What are the cast of Love Actually doing now?
The Christmas classic is 21 years old this year.
Richard Curtis might have a new festive film out this year in the shape of That Christmas – but as star-studded as it might be, it has some way to go before it can supplant Love Actually as Curtis's ultimate Christmas classic.
Since its release more than 20 years ago, the sprawling London-set romcom has become essential festive viewing for many households around the world, even if Curtis recently revealed to Radio Times magazine that he thought it "was a disaster for months while we were trying to edit it".
But with a cast that included many of the UK's most beloved stars including Hugh Grant, Dame Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and the late, great Alan Rickman it's no surprise that the film ended up becoming such a sensation.
Of course, many of those stars have continued to appear in high profile films and TV shows since – here's a recap of what some of the big names have been up to since 2003.
Where are the cast of Love Actually now?
Hugh Grant (David)
Romcom favourite Hugh Grant played David, the British Prime Minister who fell for Martine McCutcheon and blessed Downing Street with his dance moves, a clip which still does the online rounds on YouTube or in gif form.
Other than starring in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Music and Lyrics, Grant had a quiet few years immediately after Love Actually, but has since settled into a new period of his career as one of Hollywood's finest character actors.
Highlights include TV roles in A Very English Scandal and The Undoing as well as memorable parts in films such as Florence Foster Jenkins, The Gentlemen, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Wonka, Heretic and – best of all – his villainous turn in Paddington 2.
Liam Neeson (Daniel)
Liam Neeson played Daniel, a grieving widow who encouraged the then-young Thomas Brodie-Sangster to pursue his American classmate crush through Heathrow Airport in true romcom fashion.
After Love Actually, Neeson appeared in Batman Begins and voiced Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia films, but his image forever changed after surprise hit Taken turned him into a mature action hero, and he would go on to appear in the Taken sequels, The Grey and Clash of the Titans.
In 2022, Neeson starred in his landmark 100th film, Marlowe, while other recent credits include In the Land of Saints and Sinners and Absolution. Next year, he's slated to take on the main role in a reboot of The Naked Gun.
Colin Firth (Jamie)
After Love Actually, Firth starred in several crowd-pleasers such as Nanny McPhee and Mamma Mia!, before earning awards recognition for A Single Man and an Oscar for The King's Speech.
Other memorable roles since include spy Harry Hart in the Kingsman movies and films including Supernova, Operation Mincemeat and Empire of Light, as well as the TV show The Staircase.
Dame Emma Thompson (Karen)
After Love Actually, Thompson popped up in the Harry Potter films as Professor Trelawney, wrote and starred in the Nanny McPhee movies and appeared in Bridget Jones's Baby.
Other more recent credits have included Russell T Davies's BBC drama Years and Years, writing the screenplay and starring in fellow festive film Last Christmas and roles in Cruella, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, What's Love Got to Do With It?, and Matilda the Musical.
Laura Linney (Sarah)
One of the few Americans in the film, Linney played Sarah, the graphic designer trying to woo her work colleague.
The following year Linney reunited with Liam Neeson in Kinsey, and would go on to star in films such as The Savages, Arthur Christmas and Sully.
However, it is television that Linney is probably best known for now, having played the lead character Cathy in The Big C, and starring alongside Jason Bateman in Netflix thriller Ozark.
Alan Rickman (Harry)
Rickman played managing director Harry, who got awfully close to his secretary Mia and of course broke his poor wife Karen's heart.
Rickman, of course, continued to play Severus Snape in all the Harry Potter films, appeared in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd adaptation and voiced Absolem the caterpillar in the Alice in Wonderland films. He sadly passed away from cancer in 2016.
Keira Knightley (Juliet)
Knightley played the appropriately-named Juliet, the recipient of Andrew Lincoln's affection in the famous cue card scene.
Knightley found stardom around the time Love Actually came out by appearing in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as period dramas such as Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina.
More recent film credits include The Aftermath, Official Secrets, Misbehaviour and a very different festive film in the form of 2021's Silent Night. And Knightley clearly can't get enough of Christmas – as she's recently been starring in Netflix's Yuletide-set spy drama Black Doves.
Martine McCutcheon (Natalie)
McCutcheon was tipped for Hollywood stardom after appearing in Love Actually, but alas it was not to be. Upon returning from America she starred in ITV soap Echo Beach, was a judge on Soapstar Superstar and a regular panellist on a series of Loose Women.
She has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, but did revive her pop career in 2017 with new album Lost and Found and appeared in the second season of The Masked Singer in 2021.
Bill Nighy (Billy Mack)
The seemingly ageless Bill Nighy played rock and roll star Billy Mack, who was aiming for the Christmas Number One before it was an X Factor staple – his song Christmas Is All Around is still stuck in our heads.
He was then hardly recognisable in his motion-capture performance as Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, briefly popped up in Shaun of the Dead, and featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 as Rufus Scrimgeour.
He has become an incredibly reliable presence in all sorts of films, including getting an Oscar nomination for his lead role in 2022's Living, while other key recent credits include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, About Time, Pride, Emma, The First Omen and Joy.
Rowan Atkinson (Rufus)
Rowan Atkinson had a brief but memorable scene as jewellery salesman Rufus, performing physical comedy only he could.
Comedy legend Atkinson has returned to some of his most iconic characters since Love Actually came out, playing Mr Bean one last time in Mr Bean's Holiday and the title character in the Johnny English films.
He also had a serious turn as the title character in ITV's Maigret series, and more recently co-created and starred in the Netflix series Man vs Bee – which will be followed up by Man vs Baby in 2025.
Martin Freeman (John)
Martin Freeman played John, the professional stand-in happy to simulate erotic scenes with co-worker Judy but too shy to talk to her off set.
Martin Freeman was coming fresh off his role in The Office when he was cast in Love Actually, relatively unknown at the time. He, of course, found fame playing long-suffering John Watson in Sherlock, and has since starred as Bilbo Baggins himself in The Hobbit Films and Everet Ross in Black Panther.
Most recently he's had lead roles in in the Sky Comedy series Breeders and the BBC drama The Responder.
Andrew Lincoln (Mark)
Andrew Lincoln's Mark was of course the man behind the now-iconic cue card scene, parodied by everyone from Boris Johnson to Martine McCutcheon this year alone.
Lincoln has since made it big in America playing protagonist Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead for nine seasons – which remains by some distance his most famous role.
He can next be seen in drama Penguin Bloom next year, as well as the untitled Walking Dead spin-off film.
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peter)
Ejiofor played Keira Knightley's husband Peter, blissfully unaware of his best man's feelings for his wife.
Ejiofor has had a meteoric rise to fame since Love Actually, starring in The Martian, 2012, and Doctor Strange, as well as receiving an Oscar nomination for his lead performance in 12 Years A Slave. He also voiced Scar in 2019's The Lion King remake and played Conall in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, while other recent roles include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Venom: The Last Dance, and the TV adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Olivia Olson (Joanna)
She looks a little older these days, but Olivia Olson actually played Joanna, the American schoolchild with the voice of an angel who young Sam falls for.
After some spots of public singing, Olson had a quiet couple of years after Love Actually. She has lent her voice to several cult cartoons including Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time and The Powerpuff Girls. She released a new album titled Nowhere Land in 2019, and was later a contestant on The X Factor: Celebrity.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Sam)
Despite being 29 now, the baby-faced Brodie-Sangster has continued to play teenagers and young adults, including Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones and Newt in the Maze Runner films. He also reunited with Emma Thompson in Nanny McPhee and voiced Ferb in Phineas and Ferb.
He's also had key roles in a couple of major TV shows – including The Queen's Gambit, Pistol and Wolf Hall – while he plays the title character in the Disney+ Oliver Twist spin-off The Artful Dodger.
Joanna Page (Judy)
Joanna Page played Judy, the professional stand-in spending much of the film simulating erotic scenes with Martin Freeman's character, only for the two to pursue a genuine relationship together.
The Welsh actress, of course, went on to play the titular Stacey in Gavin and Stacey, as well as appearing in another Christmas flick Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! and guest-starring in the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special.
As many fans will know her next project will be returning to Barry Island – she will be reprising her role in the eagerly awaited final Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special this year.
Heike Makatsch (Mia)
The 'other woman' in Karen and David's marriage, it turns out that Heike Makatsch's Mia (then a brunette) was the recipient of the necklace that caused so much pain for Emma Thompson's character.
She also starred in the first Resident Evil film, and appeared in the critically acclaimed Second World War drama The Book thief in 2013. Most of her career post-Love Actually, however, has been in films from her home country of Germany, including The Door, Hilde and Where's Wanda?
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