For many of us, Christmas just isn’t Christmas until we’ve settled down to watch the likes of Bill Nighy, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth in our annual viewing of Love Actually.
But while the festive film has become a firm fan favourite over the years, the team behind the film have said there would be a major shake-up to the cast if the movie were to be released today.
“The first thing is I would cast a female prime minister”’ casting director Fiona Weir told Metro.
“I think if we were doing it today, Richard [Curtis, the film’s director and screenwriter] would write it very differently. Twenty years on, it’s a different country, it’s a different world, a lot has changed.
“So, I think it will be a very different script, you can’t really sort of transpose actors on it. But the one thing I can declare is that we would definitely, definitely cast a female prime minister.”
Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/Shutterstock
Fiona even has someone in mind for the part, Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh, who she thinks would be “wonderful”.
Writer and director Richard Curtis has previously voiced some of his regrets about the Christmas rom-com, including comments in the script at about Martine’s character’s weight, and an overall lack of diversity.
Jack Hall via Getty Images
“I think I was unobservant and not as clever as I should have been,” he said.
Richard has also remarked: “There are things that you would change [about the film], but thank God society is changing.
“My film is bound in some moments to feel out of date. The lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid.”
And now Fiona has echoed those feelings.
“Of course, there’s a couple of things in it, which I would rather weren’t,” she told Metro. “There’s a certain comment about Martine McCutcheon’s physicality which Richard himself would say, he’d wished that wasn’t in there.
“It was something that he felt was humorous at the time, but now realises it’s not appropriate. I think that is obviously the case.”
Fiona continued: “But where it does hold up is that the emotion in it is completely authentic. As it says, love is all around, it’s not always seen. All the characters, they’re wonderful actors.
“Nothing is sent up, it’s not cynical in any way. It’s joyous and celebratory. I think that’s why it holds up, because it was done with a complete lack of cynicism, which is Richard. Richard is completely without cynicism.”
Love Actually is available to stream on Now.