In a series of romantic entwined stories of different people in Britain, ‘Love Actually‘ gave us warmth and love disguised in a holiday film. Richard Curtis, the director of the film, brought us stories across generations and the growth, decline, and surge of love at every moment in life.
The 2003 film had a wholesome cast including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Andrew Lincoln, Liam Neeson, and Martine McCutcheon among others. Over the years, there have been many hot takes that surfaced about the film. Even though it faltered, it held a grip over generations getting inspired by this rom-com. The film completed 20 years in 2022, and fans got a grand surprise as they got to see the cast members in a reunion special. At the time, the film’s lead Hugh Grant shared the story of his famous dance sequence in the film and why he found it excruciating.
Hugh Grant Hated The Idea Of ‘Love Actually’ Dance Sequence
The film sequence that we are talking about here is when Hugh Grant’s character David, the Prime Minister, gets down from his residence while ‘Jump’ from The Pointer Sisters plays in the background. Grant recounted that he hated the idea of this special. The ‘Notting Hill’ actor said, “I saw it in the script and I thought, ‘Well, I’ll hate doing that. I didn’t fancy the dance at all, let alone rehearsing it”.
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The director, who extensively worked with the blue-eyed British star, Richard Curtis, weighed in. Curtis said, “He kept saying no. I think he was hoping he’d get ill or something and we’d say, ‘Oh, well, what a shame, we’ll have to lose that dancing sequence'”. The director told the host, Diane Sawyer, that Grant was grumpy the time when they shot the sequence. The actor followed the “contractual obligation“.
Richard Curtis Was Happy That Hugh Grant Committed To The Scene
Hugh Grant agreed with Diane Sawyer when he called the scene a “contractual guillotine“. “And I’m out of rhythm, by the way, especially at the beginning when I wiggle my a**,” Grant said. Though it was embarrassing for Hugh, the director admired his commitment. He told Dianne, “That’s agonizingly embarrassing. He’s just perfect”.
The actor 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,” he jokes. “But then some people like it.”
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The ABC Special will include stories like these and many more from the sets of the film by the actors themselves. To celebrate the milestone, along with Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, and Bill Nighy also joined the conversation. ABC shared a promotional short video where Sawyer asked the cast members to complete the sentence: “Love actually is…”. To this, the actor answered, “Dead!”
