It's officially Christmastime, which means Love Actually is definitely playing right now on someone's screen. Keira Knightley was literally deemed "perfect" as Juliet, but the actress herself was feeling very flawed during shooting. As a teen, she had typical acne issues -- hence the hat, which wasn't a trendy fashion choice. Let Knightley explain:
Do you know why the hat was there? I had a massive spot in the middle of my forehead. This is the problem with being 17 and being in films. I mean, it was humongous, so there was no choice but we had to find a hat to cover it 'cause there was no lighting, there was no makeup that was going to cover it.
That is kind of hilarious. Is it surprising to anyone else that she was only 17 when she filmed this movie? It's weird when you think about her character getting married at the start of the film. But considering she carried the name Juliet -- of Shakespearean fame -- and was adored/stalked by her husband's best friend, it's humanizing to think of the very normal girl behind that worship.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms star shared her story with BBC Radio 1 (via ET), laughing at how different her memories are vs. what the fans think about when they watch the film:
See, and that's the thing I really remember because again, it's funny how you remember extreme embarrassment, isn't it? I remember like coming in in the morning and being like, 'Ah! Oh wow, I've got another head on my head! What are we going to do? There's nothing we can do about this.' But there is because you can always put a hat over it. But, you know, I was actually very grateful for that hat. I have a lifetime of gratitude for that hat.
And now we have a new appreciation for that hat. Love Actually is considered one of the best romantic comedies of all time, but it's amazing how much angst was going on behind-the-scenes. Keira Knightley's skin issues are one thing, but we were heartbroken to read about the real pain behind Emma Thompson's famous breakdown scene.
It has been 15 years since Love Actually first came out, and made more than $246 million around the world, off a reported $40 million budget. Several stars, including Keira Knightley, reunited in 2017 for the Red Nose Day Actually short film as a mini sequel to the feature. It was shown that Juliet was still married to Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Mark (Andrew Lincoln) was still showing up at their door with cue cards.
Keira Knightley shot to fame in 2002 with Bend It Like Beckham, and really took off in 2003 with both Love Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In addition to the Nutcracker movie, the two-time Oscar nominee is also promoting her starring role in Colette. Here's what's still coming to theaters this year, and what you can look forward to in 2019.
