“To me, you are perfect.” For fans of the filmLove Actually, this is one of those iconic quotes from the many memorable scenes in writer and director Richard Curtis' 2003 Christmas film. But believe it or not, after having reflected on the famousTo Me, You Are Perfect Scenebetween Mark (Andrew Lincoln) and Juliet (Keira Knightley), Curtis now admits it was “a bit weird.” Curtis said in an interview withThe Independentonline newspaper:
“He actually turns up, to his best friend’s house, to say to his best friend’s wife, on the off chance that she answers the door, ‘I love you’ [shakes his head]. I think it’s a bit weird. I mean, I remember being taken by surprise about seven years ago. I was going to be interviewed by somebody, and they said, ‘Of course, we’re mainly interested in the stalker scene.’
And I said, ‘What scene is that?’ And then I was, like, educated in it. All I can say is that a lot of intelligent people were involved in the film at the time, and we didn’t think it was a stalker scene [laughs]. But if it’s interesting or funny for different reasons [now] then, you know, God bless our progressive world.”
Check out theCards on the Doorstep(aka theTo Me, You Are Perfect) scene between Juliet (Knightley) and Mark (Lincoln), courtesy of Universal Pictures below:
Related:Love Actually: Where the Cast Is Today
The Love Actually Legacy
Love Actually
DirectorRichard Curtis’Love Actuallycelebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023, and the romantic Christmas anthology was a box office smash around the world when it hit theaters in November of 2003. With a budget of only $40 million, the dramedy made a staggering $248 million globally. DespiteLove Actuallynot placing onMovieWeb’s Top 20 Christmas films of all time, Curtis’ heartwarming tale found its audience and has become a must-see over the years despite only registering 64% on the Tomatometer. While critics weren’t as kind, fans definitely enjoyed the movie more as its “B+” CinemaScore and 72% Rotten Tomatoes audience score indicate.
In 2022, the cast and crew reunited to look back on the success of their little film. Hugh Grant and Curtis are friends in real life. And, as it turns out, Curtis wrote the role of the lovable Prime Minister specifically with Grant in mind. Grant talked about his collaboration onLove Actuallywith Curtis during a sit-down withABC News. Grant said:
A: He [Curtis] is funny. That’s just a black-and-white thing. And B: It comes from the heart — it’s true.
Curtis has written screenplays for some of cinema’s most memorable and heartfelt films, includingFour Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s DiaryandNotting Hill. And the filmmaker is still keen on telling positive and uplifting stories, which are at the very core ofLove Actually. Curtis also told ABC News:
I do think the way to think about life is that every day has the potential, in all its simplicity, just to be gorgeous.
Curtis’ latest holiday script is featured in director Sam Boyd’s new filmGenie. The Melissa McCarthy-led comedy is now available to stream or binge-watch on Peacock. And check outthe trailer forGenieright now.
