Kiera Knightley recently revealed she thought Love Actually’s controversial card scene was “creepy”, with director Richard Curtis having previously admitted even he found it a “bit weird.”
But that’s not the only chilling moment in the movie, nor is Richard the only one who wishes the Christmas hit had been written a little differently.
In a 2015 X (formerly Twitter) thread, Love Actually script writer Emma Freud shared the Alan Rickman storyline she “begged” Richard Curtis to change.
Alan’s Love Actually character Harry was shown buying a necklace for his secretary Mia, who he was very flirty with, while his wife (Karen, played by Emma Thompson) was given a CD for Christmas.
Fans have just realised that Emma’s character bought earrings to match the necklace, which she had seen in her husband’s pockets and assumed were for her.
When a fan asked, “Did anyone ask if Harry ACTUALLY had an affair or was just tempted to? Alan Rickman villains r usually lovable but not this one!”, Emma responded: “DEFINITELY had an affair. i begged richard just to make it a flirtation, but no. the whole way.”
That’s not the only detail the writer shared at the time.
Fans of the movie will know that Rowan Atkinson, who plays a department store worker in the film, spends an agonisingly long amount of time carefully wrapping the necklace Harry buys Mia.
Harry’s visibly uncomfortable in the scene, worried he’ll be spotted by his wife, who’s also in the shopping centre.
According to Emma, that was deliberate.
“Originally Rowan’s character over-wrapped the gift on purpose to stop Alan rickman being able to buy the necklace. Because he was an angel,” she shared.
Lastly, the writer cleared up a murmured line that had left a fan confused “since 2003.”
“What does Alan Rickman say to his wife right before [she calls him] ‘A classic fool’ at the end? I have been trying to decipher that for years,” the viewer asked.
Emma revealed it was “oh god. I am so in the wrong.”
Well, at least Alan Rickman’s character got to be right about something in that movie...