Whenever we think about ‘Love Actually’, our minds can’t help but immediately go to the stellar ensemble cast and their incredible chemistry, all complemented by their classic fashion moments.
Among them, we can’t ever forget the oversized blue newsboy cap worn by young Keira Knightley in one of the film’s most famous scenes. Surprisingly, the cap wasn’t simply just a stylistic choice. It actually had a much more relatable reason behind it.
Why Keira Knightley Was Grateful For That Hat In ‘Love Actually’
Keira Knightley was just 17 years old when she filmed ‘Love Actually’. And like many teenagers, she occasionally had to deal with unexpected breakouts. Speaking during an interview with BBC Radio 1, the actress laughed as she explained that the now-iconic hat was actually a last-minute solution to one such problem.
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When the host asked her if she had any fashion regrets from that movie – particularly hinting at that hat – Knightley revealed that she actually feels quite the opposite. “I was actually very grateful for that hat,” she said.
Knightley went on to explain that she had arrived on set that day with a major breakout. She recalled the panic behind the scenes: “I remember coming in the morning, being like, ‘Oh wow, I’ve got another head on my head. What are we going to do?'”
Fortunately, the costume department had young Keira’s back. “This is the problem with being 17 and being in films,” she explained. “There’s nothing we can do about this… But there is, because you can always put a hat over it!”
How A Last-Minute Fix Became A Fashion Legacy For Keira Knightley
What makes the story even more amusing is that the blue newsboy cap ended up becoming one of the defining visual elements of Knightley’s character. It’s almost impossible to imagine Juliet in any other way today.
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While it may have looked quirky at the time, that style is all the rage today. Young Keira Knightley looked effortlessly charming, and the look stood out as a refreshing fashion statement. That way, what started as an emergency cover-up instantly became one of Knightley’s most recognisable style moments.
In many ways, the story mirrors the journey of ‘Love Actually’ itself. In that same interview, Knightley revealed how when the film was first released in 2003, it wasn’t immediately the biggest hit. This is especially unexpected when we consider the stellar ensemble cast, which included Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, and Alan Rickman.
But over the years, the movie has slowly grown into the cherished Christmas classic that it is today. Thanks to Knightley, we now know another behind-the-scenes story that makes the movie even more beloved. As she herself puts it, “You’re going to watch that film in a totally new way now, aren’t you?”
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