The cast of Love Actually are totally unrecognisable now
It has been 17 years since the release of the classic rom-com Love Actually. But would you recognise the cast now?
Since its 2003 release, Love Actually has cemented itself as an iconic holiday film.
While holiday-themed romantic comedies are hardly a novelty – think New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day – this one also happened to showcase some high grade acting talent.
With the likes of Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, and Liam Neeson all gracing our screens, it’s no surprise the film has a cult following.
It’s also light, sweet, and Christmassy. It’s a bunch of fluffy love stories that push all the right buttons. It showcases several kinds of love in a positive, hopeful way.
Basically, it’s the fluff we all crave around the holidays.
Let’s revisit the famous faces that made Love Actually a classic, and take a look at where they ended up.
RELATED: What you never knew about iconic rom-com Love Actually
HUGH GRANT
Hugh Grant signed on to Love Actually with a number box office hits already under his belt (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary and Two Weeks Notice).
His boyish grin, baby blue eyes and sad-puppy good looks lent the perfect dash of charm to his role as Prime Minister (one who was besotted with his sweet assistant).
The actor took a well-earned break from the industry before diving into darker storylines (the most recent of which had him acting alongside Nicole Kidman in The Undoing).
THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER
Who could forget Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s sweet little face as Sam, and his determination to express his feelings for Joanna, his American school chum.
Sam and Joanna actually found their way back into popular culture recently, inspiring a royal meme fest when Harry and Meghan got together.
While he fondly remembers his “first-ever feature”, Thomas has actually gone on to mature as an actor, taking on roles in The Maze Runner, Wolf Hall and Game of Thrones.
And in case you didn’t recognise him, he most recently graced our screen as dreamboat Benny Watts in the Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit. You’re welcome.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
After she learned to Bend It Like Beckham, Keira Knightley had no problem landing roles. At the time, Love Actually fans frothed over Andrew Lincoln’s desperate need to tell Keira Knightley of his feelings (in hindsight, it is pretty stalkerish. Also she’s married, so there’s that.) But all logic and common sense fall by the wayside when there’s an adorable man who’s smitten with you telling you that with giant flash cards. Iconic.
Since then, Knightley has shown off her acting chops in Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonement and even picked up an Oscar nom for her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.
COLIN FIRTH
Speaking of Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth’s role in the 1995 miniseries adaptation made him one of the most memorable Mr Darcys.
Eventually, bored of playing the same romantic lead, Firth began to expand his acting portfolio with thrillers like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Railway Man. But we’ll always love him for being such an awkward, tongue-tied writer who can’t help falling in love with his Portuguese housekeeper.
LIAM NEESON
It’s hard to believe Liam Neeson ever starred in anything as anticlimactic as Love Actually. Granted, his portrayal of a man who’d lost his wife to cancer and was doing his best to raise their son was a heavy role to take on. But his work in Taken in 2009 cemented him as a one of the most in demand action stars – one which he told Entertainment Weekly was an “accident”.
His career pivot has been epic, but it’ll always tug on the heartstrings to see him in this role.
EMMA THOMPSON
Emma Thompson already had an Oscar (Howard’s Way) and three other nominations to her credit when she joined the ensemble cast. But her heartbreaking crying scene in the bedroom after her character realises her husband is having an affair may be the acting moment many remember her for.
In 2019 the actress spoke about why she thinks the scene resonates with so many people in a recent interview with BBC Radio 1.
“I think it’s just because everybody’s been through something like it,” Thompson said.
“I think what really gets to them though is that she has to pull herself together. It’s not that she’s upset … it’s the fact she has to pull herself together and that’s Richard’s (Curtis) writing.
“You’ve got to carry on and just be normal, especially for your children.”
Thompson has rarely been off our screens appearing in movies like Harry Potter and Nanny McPhee.
She has also turned to screenwriting. Fun fact: she’s one of the witty minds behind the scripts for The Last Christmas and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
MARTIN FREEMAN
Martin Freeman has enjoyed a long acting career, starring in the British version of The Office. And who could forget his performance in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit film trilogy, or British crime drama Sherlock?
JOANNA PAGE
And what of Joanna Page, who stood awkwardly beside Freeman as they served as stand-ins for an adult movie? Turns out she channelled her bubbly nature into a long-term TV role, playing Stacey in the hit British show Gavin & Stacey.
RODRIGO SANTORO
In every heartwarming chick flick – the holiday kind included – there has to be some eye candy. Enter, Rodrigo Santoro, the perfect workplace distraction for Laura Linney’s character to lust after and admire from afar.
His career has taken a different turn since Love Actually (which was in fact one of his first roles on moving to America from Brazil). You may also recognise him from sci-fi TV drama Westworld.
MARTINE McCUTCHEON
After playing Hugh Grant’s love interest in the film, Martine McCutcheon’s health took a turn. She only addressed it publicly in 2017, telling The Sun she had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Her diagnosis came shortly after she declared bankruptcy in 2013, falling into a severe depression in the years that followed.
Thankfully, McCutcheon’s health has improved, so much so she released an album – Lost and Found – that same year.
OLIVIA OLSON
After playing Sam’s school chum Joanna – whose singing and angelic face melted hearts – Olivia Olson continued putting her voice to good use after Love Actually.
After a stint on X-Factor Celebrity in 2019, Olson went on to voice Vanessa on Phineas and Ferb, reuniting her with her Love Actually co-star Brodie-Sangster.
ANDREW LINCOLN
He is arguably one of the most well known characters from the film, after every girl made her crush/partner/significant other/any male in sight watch his famous cue cards scene in the hopes their lover would replicate it.
Lincoln was just warming up though, transitioning to zombies when he accepted his career-defining role in 2010 as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. In fact, it was his love-struck devotion to Keira Knightley that landed him the role.
LAURA LINNEY
A fresh-faced, bright-eyed Laura Linney, who played Sarah, the meek, shy office worker who cares for her mentally ill brother, is now one of Hollywood’s most recognisable faces.
Her impressive list of credits includes The Truman Show, Nocturnal Animals and Ozark, among many other titles.
She fondly recalls her time on the set of Love Actually, especially when it comes to being able to kiss a certain someone. People tend to pity her character “but they shouldn‘t because I really believe I got the best kiss in that movie hands down,” she joked on The Graham Norton Show.
Star’s daughter reveals fame downside
Lily-Rose Depp is forging her own path, taking on provocative roles that have turned her into an ‘it’ girl.
Star unrecognisable after ditching Hollywood
The young star of Will Ferrell’s beloved Christmas classic Elf eventually quit Hollywood and pursued a very different life to his famous co-stars.
Fury as key scene cut from Christmas classic
‘What’s wrong with you?’ one viewer said. ‘The people who made that decision should all be fired.’