The Holiday had one of the most star-studded casts of all time, but where are they all now?
There is a lot to like about The Holiday, which is the perfect Christmas film for a whole multitude of reasons.
It addresses the anxieties we have around this time of year (namely, being single over the festive period) and gives us much-needed hope with the notion that one day, we might just end up house-swapping and meeting the love of our lives.
Ridiculous-but-lovable premise aside, it also showcases the very best of cosy, British countryside living while also making us lust after an alternate LA lifestyle (come on – who wouldn't want to live in that California dream house?). Then there's the best knitwear wardrobe ever – which, let's face it, is the practical style inspiration we need at this time of year. And, of course, it's made especially heart-warming by all the improbable friendships and romances formed along the way.
However, we're pretty sure that The Holiday wouldn't be nearly as iconic without its stellar cast, including big Hollywood names such as Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law. It's these talented actors who – 15 years after the movie's initial release – ensure we return to The Holiday every single year. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it.
14 years old…
With that in mind, we've taken a stroll through memory lane to see what the cast of The Holiday are up to now…
Photo Credit: Zade RosenthalKate Winslet: Then
Kate Winslet played the role of Iris Simpkins, a lovesick newspaper columnist who is stricken by the news that her on/off lover, Jasper, played by Rufus Sewell, is engaged to someone else in their shared office (he conveniently neglects to tell her the news before it's announced company-wide)
Addressing the part in an interview, Kate opened up about being worried that she wouldn't be able to make people laugh, saying, “I’ve never done a romantic comedy or something that is labelled as that before. I was so excited to do something new and also nervous you know? The worry of, ‘Can I be funny?',” adding that, "Jude [Law] and I would speak on the telephone a lot before we started shooting. ‘Oh my god, they’re going to fire us! They’re going to recast. What if we don’t make them laugh?’”
We can safely say that Iris did make us laugh – for all the right reasons. We're glad she got her fairytale ending, too.
Rich FuryKate Winslet: Now
Kate has gone from strength to strength since The Holiday. She was already a household name, of course, having starred in Titanic and Sense and Sensibility – but she's since gone onto win countless awards, including an Oscar for her role in The Reader, a Golden Globe for Revolutionary Road, and, most recently, an Emmy for her sensational portrayal of Mare in Mare of Easttown.
As for Kate's personal life, there have also been major developments. She married Edward Abel Smith in 2012, and they welcomed their child, Bear Blaze in 2013. She has two other children, Mia Honey Threapleton and Joe Mendes, from her previous marriages to Jim Threapleton and Sam Mendes.
Photo Credit: Simon MeinCameron Diaz: Then
Cameron Diaz plays Amanda Woods, a workaholic producer who lives in an extremely flashy mansion in Los Angeles. Everything seems to be going well until her boyfriend Ethan (Edward Burns) admits to cheating on her – talk about awful timing, at Christmas! In order to help with her broken heart, Amanda agrees to swap houses with Iris and quickly falls for Iris's brother Graham (played by Jude Law), and we don't blame her. Hands up if you've still not recovered from Graham's bashfully British charms?
Unlike the many of us who re-watch The Holiday year after year, Cameron recently admitted on Danny Pellegrino's podcast, Everything Iconic: "I actually haven’t seen [The Holiday] in 15 years.”
But maybe she's still recovering from filming that scene where Amanda runs through the snow in her heels… Opening up about the scene to Vulture last year, Cameron said: “I ran probably seven miles a day in those heels. Through mud and hills. It was so hilarious. I was literally like, I’m not even complaining right now because my job is to run, and I’m okay with that. But I’m sweating.”
NBCCameron Diaz: Now
Cameron has been seriously busy since she starred in The Holiday. While there are too many acting roles to list, our particular favourites include What Happens in Vegas (2008), Bad Teacher (2011), and the entire Shrek franchise as Princess Fiona. Plus, her tear-jerking performance in My Sister's Keeper (2009) Honestly, the sheer range on this woman!
Cameron married Good Charlotte frontman Benji Madden in 2015, and they welcomed their first child, daughter Raddix, in December 2019. She has also launched an organic wine business, Avaline, together with her business partner American entrepreneur Katherine Power. Busy woman!
Photo Credit: Zade RosenthalJude Law: Then
In one of his most-adored roles of all time, Jude Law played Graham Simpkins, a charming book editor who wears cosy knitted jumpers, who turns up at his sister's house – where Amanda is staying – and falls head-over-heels in love with Amanda. You may also know him as Mr NapkinHead™ – arguably the most meme-able moment of the entire film.
In 2016, Jude told People that he's still “approached on the street about that film. Who knew? I didn’t know [what it would become] at the time, I’m just really happy that it’s something that people still enjoy,” adding that he'd thought about his onscreen daughters, “I was thinking about those two kids the other day — I’m sure they’re not kids now — and seeing them. I bet they’re all grown up, aren’t they?”
David M. BenettJude Law: Now
Impersonating NapkinHead isn't the only string Jude Law has to his bow. Since The Holiday , he has had iconic roles include Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes, the Pope in The Young Pope, and Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel.
Jude is father to six children: Rafferty, Iris, and Rudy Law from his marriage to Sadie Frost; Sophia Law who he shares with Samantha Burke; Ada Law from his relationship with Catherine Harding; and a one-year old with his wife Philippa Coan.
Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal.Jack Black: Then
Joining the (initially) heartbroken cast of character is Jack Black character Miles (a colleague of Ethan's), who is distraught when he catches his girlfriend, Maggie, kissing another man, mid-way through the film. He spends Christmas Eve with Iris – with whom he already has some serious chemistry – and, well, you know the rest.
Although we'll never forget Jack's part in The Holiday, he personally appeared to forget that he starred in The Holiday at all. When Variety interviewed him on the Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle red carpet about his favourite Christmas movie, he said, "I gotta say Elf, […] Jon Favreau and Will Ferrel just knock it out of the park." I mean, Elf is great but what about your own damn film?
Jack responded, "Do I have a Christmas movie? Which one is mine? […] Oh, The Holiday! Obviously The Holiday. Nancy Meyers: Genius."
Taylor HillJack Black: Now
We can (just about) forgive Jack Black for forgetting his The Holiday role, once we consider all the wildly successful projects he's worked on since. While the Kung Fu Panda franchise obviously deserves a special mention, he's also starred in Gulliver's Travels (2010), The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Jack was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2018. He is married to artist and musician Tanya Haden Black, with whom he shares two children, teenager sons Thomas & Samuel.
Edward Burns: Then
Arguably one of the most forgettable characters (for good reason), Edward Burns played Ethan, AKA the scumbag who had the absolute cheek to cheat on Amanda. But all's well that ends well because it drove her into the arms of Graham AKA Jude Law. As much as we loved to hate his character, he only played a small role so we didn't get to see how he ended up. Remorseful, hopefully.
Patrick McMullanEdward Burns: Now
Edward has starred in a number of movies since The Holiday, including 27 Dresses (it was a cultural reset), Public Morals, and Summertime.
He is married to the supermodel Christy Turlington, with whom he shares two children, Grace and Finn.
Kathryn Hahn: Then
Kathryn Hahn has a small part in The Holiday as Bristol, one of Amanda's assistants, who is heavily pregnant.
Speaking to the Radio Times, she revealed that she watches the classic film every Christmas, revealing a “little secret” about her portrayal: she was actually pregnant, too!
She said: "I played a very pregnant assistant of Cameron Diaz in the very beginning. I’m in there for like three seconds, maybe a little longer, maybe three minutes. But John Krasinski also plays her editor so we had a scene together – that’s where I met John Krasinski, who was so lovely – and I had to wear this big prosthetic pregnant belly.
“But what I got to share on the set – I don’t think to everybody, just a few people – was that I actually had a little baby in there. I actually was pregnant on set but then I was wearing a huge prosthetic belly on top of it. It was a very surreal experience."
Rich FuryKathryn Hahn: Now
Kathyrn Hann spent what feels like forever playing iconic supporting roles – but nowadays she is finally getting her well-deserved limelight in leading parts. She played Agatha Harkness in the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision, which earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie’ and a spinoff series about her character titled Agatha: House of Harkness.
She married her husband Ethan Sandler in 2002. They share two children, Leonard and Mae.
John Krasinski: Then
One of the best things about The Holiday? It features John Krasinski before he was famous. When the actor starred in The Holiday as Amanda's editor, he was pretty much unknown in the UK. This was a time before The Office mania had gripped the nation (and years before John went on to meet his future wife and fellow actor Emily Blunt).
Jeff SpicerJohn Krasinski: Now
John Krasinski's breakout role was Jim in The Office, which he starred in from 2005 to 2013. After setting the standard for the perfect relationship with Pam (played by Jenna Fischer), he ventured into the world of film, starring in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and the A Quiet Place franchise (which he also directed).
He married Emily Blunt in 2010, and they share two daughters, Hazel and Violet.
Eli Wallach: Then
Eli Wallach was 90-years-old when The Holiday premiered in 2006. He starred as Arthur, Iris's LA neighbour, who utters the film-defining line, “Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.”
Ethan MillerEli Wallach: Now
Eli passed away in June 2014 at the age of 98. A true Hollywood legend, he starred in a vast variety of memorable films, including The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; The Godfather Part III; and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
He won plenty of awards, including a Tony Award for The Rose Tattoo, an Emmy for The Poppy Is Also a Flower, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2011.
He is survived by his wife, the stage actress Anne Jackson, and their three children, Roberta, Peter and Katherine.
UNIVERSAL PICTURESMiffy Englefield: Then
Miffy Englefield played Graham's eldest daughter, Sophie. Only six-years-old at the time of filming, Miffy was responsible for some of the cutest scenes in the movie.
In an interview with Vulture in December 2019, Miffy opened up about her family's financial worries during her auditioning process, saying, “We were homeless. We didn’t have much. Being a very, very loudmouth kid, my dad thought, Well, maybe this would be beneficial for her to start earning her own money. Maybe she could pay for acting classes. So we were only expecting adverts, maybe a little bit stage, very basic work. And then a year after being on the books with the agency we got through this huge thing — so it was sudden, very sudden.”
She added that the star-studded cast of The Holiday were super welcoming, saying, “They had all the time for us in the world. Jude used to pop his head round the door when we were doing our schooling and things like that. He used to sit and chat with my dad. We did act like a family a little bit, and I think that shows in our relationship onscreen. We were all so close and that wasn’t just for when the cameras were rolling. We were always just chatting, making jokes, and having a really good time. I don’t know how they put up with us, to be honest.”
@MIFFZ_/ TIKTOKMiffy Englefield: Now
The last we heard, Miffy was working as a barista while gigging on the punk rock scene on the side.
Back in 2020, she shared the news that she'd welcomed a daughter, Frankie, with her partner, telling Fabulous, “[Frankie] arrived at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester three days early after 21 hours of labour. Then my temperature soared, doctors realised I had an infection and I was rushed for a c-section […] I was pumped full of antibiotics and kept in hospital for two days.”
She's now on TikTok, and has called out “gross old men” for commenting on how her appearance has changed since she starred in the Christmas film.
Lindsay Lohan: Then
Lindsay Lohan had a brief cameo in The Holiday as herself in one of Amanda's movie trailers. Nancy Meyers, the film's director, revealed in 2006 how she got Lindsay to agree to the role. She explained, "I know Lindsay because I directed The Parent Trap and I told her she owes me everything so I made her do it.
“I called her and said, ‘You have to do this for me,” but she was sweet about it, she was totally there.”
Lindsay Lohan: Now
It might have been a bit quiet on the Lindsay front for a few years but, thankfully, no more. It was announced earlier this year that the Mean Girls star has returned to acting with none other than a Christmas romcom (!), which will air in December 2022.
She also announced that she and Bader Shammas, her partner of two years, are getting married! She shared the news via Instagram with the cute AF caption, “My love. My life. My family. My future. #love."
Rufus Sewell: Then
Jasper is on a par with Ethan for worst character in The Holiday. He pretty much gaslights Iris, and seems to enjoy emotionally torturing her. Why else would he publicly announce his engagement without telling her first? Ergh. Then there's his weird spontaneous arrival in LA, before admitting to Kate that he is actually still engaged to someone else. Move along!
Cue Iris sending that iconic text, “Jasper, We both know I need to fall out of love with you. Would be great if you would let me try.” Take note.
In other news that has blown our minds, apparently (according to Ranker) Rufus and Kate dated briefly in 1995-96 – which must have made filming together pretty weird.
Taylor HillRufus Sewell: Now
Despite playing one of the slimiest characters in history (still not over it), Rufus has had a distinguished acting career, with roles in A Knight's Tale, Judy, and The Man in the High Castle.
He has a son (William) who he shares with Amy Gardner, and a daughter (Lola) with Ami Koma.
