NEW YORK -- Starring in Paul Weitz's political and social satire American Dreamz gave Hugh Grant a chance to vicariously live out one of his fantasies.

"I have always had a secret desire to be on TV and I am a great fan of reality shows so this movie and this part appeals to me," says Grant, who plays Martin Tweed, the acerbic host of America's most popular talent show, an American Idol clone called American Dreamz.

"I'm actually ashamed of just how partial I am to reality TV. I love a show in Britain called I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and a couple of others called Wife Swap and Boot Camp. If it wasn't beneath my dignity, I'd being doing lots of them myself."

The movie opens Friday.

Grant insists he had never seen American Idol until he accepted to play Tweed.

"I watched hours of tapes of American Idol. I loved that Simon Cowell is so cruel. I enjoy cruelty. I enjoy watching people being humiliated, which I think is what the show is all about."

He says he sees American Idol as "a return to ancient Rome and watching Christians being fed to the lions."

It's not clear whether Grant is sincere or whether he's toying with the journalists gathered for his press conference.

He laughs, then pushes the envelope even further.

"I think in a way American Idol doesn't go far enough. I would quite like to see the losers tortured."

Grant says reality shows tap into "a gene that is in most people that makes us want to be in the limelight. It's what all the tragic participants on American Idol have in common."

In his 20 years as a celebrity, Grant, 45, has found himself under the glare of media scrutiny, especially through his relationship with Elizabeth Hurley and his encounter with prostitute Divine Brown in Los Angeles.

"I admit I always wanted to be in the limelight, but I never wanted to be as massively in the world limelight that I've found myself in at times."

Grant denies his portrayal of Tweed is based on American Idol judge Cowell, however.

"Paul Weitz told me he'd not only written the character of Tweed for me, but based him on me," recalls Grant.

"I was quite thrilled and honoured until I read the script and saw he described Tweed as filled with self-loathing, despair and pessimism."

Grant recently met Cowell at a celebrity function.

"Simon was aware we were having a bit of fun at his expense. He was quite calm about it. When you're as rich as Simon, you can afford to be calm about everything."

Weitz and Grant worked together for 2002's About a Boy.

In quick succession, Grant then starred in Two Weeks Notice, Love Actually and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

There was a lull of two years in his career before Grant teamed with Weitz for American Dreamz.

"After Edge of Reason I did slightly lose interest in making movies. Then I got bored. I got bored with being bored, so when Paul offered me American Dreamz, I jumped at the chance to come back."

The experience of making American Dreamz has revitalized Grant, who is reteaming with Marc Lawrence, who directed him opposite Sandra Bullock in 2002's Two Weeks Notice.

"Marc's movie is tentatively called Music and Lyrics By and I play an '80s pop star so you'll get to see me sing and dance."

He insists his pop star will be less of a bounder than the cads he played in Bridget Jones, About a Boy and American Dreamz.

"I'm not adverse to playing less than cuddly characters because I've found some women actually find this kind of man attractive."