For those who love romantic comedies, the 2003 film Love Actually stands as an iconic piece within the genre. This is mostly due to the fact that it is written and directed by Richard Curtis, a British filmmaker well-known in the romantic genre, famous for making Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Four Weddings and a Funeral, among other successful films. And, as if Curtis' involvement wasn't enough to guarantee the success of this rom-com, it also features some of the film industry's most renowned and beloved actors.
Love Actually is one of the many rom-coms that take place during the holiday season, and introduces different stories starring characters that, in some way, are connected to one another, attempting to explore different sides of one of the most beautiful yet complicated phenomena that we go through as human beings: love. Thus, the film features a number of stories depicting different situations, both reciprocated and not, from a political figure who falls in love with his assistant to a man who goes to great lengths to help his stepson charm a classmate, passing through hopeful stories and others that are not so positive.
Back in 2003, Love Actually became an absolute box office hit, earning over $246 million worldwide and becoming one of the audience's favorite rom-coms. While it did not meet with the best reviews from critics, it did manage to score a few nominations and awards. Over the years, the brilliant cast of this production went on to star in films and shows as successful as this one. Have a look at what they are doing today.
Alan Rickman
In Love Actually, Alan Rickman played Harry, a design agency manager who, while married to Karen, strikes up an affair with his young secretary Mia that ends up tearing his family apart. And, as with most of the actors in this rom-com, Rickman's reputation precedes him: over the course of his career, he rose to become a crowd favorite and was widely acclaimed for his movies. Rickman became world-famous for many of his performances, including the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film saga.
After appearing in Curtis' rom-com, he went on to star in a number of other projects in the industry, including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Alice in Wonderland. Rickman passed away in 2016 due to pancreatic cancer, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, his fans, and everyone who got to know him.
Related: Love Actually Director Reveals Alan Rickman Was 'Driven Insane' Filming One Particular Scene
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson plays Karen, a stay-at-home mom who finds out in the worst way possible that her husband is interested in another woman. Just like Rickman, Thompson has worked extensively throughout her career, establishing herself as one of the most acclaimed actresses in the industry. The last few years have been jam-packed for Thompson, who has been spotted in a number of wildly popular productions.
Among them, it is worth mentioning Disney's live-action Cruella, starring Emma Stone, the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and the movie adaptation of Matilda the Musical, in which she brilliantly played Miss Trunchbull. Thompson was last seen on screen in the 2023 British rom-com What's Love Got to Do with It?, starring alongside Lily James, Shazad Latif, and Shabana Azmi.
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant first became known for his roles in romantic movies, and he later proved his outstanding acting skills in roles of all kinds. In recent years, he has headlined a variety of projects, including Guy Ritchie's films The Gentleman and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and the HBO miniseries The Undoing, starring alongside Nicole Kidman and Donald Sutherland.
He is expected to appear in the upcoming films Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story and Wonka, as well as the HBO series The Regime. In Love Actually, Grant plays David, the newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who falls in love with one of his employees.
Keira Knightley
The same year that Keira Knightley played Juliet in Love Actually, she jumped to fame for her role in the first film of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, along with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Over the years, Knightley remained active primarily in film, starring in productions such as Misbehaviour, Silent Night and Charlotte, an animated movie inspired by a true story. Her latest role so far came this March in the crime film Boston Strangler, a production inspired by the real-life murder case of the 1960s.
Colin Firth
Colin Firth plays Jamie, a writer whose world is turned upside down after he finds out that his girlfriend is cheating on him with his own brother, and ends up falling in love with a young Portuguese housekeeper he meets during a trip.
In recent years, Firth has been mostly active in film, appearing in productions such as Mary Poppins Returns, Operation Mincemeat, and Empire of Light. However, one of his most significant projects of recent times was the one that marked his comeback to television: Max's miniseries The Staircase, inspired by the case of Michael and Kathleen Peterson.
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon plays Natalie, the employee who stole Hugh Grant's character's heart, and it was precisely this role that made her known worldwide. Over the years, she continued to appear in a few film and TV projects, but mostly focused on her career as a pop singer, which led her to release four musical albums. The latest film in her portfolio so far is the 2018 British comedy The Bromley Boys, although back in 2021 she was spotted as a contestant in The Masked Singer UK's second season.
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson stars in one of Love Actually's most emotional stories as Daniel, a man who has just lost his wife and, while grieving, tries to bond with his stepson Sam by helping him win over a girl he likes. Shortly after starring in this Curtis production, Neeson cemented himself as a major action star with the 2008 film Taken, and over the years he went on to star in other films, including 2022's Marlowe and Memory.
Neeson's future looks as bright as his extensive career in the industry, as he is expected to appear in many projects in the next few months. Among them, it is worth mentioning the films In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Thug, and Retribution, a movie by Nimród Antal that is set for release in late August.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Thomas Brodie-Sangster rose to fame as "the Love Actually kid", and his role in this production earned him nominations at the Young Artist Awards and Satellite Awards, among others. Over the years, he continued to play characters in film and TV, gaining recognition for roles such as Ferb Fletcher in the animated show Phineas and Ferb and Newt in The Maze Runner film franchise.
Brodie-Sangster's most recent projects include the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and Pistol, a 2022 production inspired by the true story of the band Sex Pistols.
Related: Rodrigo Santoro Believes His Love Actually Character is Still Hung Up on Sarah
Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy is an English actor with an extensive career in film, theater and television that has brought him enormous critical acclaim. In recent years, he has been featured in highly praised projects, such as the films Emma and Living, which earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globe Awards.
Additionally, Nighy landed a role in the TV series The Man Who Fell to Earth, which served as a sequel to the 1976 film starring David Bowie. The actor is expected to appear in Thomas Vincent's upcoming thriller film Role Play, which will star Kaley Cuoco. In Love Actually, Nighy plays singer Billy Mack, who becomes obsessed with making his new song a hit of the holiday season.
Laura Linney
Laura Linney plays Sarah, a young woman who devotes her life to caring for her intellectually disabled brother, and stars in what, for many, is the film's saddest story. Like many of her castmates, Linney is a leading figure in film, theater, and television, and over the past few years, she has appeared in hit productions in all three fields, achieving critical and audience acclaim for her role in the Netflix series Ozark.
She was then seen starring in Thaddeus O'Sullivan's film The Miracle Club and Max's series The Last Movie Stars, created by Emily Wachtel and directed by Ethan Hawke. In the future, she is expected to appear in the films Wildcat and Suncoast, both of which have no release date yet.
Gregor Fisher
Actor and comedian Gregor Fisher plays Joe, Billy Mack's manager and, at the same time, the most important person in his life. Fisher rose to fame for starring in the 1988 sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt, and although he has been involved in a few films after his appearance in Love Actually, in the last few years he was mostly seen on television, but less active than he used to be. In 2021, he joined the cast of the British sitcom The co*ckfields as Ray, replacing late Bobby Ball.
Andrew Lincoln
In Love Actually, Andrew Lincoln plays Mark, a young man who is in love with his best friend's wife. The scene in which he professes his love to Knightley's character with cue cards went down in history as one of the most iconic ones in the romantic comedy genre, and was reproduced in many other productions. A few years after appearing in this film, Lincoln gained worldwide recognition for his role as Rick Grimes in the TV series The Walking Dead, and spent several years on the project.
After departing the show's cast, he was seen in the Australian drama film Penguin Bloom and in one of the episodes of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. In 2024, Lincoln will reprise his role as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, the AMC TV series that will serve as a spin-off of the original show.
Heike Makatsch
Heike Makatsch plays Mia, the secretary of Rickman's character, who ends up arousing his interest. This role became one of the most popular ones in the career of this German actress, who in recent years has considerably decreased her appearances in the industry.
After starring in Love Actually, Makatsch received acclaim for her performance in the 2013 war drama film The Book Thief, starring Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson. The latest films in Heike's career so far are God, You're Such a Prick and Zero, released in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Martin Freeman
Throughout his years in the industry, Martin Freeman has played a huge number of roles in productions of all kinds, and continues to do so to this day. Shortly after appearing in Love Actually as John, a shy stand-in who falls in love with another while simulating a movie sex scene, Freeman won critical and audience acclaim for his role as Watson in the 2010 series Sherlock, and, later, as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy.
In 2016, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Everett Ross, appearing in the films Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther and its 2022 sequel, as well as in the Disney+ show Secret Invasion.
Rowan Atkinson
In Love Actually, Rowan Atkinson plays a small but hilarious role as Rufus, a salesman who goes above and beyond to wrap the necklace Harry buys for his secretary. The actor is known worldwide for playing Mr. Bean, a character he has reprised over the years in several productions. However, Atkinson has also shown his acting skills in many other film, TV, and stage projects.
Over the last few years, he has starred in movies such as Johnny English Strikes Again, the film that wrapped up the Johnny English series, and shows such as Man vs. Bee, a comedy production that he also created and co-wrote alongside William Davies. In the near future, he is expected to appear alongside Grant in Wonka, the prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Timothée Chalamet.
