Richard Curtis admits Love Actually’s ‘uncomfortable’ lack of diversity makes him feel ‘a bit stupid’ and ‘out of date’ as he looks back for the film’s 20th anniversary
- Richard Curtis admitted Love Actually ‘s lack of diversity now makes him feel ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘a bit stupid’
- The screenwriter, 66, who directed the 2003 Christmas classic, said there are things he would ‘change’ about the film now
- Speaking for the ABC special The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, he said he thinks Love Actually is ‘out of date’
- Richard, who also penned the film, also addressed his romances between bosses and employees in the movie
Richard Curtis has admitted that Love Actually’s lack of diversity now makes him feel ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘a bit stupid’ as he looked back for the film’s 20th anniversary.
The screenwriter, 66, who directed and penned the 2003 Christmas classic, said there are things he would ‘change’ about the film as he reflected on it 20 years on.
Speaking to host Diane Sawyer for the ABC special The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, he admitted he thinks Love Actually is ‘out of date’ in some moments.
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Diversity: Richard Curtis has admitted that Love Actually’s lack of diversity now makes him feel ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘a bit stupid’ as he spoke for the film’s 20th anniversary
‘There are things you’d change, but thank god, society is, you know, changing. So, my film is bound, in some moments, to feel, you know, out of date,’ he said.
To which Diane, 76, asked: ‘What’s the one that makes you wince?’
Richard admitted the movie’s ‘lack of diversity’ makes him feel ‘uncomfortable’ now as he also addressed his romances between bosses and employees in the film.
‘I mean, there are things about the film, you know, the lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid,’ he said.
‘You know, I think there are sort of three plots that have sort of bosses and people who work for them.’
Changes: The screenwriter, 66, who directed the 2003 Christmas classic, said there are things he would ‘change’ about the film (pictured Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln in the movie)
What happened to them, actually? The different lives of the actors whose small roles made a big impact on fans
We all remember Hugh Grant’s dashing Prime Minister and Emma Thompson’s heartbreaking portrayal of Alan Rickman’s long-suffering wife, but what happened to the rest of the cast who made Love Actually a Christmas hit?
The intertwining plotlines see Harry (Alan Rickman) having an affair with his office secretary, played by Heike Makatsch, while prime minister David (Hugh Grant) also has a romance with Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), who is on his household staff.
Meanwhile, writer Jamie (Colin Firth) and his housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) also form a close bond while spending time with each other as Jamie works.
The star-studded ensemble cast also features Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page and Rowan Atkinson, among others.
Since its release in 2003, Love Actually, which follows the intertwined stories of various characters in the build up to Christmas day, has become a bona fide festive classic.
The movie follows eight London couples as they try to deal with their relationships in different ways.
And the cast have now reunited for an hour-long special – which aired on ABC November 29 but has no UK transmission date yet – marking the movie’s 20th anniversary.
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later saw journalist Diane interview the actors as well as writer and director Richard.
The one-off special ‘looked at how the film became a beloved Christmas tradition and a global sensation, with new insight into behind-the-scenes secrets and iconic scenes’.
Elsewhere in the reunion special, Richard also admitted that the multi-layered romantic story was a gamble at the time.
Romances: Richard also addressed the characters’ romances between bosses and employees. PM David (Hugh Grant) has a romance with his member of staff Natalie (Martine McCutcheon)
Cast: The star-studded ensemble cast also features Emma Thompson (right), Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy (left), Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Martin Freeman, among others
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZMLbx61JKM4%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26start%3D82%26hl%3Den-US
‘I think the 20 years shows what a youthful optimist I probably was when I wrote it,’ he said.
‘We get thousands of films about serial killers and there’s only ever been about nine of them. And yet there’ll be a million people falling in love, feeling it’s the most interesting moment of their lives. Good deeds inside families, and good deeds inside communities.’
‘If you look at what happened during COVID and the extraordinary sort of bravery and heroism. I do think the way to think about life is that every day has the potential, in all its simplicity, just to be gorgeous,’ he added.
Funny: Richard also addressed Hugh Grant’s famous dance scene in the Christmas classic, admitting the actor was hoping the scene would be cut from the final edit
My, how they’ve grown! Love Actually’s child stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson look back fondly on beloved romcom
20 years after their beloved pre-pubescent romance stole the show in the iconic romantic comedy Love Actually, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson look back on their experiences.
Richard also addressed Hugh Grant’s famous dance scene in the Christmas classic, admitting the actor was hoping the scene would be cut from the final edit.
The famous scene saw him as PM dancing around 10 Downing Street to The Pointer Sisters’ song Jump before realising someone was watching him and quickly stopping.
Speaking about the sequence, Richard said: ‘I think he was hoping I’d get ill or something and we’d say, ”Oh, well, what a shame, we’ll have to lose that dancing sequence”.’
Richard went on to say that Hugh was ‘grumpy’ the day they filmed the dance scene, but ‘it was a contractual obligation’ that he follow through.
Hugh, who appeared alongside Richard in the interview, added: ‘I saw it in the script and I thought, ”Well, I’ll hate doing that”. I didn’t fancy doing the dance at all, let alone rehearsing it.’
Despite his reservations, Hugh proudly said that he came up with the idea of having the Prime Minister’s secretary catch him dancing around.
He said: ‘And to this day, there’s many people — and I agree with them — who think it’s the most excruciating scene ever committed to celluloid.
‘But then some people like it!’
Hugh, who played David in the movie, admitted he was unsure that he would be able to complete the now famous Downing Street dancing scene.
Oh no! The famous scene saw him as PM dancing around 10 Downing Street to The Pointer Sisters’ song Jump before realising someone was watching him and quickly stopping
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