Love Actually: 16 things we learnt from Emma Freud's live-tweeting of film with director Richard Curtis
In 2015, Love Actually director Richard Curtis revealed he hadn’t watched his Christmas classic since the original premiere.
Thanks to his wife and scriptwriter Emma Freud, he finally sat down and watched it again.
In a cinema with around four other people in it, Freud live-tweeted the screening, revealing a load of new information about the romantic comedy. Here’s everything we learnt.
1. Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson’s Harry and Karen are still together, they’re just not very happy
@JPerlstrom they stay together but home isn’t as happy as it once was.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
2. Martin Freeman wore a “little sock” while filming the fake sex scenes in the film
Just incase you were worried, martin freeman had a little sock on his willy. #LoveActually
— emma freud 🔴 (@emmafreud)
3. There are a whole lot of Turtle necks
Twenty minutes in.... Turtle neck count – 8. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
Turtle neck count... 17. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
4. Those shots of London that look like green screen? They were the real deal
Looks like the shots of london are green screen. But I was there and they weren’t.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
5. That amazing scene with Rowan Atkinson presenting the bag that was “so much more than just a bag”. It was actually filmed in Selfridges at midnight
Oh brilliant. Here comes Rowan. Filmed at midnight in selfridges.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
6. This is why Atkinson spent so much time wrapping the necklace
Originally Rowan’s character over-wrapped the gift on purpose to stop Alan rickman being able to buy the necklace. Because he was an angel.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
7. Harry definitely went the whole way with Mia, his secretary
@carlotta429 DEFINITELY had an affair. i begged richard just to make it a flirtation, but no. the whole way.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
8. Actress January Jones wrote many of her own lines because she was so funny
January jones wrote half of her lines. She was sooooo funny when we filmed that scene. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
9. The director called Colin Firth’s character Jamie for a very specific reason
Richard only called colin firth’s character ‘jamie’ so the kids could say ‘I hate uncle jamie’. His brother is called jamie. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
10. That wasn’t always Hugh Grant knocking at the door
I stood in for hugh in the reverses when we filmed him knocking at the door of the house where the children dance. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
11. Love Actually was very much a family affair
THAT IS SCARLETT CURTIS THERE ON THE RIGHT. NOT EVEN JOKING. #LoveActually pic.twitter.com/BjsVMMXOD3
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
AND THIS IS JAKE. I gave birth to him. #LoveActually pic.twitter.com/4aEslmgA6E
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
12. Richard Curtis finds his own film hilarious
Weirdly, never heard richard laugh so much at a movie. Not sure if at or with. But it’s a lovely noise. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
Richard laughing more than the rest of the audience put together. Mind you – only 4 of them. #LoveActually
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
13. That girl singing Mariah Carey isn’t actually miming, that’s the real deal right there
Girl who does the Mariah carey song was actually singing even though everyone thinks she is miming to Mariah. On Disney channel now.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
14. The kiss between Colin Firth and the Portuguese girl was choreographed
My biggest moment coming up. In the restaurant in Portugal (was Marseille actually). I WAS THE KISSING CONSULTANT. and that is a real job.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
I ‘designed’ the kiss between colin firth and the Portuguese girl. My signature move? His thumb on her lip before they snog. #boom
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
That thumb! That was 100% my idea. #LoveActually pic.twitter.com/VcbOIGI8PB
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
15. The Portuguese restaurant owner was employed for amazing moustache
Portuguese restaurant owner won biggest moustache of the year award. We cast his moustache before we cast him.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
16. Those people at Heathrow: they were real people
And the bits at the beginning and the end of the film at Heathrow airport with real people.... I edited those. Me. I did them. Best bits.
— emma freud (@emmafreud)
In other recent Love Actually news – of which there has actually been some – a deleted lesbian love scene started doing the rounds online.
People have also been theorising that Daniel (Liam Neeson) was in love with Karen, not just her best friend.
If you haven’t already, you should probably start to think about getting the family round and dusting off that old DVD.