Four Weddings And A Funeral – 10 facts about your favourite romcom that you may not know

THE 1994 comedy Four Weddings And A Funeral has gone on to become one of the most successful films of all time.

But did you know that Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell almost didn't make the cut? Here are all the fun facts you need to know about the much-loved film.

Four Weddings And A Funeral - 10 facts about your favourite romcom that you may not know

1.) For his audition Hugh played a tape of his best man's speech at his brother's wedding

And thank goodness he did as he wasn't the first choice to play Charles.

Ever self-deprecating, even Hugh admitted that he was: "Very much unwanted."

He added: "Richard Curtis did everything in his power to stop me getting the part after the audition. I remember it was a very traumatic audition."

Richard agreed he thought Hugh wasn't right for the film as he was "too handsome."

His first choice had initially been Alex Jennings and he was even eyeing up Alan Rickman at one point.

But after watching 70 actors audition they finally decided on Hugh.

2.) The role of Carrie almost went to Jeanne Tripplehorn instead of Andie MacDowell

Likewise, the film would not have been how we know and love it had their first choice actress accepted the role.

Jeanne Tripplehorn had to drop out after being cast in the role after her mother unexpectedly died.

And Marisa Tomei also declined the part because her grandfather was ill and she didn't want to be away from New York.

The actress has gone on to say that she will "always regret" turning the part down.

And Sarah Jessica Parker was even in the running for the role and said to be Richard Curtis' top choice.

But although she didn't get the part she did go on to play another VERY famous Carrie - in Sex And The City.

Unfortunately for Andie, Carrie has been voted one of the most annoying characters of all time by an online poll

Though Andie has gone on to defend her now infamous line that she "hadn't noticed" the rain  which has subsequently been mocked over the years.

She told the DailyMail: "The character was so in love, she wasn’t thinking about the fricking rain.

"I think perhaps it was raining a bit hard for the line. But that wasn’t my fault. Mike Newell was directing. I wasn’t going to disagree with him.”

3.) Kristin Scott Thomas dubbed her own voice for the French version of the film

The talented actress is bi-lingual which came in handy when it came to dubbing the film for its French audience.

Kristin learnt the language as an au pair in Paris at the age of 19 and soon became fluent.

She studied acting at the École nationale supiérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre in Paris.

And she married a French man - gynaecologist Francois Olivennes - with whom she has three children.

4.) The film was the highest-grossing British film in cinema history for many years after its release

With a budget of under £3million and being filmed in just six weeks, the film went on to become an unexpected success and the highest-grossing British film in history at the time.

It received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay .

But it was the only Best Picture nominee not to get the nod in any of the acting categories.

But Hugh won the Golden Globe and Bafta awards for Best Actor .

And the movie scooped the Bafta awards for Best Film, Best Direction and Best Supporting Actress (for Kristin Scott Thomas.)

The film often features on "top films of all times" lists including one by the British Film Institute which in 1999 placed the flick 23rd in the greatest British films of the 20th Century.

5.) Hugh Grant thought the movie was awful while filming

The budget had been cut to £2.7million and it was so low-budget that the film was shot in just 36 days.

They didn't even film the Scottish wedding in Scotland to try and save on costs.

And the same vicar - as portrayed by Rowan Atkinson - was used in two of the weddings to avoid paying two different actors.

Even the extras had to wear their own suits.

Though MP Amber Rudd played a part in helping the producers with the film by recruiting titled gentry to feature (unpaid) in the film.

The likes of Earl of Burlington and Simon Marquis, 3rd Earl of Woolton were extras in the film thanks to the Work and Pensions Secretary , who was given the title of 'Aristocracy Coordinator' in the credits.

6.) Richard Curtis came up with the idea after realising how many weddings he'd been invited to

The screen-writer said that he realised he had been to around 70 weddings in the past ten years.

And it was the shock statistic that prompted him to come up with the much-loved film.

In various interviews over the years he has explained how he was also inspired to pen the movie after he turned down a girl who wanted to spend the night with him at one of those weddings and lived to regret it since.

He also claims that Four Weddings And A Funeral also served as an explanation to his mother as to why he had never married.

It took Richard 17 drafts before he arrived at the final script.

7.) The F word is used 28 times in the film

In the opening scene alone the F word was used 13 times by Charles and Scarlett as they frantically rush to get ready for the first wedding.

American finanicers took issue with all the cursing and explicit content.

In the end US distributors managed to have the actors re-shoot the first scene so that Hugh said the more family-friendly "bugger" instead of the F word.

Indeed, thirty people walked out of the Salt Lake City screening during the opening scene with all the expletives.

8.) The Mini used in the film was the same MINI (or same registration) as the identical one in Mr Bean

The mentioned Mini appeared in the Mr Bean episode Back to School Mr Bean but with a different paint scheme.

9.) Hugh Grant had to learn sign language for his scenes with his deaf brother in the film

The actor learned British Sign Language for his scenes with his on-screen brother David.

Charles' brother was played by deaf actor David Bower and Hugh took it upon himself to learn sign language for the scenes.

10.) The film almost had a very different title

Before settling on Four Weddings And A Funeral the film almost had a completely different identity.

Some of the suggestions included True Love and Near Misses, Loitering in Sacred Places, Rolling the Aisles, Skulking Around, Toffs on Heat, Charles and Chums and The Wedding Season.