character the change Grant wanted for him inMad About the Boy.
How Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver Is Different In Bridget Jones 4 From The Previous Movies
Daniel Cleaver Is Now An Ally & Friend Of Bridget
One of the biggest surprises inBridget Jones: Mad About the Boyis thatDaniel Cleaver isn’t a love interest anymore, and even more surprising is that he’s now one of Bridget’s closest friends. Daniel is so close to Bridget and her family that he even babysits her children, Billy and Mabel, with the former asking him about the women with the big physical attributes. Sure, Daniel is still a womanizer, but this time, he admits to having made big mistakes in the past and that he’s lonely, this after a health scare due to his heart.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Ending Explained – Who Bridget Chooses & Why
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy sees Bridget coping with grief and dating again, but the world has changed a lot since she got married and had kids.
With Bridget’s help,Daniel realizes he can still make amends if he wants to and repair some broken relationships, especially with his teenage son.Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boygave Daniel Cleaver the dimension, depth, and change that Hugh Grant wanted for him, becoming his best version out of allBridget Jonesmovies.
