Liam Neeson and Thomas Brodie-Sangster inLove Actually(2003).Photo: Everett
Almost 20 years later, audiences are still feeling the love.
The cast of the 2003 holiday classicLove Actuallyare set to reunite for an ABC News special with Diane Sawyer, marking two decades since the making of the holiday classic.
Returning for the special areEmma Thompson(Karen),Hugh Grant(David/the prime minister),Laura Linney(Sarah),Bill Nighy(Billy Mack),Thomas Brodie-Sangster(Sam),Olivia Olson(Joanna) and more, plus writer/directorRichard Curtisand a message fromMartine McCutcheon(Natalie).
TitledThe Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, theone-hour special"will look at how the film became a belovedChristmastradition and a global sensation, with new insight into behind-the-scenes secrets and iconic scenes," according to a release.
“The special will also examine how theCOVID-19pandemic refocused the ways we love and connect and the omnipresent acts of kindness inside our families and communities,” the release adds.
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Aside from the aforementioned stars,Love Actuallyalso starred the lateAlan Rickman,Andrew Lincoln,Keira Knightley,Colin Firth,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Rodrigo Santoro, Lúcia Moniz,Martin Freeman, Kris Marshall, Joanna Page, Heike Makatsch, Abdul Salis, Gregor Fisher andLiam Neeson.
Additionally, the ensemble romantic comedy featured a slew of cameos from famous faces likeDenise Richards,Billy Bob Thornton,January Jones,Elisha Cuthbert,Shannon Elizabeth,Claudia SchifferandRowan Atkinson.
Much of the cast reunited back in 2017 for aLove Actuallymini-sequel— including Grant, 62, who recreated his iconic dance scene from the film, this time toDrake’s"Hotline Bling"instead ofThe Pointer Sisters' “Jump.”
Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson inLove Actually(2003).Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
RELATED GALLERY:The Stars ofLove Actually, Then and Now
Brodie-Sangster, now 32, reflected on the lasting enormity ofLove Actuallyin an October 2020 chat with PEOPLE, saying he had “no idea” what he’d gotten himself into when he first showed up for work on the film, in which he plays the lovelorn stepson of Neeson’s character Daniel.
“I remember already having the part and going into the read-through and not knowing who else was in it,” he told PEOPLE. “I’d just go, ‘Oh, it’s another job. Great. I’m on another job.’ And then all these faces started walking in through the doorand I realized that this is probably quite big.”
“I felt a bit embarrassed, I asked [a runner], ‘Is this coming out in the cinema?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah,’ " Brodie-Sangster continued. “I was like, ‘Really? Oh, wow.’ I had no idea what it was and then they walked me through to the room and I was sat down with maybe 50 very high-profile amazing actors all around this table.”
“It was only then that I realizedwhat I was a part of. All the way up until that point I had no idea whatsoever,” he added.
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Specialairs Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.
source: people.com
