Time is a funny thing. One moment, the world finds itself inexplicably taken by the holiday movie phenomenon that is Love Actually and, the next thing you know, we’re all on the cusp of celebrating its 20th anniversary. That little factoid might have you wondering where the time went, and it’s part of the reactions to actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s engagement to fellow thespian Talulah Riley, ex-wife of businessman Elon Musk.
The tech magnate and tons of others have been responding on social media, and quite a few seem shocked by the news. Let’s start with the announcement itself, as Thomas Brodie-Sangster took to his personal Instagram to share his excitement, with the help of the following photo and caption:
Even I, a person who is still very much aware of Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s role on Game of Thrones and his voice work on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, can still find some shock in this photo. I mean, look at it again! The man’s piloting a gondola, all grown up and ready to get married! Where has the time gone?
Anyway, let's move onto the reactions to this coupling. We’ll start with Elon Musk’s tweet. Don’t worry, no one’s being challenged to cage matches here, as the X CEO used his own platform to share a quite brief stamp of approval:
Congratulations!
That’s a pretty simple and sweet response from the Telsa CEO, and it’s nice to see Ms. Riley’s ex-husband being so supportive of her new chapter in life. Now, let's get to the more hysterical responses to this coupling.
As it turns out, most people can’t get over seeing the now-33-year-old Thomas Brodie-Sangster all grown up, as they best remember his character Sam -- the young lovesick boy who’s trying to impress an American girl in Love Actually. User “maidensheildio” conveyed that very sentiment, as they posted a photo of Brodie-Sangster from that very Richard Curtis-directed picture, along with this message:
Congrats. In my head, this little chap is what I remember!
Again, one would think that the public is aware of the fact that the actor is now a full-fledged adult and has Game of Thrones, a stint as a member of The Queen’s Gambit cast and more credits under his belt. (I mean, that Anya Taylor Joy-led series, which is streamable with a Netflix subscription, was a prolific hit.) Apparently, all roads lead to Love Actually in this case, though, as evidenced by ex-New York Post writer Helen Kennedy’s contribution to the conversation:
[Elon] Musk's ex-wife is engaged to the kid from Love Actually and I cannot cope with the incongruity
If you happen to know a fan of the 2003 rom-com who's currently using the internet, you may want to reach out to them and see if they're ok. I say that, because here's another example of someone's brain being broken by the development. "Feistyfrank" rounds out this chorus of disbelief with a pretty extensive dive into Mr. Brodie-Sangster's CV:
my brain just broke learning that Elon Musk’s ex-wife is now engaged to the kid in Love Actually, the child in Nanny McPhee, Ferb of Phineas & Ferb, etc.
To the credit of "feistyfrank," at least they cited other roles I've mentioned. Honestly, when you take the entire Brodie-Sangster body of work into account with this news, it's even more of a supposed mind-blower. Particularly when you remember that he was, in fact, the voice of Disney's Ferb of Phineas and Ferb fame.
Thankfully, someone else shares my continued confusion as how so many people have the character of Sam as their reference point. User "kaytaylorrea" was truly doing the work of the gods when they posted a series of photos from the star's other projects, asking this simple question:
wait, is love actually really what most of y'all know him from????
Considering these reactions to this engagement news, people might still find themselves shocked at the age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightly when they actually filmed Love, Actually. But allow me to blow your mind in a nerdier way, as there’s a connection between Brodie-Sangster and Talulah Riley that most may not realize. They were both guest stars on Doctor Who. Season 3’s two-parter “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” saw Thomas playing a young man at boarding school, preparing to ship off to World War I. Not to be outdone, Talulah had her own two-episode arc in Season 4, courtesy of “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Damned.”
Ok, so it might not be as shocking as comparing his growth through the ages, but it’s still another sweet thread that binds these lovebirds. In any case, we here at CinemaBlend send our congratulations to the happy couple!
You can rent or buy Love Actually using Prime Video, and read up about the movie on our list of holiday-themed films that aren't technically Christmas movies.
