Behind-the-scenes secrets from everyone's favourite Christmas movie

<p>'Tis the season for tucking into <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/mince-pies" target="_blank">mince pies</a>, piling <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/article/entertainment-presents-for-christmas" target="_blank">presents</a> up high beneath the Christmas tree, and enjoying <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/article/12-days-of-christmas-bucket-list" target="_blank">plenty of family fun</a>. Not to mention of course, watching a heartwarming holiday flick or two. And one of the best Christmas movies of all time has to be the feel-good romantic comedy <em>Love Actually. </em></p><p>But did you know that director Richard Curtis hadn&rsquo;t watched the film since its original premiere back in 2003? Shocking, we know! Watching <em>Love Actually</em> with tissues in one hand and a mince pie in the other has basically become a holiday tradition, and the film was actually <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/love-actually-is-officially-the-uk-s-favourite-christmas-film-a3420331.html" target="_blank">named Britain's favourite Christmas film recently</a>. </p><p>Thankfully, everyone's favourite rom-com director re-watched his Christmas masterpiece with his wife screenwriter Emma Freud not too long ago, and she decided to live-tweet the whole experience! Get ready for some fascinating behind-the-scenes facts, as Emma's tweets below reveal what the cast were really like, the fate of Karen and Harry (that's Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman), and more...</p><h2>1. There were A LOT of turtlenecks</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Twenty minutes in.... Turtle neck count - 8. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675909849776001024">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h2>2. The performances were seriously amazing (well, we already knew that!)</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joni mitchell. Help. Still hurts. Sat on the floor watching her do that scene - 7 takes. Crying every time. Goddess. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675925562548813825">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h2>3. Shooting was a family affair</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Remember the housekeeper in the hugh grant arriving at Downing Street line up? That was my mum. And still is. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/loveactually?src=hash">#loveactually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675905529982623744">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When the children song at the school concert... My daughter is the second lobster! The. Second. Lobster. My. Daughter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675930608527372289">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><iframe allowfullscreen class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//giphy.com/embed/bhX16oDPLwUo0" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/christmas-love-actually-jesus-christ-bhX16oDPLwUo0">via GIPHY</a></p><h2>4. Colin Firth's character was named Jamie for a reason...</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Richard only called colin firth's character 'jamie' so the kids could say 'I hate uncle jamie'. His brother is called jamie. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675927031088029696">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h2>5. Karl is ridiculously handsome (OK, so we already knew that one too!)</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oh wow had forgotten - Karl is ridiculously good looking. I mean... Too good looking. Like... Crazy levels of handsome. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675920640495472640">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><iframe allowfullscreen class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="300" src="//giphy.com/embed/1Lqc5P1QgcprO" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/love-actually-laura-linney-rodrigo-santoro-1Lqc5P1QgcprO">via GIPHY</a></p><h2>6. The fate of Emma Thompson's and Alan Rickman's characters is very sad indeed</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/JPerlstrom">@JPerlstrom</a> they stay together but home isn't as happy as it once was.</p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675950684479619072">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h2>7. Sam&rsquo;s crush, the beautiful Joanna (played by actress Olivia Olson), actually sang Mariah Carey&rsquo;s <em>All I Want For Christmas Is You</em></h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Girl who does the Mariah carey song was actually singing even though everyone thinks she is miming to Mariah. On Disney channel now.</p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675931944316719104">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> </blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><iframe allowfullscreen class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="274" src="//giphy.com/embed/rFZzKaNQg3JDO" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/love-actually-rFZzKaNQg3JDO">via GIPHY</a></p><h2>8. Sam (actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster) has some serious skills </h2><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the original edit sam did amazing parcour all through the airport when he ran to find his girlfriend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675933799188967425">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">And Joanna gave sam a handful of glitter which he then throws on the ground when liam Neeson hugs him. We kept the throw. But not the gift.</p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675934149165883393">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><h2>9. Actress January Jones is hilarious </h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">January jones wrote half of her lines. She was sooooo funny when we filmed that scene. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675924623163265024">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><h2>10. Rowan Atkinson worked late nights</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oh brilliant. Here comes Rowan. Filmed at midnight in selfridges.</p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675922800662732800">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><h2>11. Emma's favourite love scene isn't between Colin Firth and his Portuguese crush (oh, is that just our favourite scene then?)</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bill nighy and his manager. My favorite love scene in the film. Best scene to film. They were just perfect. Every take. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveActually?src=hash">#LoveActually</a></p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675928202515259392">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><iframe allowfullscreen class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="257" src="//giphy.com/embed/Pm1bA8p5ve8QE" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/love-actually-way-too-many-people-to-tag-Pm1bA8p5ve8QE">via GIPHY</a></p><h2>12. Those airport scenes were real</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">And the bits at the beginning and the end of the film at Heathrow airport with real people.... I edited those. Me. I did them. Best bits.</p>— emma freud (@emmafreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/675935637778898944">December 13, 2015</a></blockquote><p>We didn't think it was possible but these fascinating tidbits have only made us love the film even more. Thank you Emma! </p><p><strong><em>Looking for more rom-coms to watch this holiday season? Pick up a film the whole family love at <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/aisle/music-film-games-books/film-tv/1215186489155" target="_blank">Asda.com</a> or <a href="http://storelocator.asda.com/?" target="_blank">in-store.</a> </em></strong></p><p><em>Image: Universal Studios</em></p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

12 Things You Never Knew About 'Love Actually'

By Asda Good Living,15th December 2016

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