The 'Love Actually' Cast Has Been *Very* Busy Since 2003 (2024)

The 'Love Actually' Cast Has Been *Very* Busy Since 2003 (1)

Love Actually ranks right up there with the best holiday films of all time. This cult-favorite Christmas classic follows a cast of very different characters as they fall in and out of love. It then connects them all through their common bonds (a.k.a. love). It's a film that has been put in regular rotation during the holiday season for almost 20 years now—and for good reason.

Not only does the 2003 film have an iconic cast—Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, I could go on—but it also has a number of unexpected turns that keep you on your toes while still staying true to all the classic cliches you want in a Christmas movie. Now, the cast is getting back together to mark two decades since the movie's release in a new TV special that dropped on Nov. 27.

So, what has the cast of Love Actually been up to since 2003? And where are they now? Read ahead to find out what the actors have done in their careers and personal lives since making the holiday film. (And, spoiler alert: a lot of these actors were in movies and television shows together before and after Love Actually.)

1

Emma Thompson

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Emma Thompson, 63, is perhaps best known as Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter movies, but she's also had quite the career outside of the wizarding world, per IMDb. She plays the Alan Rickman's wife in the beloved 2003 Christmas film, but IRL, is married to Greg Wise and has two children, per People.

In addition to being in Love Actually, she also starred as the titular character in Nanny McPhee, Beauty and the Beast in 2017, Brave, Dolittle, Men in Black, and more.

2

Andrew Lincoln

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While Andrew Lincoln may be known today as Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead, he’s been in quite a few other television shows and movies. To date, the 49-year-old also has credits on Penguin Bloom, Teachers, and Heartbreaker, to name a few, per IMDb. He’s also been married to Gael Anderson since 2006 and has two children.

3

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

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Thomas Brodie-Sangster has been around for a hot minute. If you didn’t see him in Love Actually, chances are you’ve seen him in Nanny McPhee, Game of Thrones, The Maze Runner films, or The Queen’s Gambit, IMDb says. You may have also heard his voice in Phineas and Ferb (yup, he’s Ferb). Now 32, the English actor has some new projects coming up soon.

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4

Chiwetel Ejiofor

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Love Actually was the biggest movie of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s career in 2003, and afterward, he went on to book a number of huge films. I’m talking about 12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, 2019’s The Lion King, and 2012, IMDb reports.

Today, he’s 45 and has won a number of awards over the course of his career, including a 2014 BAFTA for 12 Years a Slave.

5

Laura Linney

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Talk about a versatile actress. Laura Linney, 58, has acting credits on a variety of films and television shows, from Ozark, to The Truman Show, to The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and The Nanny Diaries, per IMDb.

She’s married to Marc Schauer and they have a child.

6

Colin Firth

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Colin Firth is arguably one of the most successful actors to come out of the Love Actually universe. (It’s me, I’m the one arguing.) I mean, Mamma Mia!, the Kingsman movies, The Staircase, Nanny McPhee, and What a Girl Wants? What can’t this man do? Of course, he was already killing it before, being the OG Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice in 1995 and also starring in Bridget Jones’s Diary, IMDB says.

Today, the English actor is 62 and has three kids, Yahoo! reports.

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7

January Jones

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While she has a quick cameo in Love Actually, this award-winning actress has a long list of credits in movies and television shows. Here’s just a few of them: Mad Men, Anger Management, The Politician, Spinning Out, and some X-Men movies, IMDb says.

The 44-year-old has one son.

8

Heike Makatsch

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Before playing Mia in Love Actually, this German actress was in films such as Resident Evil and Obsession. Since this movie, Heike, now 51, has been in The Book Thief, I’ve Never Been to New York, and other films, per IMDb.

Trystan Pütter is her new partner, and she has three daughters with her ex.

9

Bill Nighy

The 'Love Actually' Cast Has Been *Very* Busy Since 2003 (10)

Bill Nighy has been around the acting world and back a few times. His resume includes About Time, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (he was Davy Jones), and Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows: Part 1, per IMDb. The 72-year-old was married to Beth Morris and has a daughter.

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10

Hugh Grant

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Hugh Grant’s movie career was already pretty established once he starred in Love Actually (read: Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Four Weddings and a Funeral). And since then, the 62-year-old has accomplished even more, like acting in The Gentlemen and The Undoing in 2019 and 2020, respectively, per IMDb. His most recent film to come out? Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. And he’s got even more in the works in the upcoming years.

He got married in 2018 to Anna Eberstein and has five children, per Hello! Magazine.

11

Alan Rickman

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Alan Rickman had an incredible career, not only starring in Love Actually, but also in the Harry Potter films as Severus Snape, as well as Die Hard, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Alice in Wonderland in 2010, IMDb says.

Alan sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 from cancer, per The Guardian.

12

Keira Knightley

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Keira Knightley knew her way around the acting world by the time she got to the set of Love Actually. After all, she’d already starred in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and Bend It Like Beckham, per IMDb. Still, her career continued to blow up after starring in the 2003 Christmas film as Juliet. Keira went on on to star in Pride and Prejudice, The Imitation Game, and more Pirates movies.

Now 37, she has two children with musician James Righton, whom she married in 2013, per the outlet.

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13

Lúcia Moniz

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Lúcia Moniz has been in a lot of stuff, but I gotta say, Love Actually is my favorite film of hers. The Portuguese singer and actress, 46, still acts today along with raising her daughter, doing films such as Listen and Fatima, both in 2020, per IMDb. She has more coming in 2023, too.

14

Martin Freeman

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This 51-year-old English actor has done a lot since being in Love Actually. Like, he’s starred in Sherlock, Fargo, The Office (UK), the Black Panther films, and the Hobbit films, per IMDb. He’s been with Rachel Mariam since 2020 and has two children.

15

Liam Neeson

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Liam Neeson was a film actor both before and after Love Actually. In case you need a refresher, he was in Schindler’s List, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and Les Misérables in 1998, IMDb says. Post-Love Actually, he’s been in the Narnia films, Taken, Blacklight, The Grey, Batman Begins, and a whole lot more.

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16

Joanna Page

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Joanna Page, 45, has been in a lot, acting-wise—but Love Actually might be her best-known film. Other than that, she's ben in Gavin & Stacey, Dream Horse, The Pet Show, and Gates since, per IMDb.

She’s been married to James Thornton since 2003 and has four children.

17

Billy Bob Thornton

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Billy Bob Thorton’s movie and television experience is pretty vast. Before he was in Love Actually, he was in Monster’s Ball, A Simple Plan, and Armageddon, per IMDb. Afterward, he was in Friday Night Lights, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Puss in Boots, and The Gray Man.

Now 67, he has four children and is married to Connie Angland.

18

Rodrigo Santoro

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This Brazilian actor has a vast acting resume. Today, Rodrigo Santoro has been in a wide variety of movies and television shows, such as Westworld, Boundless, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Focus, and Ben-Hur, IMDb says. He also has a new television series called Wolf Pack that will be out in 2023.

The 47-year old married Mel Fronckowiak in 2016 and they share a daughter.

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19

Martine McCutcheon

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Martine McCutcheon, 46, has done some acting since her days playing Hugh’s love interest in the film, like starring in Jump!, as well as Elf: The Christmas Spectacular, which was a musical based on the 2003 film Christmas film, per IMDb.

She got married in 2012 to Jack McManus and they share one son together.

20

Olivia Olson

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Believe it or not, Olivia Olson is the voice behind Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in Phineas and Ferb. But before she took on that role, she was in Love Actually as Joanna. She does a lot of voice work, in fact, appearing in Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, and Milo Murphy’s Law, per IMDb. It should also come as no surprise that the 30-year-old is also a singer and was on the X Factor UK in 2019.

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Addison Aloian

Assistant Love & Life Editor

Addison Aloian (she/her) is the assistant love & life editor at Women’s Health. Outside of topics related to lifestyle, relationships, and dating, she also loves covering fitness and style. In her free time, she enjoys lifting weights at the gym, reading mystery and romance novels, watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz, and wandering around the West Village in New York City. In addition to Women's Health, her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L'Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.

The 'Love Actually' Cast Has Been *Very* Busy Since 2003 (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Love Actually cast? ›

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Brodie-Sangster — who played lovelorn moppet Sam in Love Actually — has grown into a serious actor, trying his hand at everything from Phineas and Ferb to Game of Thrones and The Maze Runner franchise. Most recently, he starred as chess pro Benny Watts in the hit Netflix drama The Queen's Gambit.

Who had the most screen time in Love Actually? ›

The Definitive Analysis Of 'Love Actually'
CHARACTERACTORSCREEN TIME
The PMHugh Grant31
JamieColin Firth24
AureliaLúcia Moniz18
JulietKeira Knightley15
21 more rows
Dec 22, 2016

Do the cast of Love Actually get royalties? ›

Junior told The Sun: 'I had no idea it would turn out to be such a massive hit. I love the fact I still get recognised now – people often come up and ask for selfies. 'Even to this day I still get royalties - I have no idea how much at this point but not millions!'

How many people from Love Actually are in Harry Potter? ›

'Love Actually' (Three Potter stars)

Lest we forget, Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) broke Emma Thompson's heart in this multi-story Christmas tale, which also features Bill Nighy, who played Ministry of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, as an aging but randy rock star.

Do Harry and Karen get divorced in Love Actually? ›

But in the end, Harry and Karen stayed together.

How old was Keira Knightley in Love Actually? ›

Instead, I'm still trying to process the fact that Keira Knightley, who was 18 at the time of filming, was closer in age to Thomas Brodie-Sangster (who played Liam Neeson's primary-school-aged son in the film) than she was to her fictional husband Peter (played by 26-year-old Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Are Colin Firth and Hugh Grant friends? ›

They got into a fist-fight in Bridget Jones' Diary, but it seems the rivalry continued off-screen for Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Ok, so they might not be long-time nemeses, but Hugh made sure to poke fun at his Love Actually co-star and frenemy in quite a unique way.

Does Bill Nighy do his own singing in Love Actually? ›

Nighy delivers one of his best performances with this role, generating great laughs via the physicality of his performance. Nighy's stance and mannerisms while singing his song (and his literally flinching upon hearing the song later on) really bring Billy Mack to life.

Who is the 10 year old girl in Love Actually? ›

Olivia Olson(I)

She is an actress and writer, known for Adventure Time (2010), Love Actually (2003) and Red Nose Day Actually (2017)

How much did Love Actually gross? ›

Do actresses get paid for reruns? ›

How much do actors get paid for reruns? Actor royalty payments can range from nothing (like with the stars of “The Brady Bunch”) to millions (like with the stars of “Friends”) from show reruns. Payment amount depends on several factors including: What was established in the contract.

Do actors get royalties forever? ›

Residuals are the closest thing actors will experience to passive income. Once the initial production has wrapped, actors can continue to receive payments for years to come, even if they are not actively working on new projects.

Was Liam Neeson's son in Love Actually? ›

He continued working steadily over the next two years, until landing his breakout role in 2003's "Love Actually." In the film, Brodie-Sangster played the lovesick son of Liam Neeson's character, who learns how to play the drums in order to win over the girl he has a crush on.

What age was Hugh Grant in Love Actually? ›

When Love Actually was released in 2003, Hugh Grant was 43 years old. Since Love Actually, Hugh Grant has continued to have a successful career with many roles in films such as Paddington 2 and The Undoing. He has also become a father to five children and got married for the first time in 2018.

Who played Colin Firth's love interest in Love Actually? ›

Resta. In 2003, Moniz got her international break when she played the role of Aurélia in the film Love Actually, among a cast that included Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, and Rodrigo Santoro. Her character only speaks Portuguese, while Firth's only speaks English.

What happened to Mia from Love Actually? ›

Heike - who is German - has managed to keep a low profile despite starring in a range of hit movies since Love Actually, including 2013's The Book Thief, the New York Post reports. She is also a singer who has released hit tracks such as Stand by Your Man and This Girl Was Made for Loving.

What happened to girl singer in Love Actually? ›

In case you were wondering, she's now 29, living in Los Angeles, and working as a singer-songwriter. She's still in the acting game as well though, as she voiced the role of vampire queen Marceline in the US TV series Adventure Time.

What happened to Sam's dad in Love Actually? ›

(Sam's real father's fate is never mentioned, he could be Tony Blair for all we know). The two negotiate their grief together as Sam is in love with a 10-year-old chanteuse named — heavy sigh — Joanna. Sam learns the drums so he can play in her Christmas band.

What are John and Judy doing in Love Actually? ›

John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page) are professional stand-ins for films. They meet doing the sex scenes for a film for which Tony is a production assistant.

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