Where are the Love Actually cast now?
Love Actually was released in UK cinemas 22 years ago, and it's still one of our all-time favourite Christmas films. Whenever the festive season rolls around, we love to cosy up on the sofa and watch the movie, which centres on nine intertwined stories that are tied together with one thing: love.
Whether it was Hugh Grant taking on the role of the newly-elected British Prime Minister and falls for his young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), or Alan Rickman's character who's tempted by his attracted new secretary (unforgivably, in our opinion, WHAT ABOUT EMMA THOMPSON?), the storylines remind us once again how complicated, innocent, messy and confusing love can be.
While we all have our favourite storylines and realise something new about the movie each year (did you know Keira Knightley's character worked as an interior decorator?!), have you ever just wondered what the Love Actually cast is up to nowadays? Well, fret not because we have found out…
Studio CanalSam
Definitely the cutest member of the Love Actually cast. Sam has just lost his mum to cancer and he's also madly in love with the American girl in his class at school, Joanna.
REXThomas Brodie-Sangster
Can you believe Thomas is now 34?! His acting career is still going from strength to strength, having scored roles such as Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones and Newt in the Maze Runner film series. Most recently, he played Benny Watts in the Emmy-winning Netflix mini-series The Queen's Gambit alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and is currently starring in Disney+ series The Artful Dodger. He has also recently married Talulah Riley and the couple live on a sprawling farm in Hertfordshire.
REXJoanna
Joanna is Sam's crush. You know, the girl he describes as "heaven"? She sings 'All I Want for Christmas' at the school concert, and producer Richard Curtis later revealed she was so good, the audio was edited in post-production to make it sound more realistic.
Getty ImagesOlivia Olson
Olivia is now 32 and working as a singer and voice-over artist in her hometown, Los Angeles. We've checked out her Instagram, and no surprise, she's still gorgeous. Following her role in Love Actually, Olivia never fully pursued acting but had various voice roles in the likes of Phineas and Ferb and The Powerpuff Girls, but she has been mainly focusing on her music work since (She even appeared on The X Factor: Celebrity back in 2019).
Studio CanalDaniel
Daniel is Sam's stepdad. He's struggling with losing his wife, while helping Sam to cope with losing his mother.
REXLiam Neeson
Liam's life tragically mirrored Daniel's when his wife (Natasha Richardson) died in 2009. Together they had two sons, Micheál and Daniel. On the professional front, Liam has seen success, starring in the hit action trilogy Taken from 2008-2014. He has gone on to star in a slew of other action films, such as Cold Pursuit, Honest Thief, The Marksman, and The Ice Road - although he has expressed his desire to retire from the genre and try a new role. He also starred alongside Pamela Anderson in comedy movie remake of The Naked Gun this summer.
Studio CanalDavid, The Prime Minister
Before David Cameron, we had another David running the country. His romance with his assistant Natalie was possibly our favourite in the movie, and don't get us started on that dancing scene. Tony Blair even spoke out about being compared to the fictional PM: “I know there’s a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in Love Actually and tell America where to get off. But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there’s the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause.” Classic Tony.
REXHugh Grant
Rom-com king Hugh Grant's best days were arguably already behind him once Love Actually was released in 2003 (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, About a Boy), but he's still one of Britain's most famous faces. He has starred as villainous Phoenix Buchanan in the Paddington franchise, took on the role of Jonathan Sachs in The Undoing alongside Nicole Kidman, starred in 2024 Heretic and returned as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. On the personal front, Hugh married TV producer Anna Elisabet Eberstein. They share three children.
Studio CanalNatalie
Natalie is the Prime Minister's assistant who he quickly falls for, causing a very public disagreement between himself and the US President. Awkward. She's from Wandsworth - the dodgy end.
REXMartine McCutcheon
Martine didn't know it at the time, but the role of Natalie was written with her in mind after Richard Curtis saw her playing Tiffany in Eastenders. She's had a few small acting roles since and regularly appeared on ITV's Loose Women. Following her pop career in the 90s, she released her fourth studio album, Lost and Found, in 2017. Her last on-screen role was in 2018. Martine has since been vocal about her Lyme disease and ADHD diagnosis on social media. She is said to be reuniting with Love Actually co-star Thomas Brodie-Sangster this year for a nostalgic Christmassy ad for Google Pixel. Watch this space.
Studio CanalRufus
Responsible for the iconic gift-wrapping scene, Rufus played a legendary role in the 2003 film. "This is SO much more than a bag".
Getty ImagesRowan Atkinson
The legendary comedian behind Mr. Bean has been a staple on television screens and went on to star in the hilarious action movie franchise Johnny English, and starred alongside Timothée Chalamet in Wonka. He also has a fourth Johnny English film in the works, as well as a new Mr. Bean project. On the personal front, Rowan shares a five-year-old daughter Isla with his wife, Louise Ford. He also has two children, Ben and Lily, with his ex-wife Sunetra Sastry.
Studio CanalHarry
Harry is the unfaithful husband who has an affair with his secretary, Mia. Such a cliche. We didn't explicitly see it, but writer Emma Freud has since confirmed it was definitely "sex and a necklace."
REXAlan Rickman
Alan Rickman sadly died of pancreatic cancer in January 2016. Following Love Actually, he continued his role of Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.
REXMia
Harry's sexy, home-wrecking secretary.
REXHeike Makatsch
Heike is a German actress and singer. While filming Love Actually she was living with her ex-boyfriend Daniel Craig (!) who she met on the set of Obsession in 1997. After their break up in 2005 she got together with Max Martin Schröder and together they have two children. They split in 2014. She's most notably starred in A Sound of Thunder (2005) and The Book Thief (2013) and most recently TV series Where's Wanda? (2024) which sees two parents search for their missing child by surveilling their neighbourhood.
Studio CanalKaren
Is there a scene sadder than Karen crying over her Joni Mitchell CD while 'Both Sides Now' plays in the background? She's Harry's wife, David's sister and Daniel's best friend.
REXEmma Thompson
One of our favourite actresses of all time, Emma Thompson hasn't stopped her acting conquests. She has gone on to star in the Harry Potter films Beauty and the Beast, Nanny McPhee, Bridget Jones's Baby, Saving Mr. Banks and sex comedy-drama Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, as well as the terrifying Miss Trunchbull in the film adaptation of Matilda the Musical. Her latest TV outing Down Cemetery Road, in which she stars alongside Luther's Ruth Wilson, is not to be missed.
Studio CanalMark
The infamous card scene where Mark confesses his love for his best friend's wife, Juliet, divided viewers between "creep" and "Christmas goals". Despite the romantic gesture, Mark doesn't get the girl.
REXAndrew Lincoln
Andrew has done pretty well for himself, landing the starring role of Rick Grimes in the hit US show The Walking Dead from 2010-2018. This year, he has returned to UK screens in creepy BBC series Coldwater alongside Indira Varma and Trainspotting's Ewen Bremner.
Studio CanalJuliet
Since the film's release, we've fully realised what a terrible person Juliet is. Ok, baker boy hats may have made a comeback, but fashion aside, kissing your husband's best friend is a bit wrong isn't it? Don't even get us started on "I look quite pretty, don't I?"
REXKeira Knightley
With Pirates of the Caribbean and Love Actually both released in the same year, Keira was transported to mega-stardom. She went on to score roles in Atonement, Pride & Prejudice, The Imitation Game, Begin Again and Colette. She's also been involved in many theatre productions, making her Broadway debut in the title role of Thérèse Raquin in October 2015. Keira made her big return to the TV world by starring in Netflix spy series Black Doves alongside Paddington's Ben Whishaw and Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire. Season two is currently in production. She is married to musician James Righton, and they have two daughters.
Studio CanalColin Frissell
Unlucky-in-love Colin Frissell brought us some of the best comedy moments of the movie. He flew out to Wisconsin in America to find himself a girlfriend, meeting Elisha Cuthbert, January Jones and Ivana Milicevic - does it get much better?
REXKris Marshall
Apparently, Kris enjoyed his scene with the American girls so much, he offered to hand back his paycheque. Besides Love Actually, he's probably most famous for his part in the BT adverts running from 2005-2011. He also played Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman in the BBC drama Death in Paradise and spin-off Beyond Paradise, as well as taking on the long-running role in the historical drama, Sanditon.
Studio CanalBilly Mack
Who can forget the classic line: "Hey kids, don't buy drugs - become a rock star and people give you them for free!" Love Actually wouldn't be the same without Billy Mack, the singer who unexpectedly scores a number one with 'Christmas is all Around'.
REXBill Nighy
Bill has starred in countless films since 2003, including the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He collaborated with Richard Curtis again on the 2013 rom-com About Time. He won critical acclaim in the movie Living, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and most recently starred in Joy alongside Thomasin McKenzie and James Norton, which told the story of the pioneering team of scientists who made IVF possible.
Studio CanalJamie
Everyone's heart broke on behalf of Jamie when he caught his brother in bed with his girlfriend, but then he meets Aurelia, prompting one of the best on-screen proposals ever.
REXColin Firth
Colin has seen a lot of success since Love Actually, receiving a BAFTA for his leading role in Tom Ford's directorial debut A Single Man (2009) and his first Academy Award for his leading role in The King's Speech (2011). He starred as Michael Peterson in the TV adaptation of The Staircase alongside Toni Collette, and will appear in upcoming Kingsman sequel The Blue Blood opposite Taron Egerton.
Studio CanalSarah
Sarah is the American who works at Harry's graphic design company and is not-so-secretly in love with her colleague, Karl. They finally get together at the Christmas party but their night is interrupted by her mentally ill brother, Michael, phoning from a care facility.
REXLaura Linney
Laura is a powerhouse who has won two Golden Globes and a further four Emmys since Love Actually. Laura has been also been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards. She starred in the critically-acclaimed Netflix drama Ozark.
Studio CanalKarl
Sarah's colleague and love interest, Karl. He doesn't say much, but #eyecandy.
Getty ImagesRodrigo Santoro
One of Brazil's most successful actors, 47-year-old Rodrigo has starred in 300, Focus, and most recently the HBO show, Westworld. He's been in a relationship with actress Mel Fronckowiak since 2013, and together they have a daughter called Nina.
Studio CanalJudy
Judy is a professional sex scene body double who falls in love with her co-star, John.
Getty ImagesJoanna Page
Everyone now knows Joanna as Stacey Shipman from the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey, which ran from 2007-2010. She recently appeared on The Masked Singer, and switched over to presenting for shows such as Shop Well For Less and The Pet Show. She's married to English actor James Thornton, and together they have three children. Joanna returned to our screens last Christmas for the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, which was the finale of the entire beloved series!
Studio CanalJohn
Judy's sex scene co-star. In the final airport scene they reveal they're engaged.
REXMartin Freeman
Martin is a massive name on TV, playing Dr. John Watson in Sherlock. He also plays Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit films. Impressively, Martin is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character Everett K. Ross in movies such as Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He reprised the role in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, and has since starred in controversial Miller's Girl with Jenna Ortega and is set to star alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Mia McKenna-Bruce in a new take on an Agatha Christie story, TV series The Seven Dials Mystery.
