The ‘Love Actually’ cast to reunite for 20th anniversary special
Five members of the original Love Actually cast will reunite in a first return to the storyline in 20 years when they take to television for the 20th anniversary special later this month. Diane Sawyer will host the special on ABC.
Hugh Grant will reprise his Prime Minister character from the film as will Bill Nighy return as Billy Mack, Emma Thompson as Karen, Laura Linney as Sarah and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the little drummer Sam, although he, of course, is not half as little as he was back then, recently starring in The Queen’s Gambit in 2020.
The highly-beloved film was first released in 2003, directed by Richard Curtis and featured an excellent cast. As well as the names above, the cast featured the likes of Alan Rickman, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightly, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth. Narratively, the film tells of several individuals whose lives are interlinked and their differing love lives over Christmas.
In a trailer for the special, a question is offered to the cast members of “Love actually is…?” and they return various replies surrounding the production of the original film, including Grant, who joked, “Dead”, before explaining that he had tried to get out of having to do the film’s iconic dance scene.
In 2019, Richard Curtis was asked what he would change about the 2003 movie. He responded that he would indeed have made a few slight changes to the film. “That’s a really difficult question,” he said. “I think the naked people should be wearing more clothes.” The film had actually been touring as a concert with a live orchestra last year.
This came after a ten-minute sequel special was released in 2017 in aid of Red Nose Day, in which Grant, Nighy, Knightley, Neeson and a few other members of the cast made their return to the story for the first time.
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