A little over 12 years after it was released, Love Actually is now firmly regarded as one of the most heartfelt romantic-comedies of recent memory. But there’s just one problem with Richard Curtis’ multi-stranded lovey-dovey tale. Andrew Lincoln’s Mark is practically a stalker. And now the actor himself has admitted as much.
Over the last few years, more and more Love Actually fans have jumped to the conclusion that there’s something just not right about Andrew Lincoln’s character because of the fact that he is lusting after his best friend Peter’s (Chiwetel Ejiofor)new wife. It doesn’t matter that she’s played by Keira Knightley. It’s just plain wrong.
Andrew Lincoln admitted to The Wrap that his Love Actually character is obviously a stalker, and he even approached Curtis while filming to ask if he was crossing the line.
He is a stalker. That was my question to Richard Curtis, ‘Do you not think we’re sort of borderline stalker territory here?’ And he said, ‘No, no. Not with you playing it, darling. You’ll be alright’.
The creepiest scene featuring Andrew Lincoln’s Mark in Love Actually sees him carrying a number of cards that, silently, reveal to Keira Knightley just how perfect he thinks she is. What makes it even creepier is that this all takes place while Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Peter is just in the other room.
But, while, with hindsight, we can all see that Mark’s actions are basically that of a stalker, it’s taken quite a few years for this theory to be cemented. The reason for this delay is down to, as Richard Curtis predicted, Andrew Lincoln’s impressive performance, which still manages to be sweet despite his atrocious actions.
And, despite the fact that he plays Love Actually’s most despicable character, Andrew Lincoln is still happy to have been involved in one of the most romantic movies of the last 15 years. In fact, he even likes that his character is practically the only one not to actually get the girl.
It all worked out well for Andrew Lincoln in the end, though. Because, his performance in Love Actually put him into the mainstream consciousness, which then ultimately led to him being cast as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. But, that’s just about where the similarities between the two characters come to an end. I have a feeling that Love Actually’s Mark wouldn’t survive too long in the zombie apocalypse. Those cue-cards would just get in the way.
