Love Actually is a modern Christmas classic, and it contains a genuinely fantastic cast consisting of some of the biggest British names in modern movie history. Every story contains a big name of some sort, and every character is both impeccably cast and performed.
Such a cast is sure to have some interesting personal stories, considering their status, reputation, and long history in the business. And while Love Actually is certainly interesting, the personal stories of the cast may prove even better.
The Origin Of Alan Rickman's Voice
Alan Rickman has a very distinctive drawl, and it helped make characters like Hans Gruber and Severus Snape so iconic and memorable (not to mention parodied). Rickman was born with a speech impediment and couldn't move his jaw in a proper manner. Luckily, he managed to overcome this impediment while studying at Hammersmith's Latymer Upper School, where he was taught how to properly enunciate and deliver words, resulting in his signature vocal delivery.
Emma Thompson Had A Punk Phase
It's hard to picture someone like Emma Thompson having a punk phase, but she did. In one specific interview, Thompson said "I was 20, I was a punk rocker. I was trailing around London in a lot of zips." In another interview with New York, she admitted to having "cropped punk short red hair" and riding around on a Honda 250 with a leather jacket. There's a certain ironic humor to it, as her character in Love Actually couldn't be any further from a punk.
Hugh Grant Is Descended From Walter Raleigh
In the book Sunk Down Among the People: The Story of the Descendants of Sir Walter Raleigh, it's revealed that one of his genuine descendants is Hugh Grant. Raleigh's surviving child, Carew, had three children. Philip Raleigh was born in 1705, and he eventually had a daughter named Frances, who married a man named William Honywood. The family tree eventually made its way down to Hugh Grant.
Martine McCutcheon Was Nearly Killed By Her Own Father
Not to get too dark, but this is a fascinating tidbit of information. In 2001, Martine McCutcheon published Who Does She Think She Is?: My Autobiography. In it, McCutcheon goes into extensive detail regarding her parents.
Her father, Keith Hemmings, was quite violent and abusive towards her mother, Jenny Ponting. It grew so bad that he attempted to kill both Jenny and Martine. However, he obviously failed and was subsequently arrested. He later sought custody of Martine (who had taken the surname of her stepfather, John McCutcheon) but failed and was prevented from seeing her until she turned 18.
Keira Knightley's Name Is Spelled Wrong
Keira Knightley has a very distinctive name, and she is reportedly named after Russian figure skater Kira Ivanova. Her parents wanted to anglicize the name and make it "Kiera," but her mother goofed while filling out the birth registry. As she told Elle, "I was meant to be named "Kiera", after a Russian ice skater who was on the TV one day. My dad fancied her and nicked her name for me. But it was my mum who went to register my birth, and she accidentally spelled 'ei' instead of 'ie' because my mum’s crap at spelling." And just like that, the world was given Keira Knightley, not Kiera Knightley.
Liam Neeson Was A Boxer
Liam Neeson often plays a tough man in his movies. As it turns out, Neeson has some experience with violence. When he was just nine years old, his parish priest began a boxing club for the church boys. Neeson was trained by Father Darragh, and as Neeson explains it, "he guided our club to become one of the best clubs in Ireland." He was reportedly "a competent boxer" who "won a few titles," and while he toyed with boxing as a career path, he eventually quit when he was 17 to pursue other interests - primarily school and drama.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster Actually Learned The Drums
Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays young Sam in the film, and his subplot sees him learning to play the drums to impress a school crush. Perhaps wanting to get into the role a little more, Brodie-Sangster actually learned how to play the drums from his father. He told The Sunday Post, "I did learn to play the drums for it. My dad’s a drummer and he taught me in my grandad’s basement bashing away on his old kit and trying to play along to All I Want For Christmas."
Andrew Lincoln Is The Son-In-Law Of Ian Anderson
Andrew Lincoln has earned worldwide fame for playing Rick on The Walking Dead. Before that, he gave Love Actually what is arguably its most famous scene.
In June of 2006 - roughly three years after the release of Love Actually - Lincoln married a woman named Gael Anderson. Gael is the daughter of Ian Anderson, who is well known for being the vocalist, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull.
Laura Linney Was Walked Down The Aisle By Liam Neeson
Despite co-starring together in Love Actually, Laura Linney and Liam Neeson never share the screen. However, they are linked through Alan Rickman. Rickman is Linney's boss, he's married to Emma Thompson, and Thompson is friends with Liam Neeson. Despite their lack of connection on screen, the two actors are reportedly quite close, and Neeson even walked Linney down the aisle at her wedding in May of 2009.
Martin Freeman's Grandfather Was Killed In Dunkirk
In 2017, Christopher Nolan released Dunkirk, which dramatized the events of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation in France. It helped spark a renewed interest in the famous event - the same event in which Martin Freeman's grandfather was killed. Freeman's grandfather, Leonard Freeman, served as a medic in World War II and was assigned to the British Expeditionary Force. Unfortunately, Freeman was killed while serving in Dunkirk, although his death occurred a couple of days before the famous evacuation.