Keira Knightley has surprised fans by revealing she’s only watched Love Actually once – and has no plans to revisit it anytime soon.
Released in 2003, the Richard Curtis rom-com has become a festive favourite among Brits in more recent years.
Filled to the brim with famous faces such as Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bill Nighy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Emma Thompson and more, you can see why the film is favoured by so many looking to add a touch of early noughties nostalgia to their Christmas.
It’s even got Hugh Grant playing the Prime Minister… what more could you want from a film?
However it would appear Love Actually doesn’t have the same effect on people who featured in the film, as Knightley previously admitted she has only watched the movie once and has no plans to re-watch.
Speaking about the enduring popularity of Love Actually in an interview on ITV’s Lorraine, the Black Doves star said: “It’s amazing how Love Actually just sort of grew and grew and grew and it really has taken on a life of its own. It’s so much a part of people’s Christmas traditions which is absolutely amazing.
“I’ve only seen it once – which is nothing to do with it [the movie itself].”
The actress went on to clarify that her aversion to spending her Christmas Day sat re-watching the romcom wasn’t anything to do with the film itself but instead a thing she often does with projects she stars in.
“I’ve only ever watched anything I’ve done once so it’s amazing that it has this whole life which is outside me, how nice,” Knightley added.
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Which means anyone who’s watched Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean or Bend It Like Beckham probably remembers the plot better than Knightley herself.
Although Knightley hasn’t rewatched the romcom in the 21 years since its premiere it would seem she’s aware that certain aspects of the film haven’t aged particularly well in the past two decades, including a storyline involving her character.
In the film Knightley’s Juliet has just married Peter (Ejiofor) but is shocked to discover his friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) is secretly in love with her and decides to declare his feelings by showing up on her doorstep with a bunch of cue cards.
The gesture was meant to romantic on Mark’s part, however audiences have since begun to view the scene in a different light over the years.
Reflecting on the moment during an interview with the LA Times, Knightley said: “My memory is of Richard, who is now a very dear friend, of me doing the scene, and him going, ‘No, you’re looking at [Andrew] like he’s creepy,’ and I’m like [in a dramatic whisper], ‘But it is quite creepy.’
“I mean, there was a creep factor at the time, right? Also, I knew I was 17. It only seems like a few years ago that everybody else realised I was 17.”
