Keira Knightley’s job in Love Actually revealed! Richard Curtis confirms Juliet’s profession for first time ever – and hints there’s a clue in the set design
- Keira Knightley was cast in the role of Juliet in 2003 hit Christmas movie
- Richard Curtis’ daughter Scarlett has quizzed her father over Juliet’s job
- Clueless fans suspected Juliet worked in PR or the TV industry
- Read More: Richard revealed the movie has some key ‘out of date’ moments
It’s been almost 20 years since Love Actually first hit screens – and there’s no denying it’s become one of the UK’s most beloved Christmas films.
But while fans delight in pouring over every detail of the classic noughties rom-com every Christmas, there’s one small plot-point that director Richard Curtis, 66, has inadvertently kept close to his chest for almost two decades.
In a new interview with his daughter Scarlett, the award-winning screenwriter has finally addressed the small matter of Juliet’s profession – even though he insists it’s already ‘very clear’ from the set design.
Appearing on a new Instagram Reel with his eldest child, the father-of-four revealed that eagle-eyed fans may have already worked out Juliet’s job from one key scene.
Keira Knightley played Juliet in the 2003 Christmas movie Love Actually. Pictured opening the door to Andrew Lincoln’s character in the famous Christmas carol scene
TV writer Scarlett – who boasts 89,000 Instagram followers – captioned her post: ‘THE BIG REVEAL – a week ago me and Dad got in a fight because he claimed it was very clear what Keira Knightley’s job in Love Actually was and I fervently disagreed.
‘I took it to the people and they wanted an answer. Here it is. Happy Christmas.’
Newlywed Juliet is played by Keira Knightley and discovers her new husband’s best friend Mark – played by Andrew Lincoln – is secretly in love with her throughout the course of the movie.
After being quizzed by his daughter, 27, on camera, Richard said: ‘I’m hurt that you don’t know. I think it’s very clear from the set design while she’s making the phone call to Andrew Lincoln that she has worked for quite a long time as an interior decorator.’
Love Actually screenwriter and director Richard Curtis revealed Juliet’s profession in a video interview with daughter Scarlett which was posted on Instagram
That said, the director did admit that Juliet’s job was a rather rushed decision in the lead-up to filming that scene where she asks Mark if he has any video footage from her wedding.
He continued: ‘Everyone panicked and said, “what kind of a room is she making the phone call from?”
‘I said, “how about she’s an interior decorator and so there’s lots of swatches and some paint?” It was an afterthought.’
To prove that Juliet’s profession wasn’t obvious to every viewer, Scarlett put the question to her Instagram followers in a poll.
The director said Juliet’s job as an interior designer is ‘very clear’ from this set design. Keira’s character Juliet pictured calling Mark to see if he had any video footage from her wedding
Left: Keira with on-screen husband Chiwetel Ejiofor. Right: Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark famously professes his love in a Christmas carol scene
Although Richard was confident that up to 80 per cent would have figured it out from the set design, his daughter claimed that a staggering 96 per cent had no idea what Juliet was supposed to have done for a living.
Poking fun at her father, Scarlett revealed that clueless fans had suggested Juliet worked in PR or film industry based on how many VHS tapes she owned.
Scarlett then jokingly asked how an 18-year-old – the age Keira Knightley was when she took on the role – managed to break into such a competitive industry.
Richard Curtis (left) pictured with wife Emma Freud (right) and three of their children Spike, 18, Scarlett, 27, and Charlie, 21, in October 2018
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‘I’m repeatedly surprised [when I hear] that Keira was only 18,’ he quipped back. ‘My feeling is that her performance is that of a 23-year-old so she’s had time to establish herself in that particular trade.’
Delivering her final brutal verdict, Scarlet said: ‘As a writer, with that character development, [Juliet] didn’t have much of an interior life, yet alone an interior design business.’
‘I can’t believe you would say that,’ Richard jokingly replied. ‘I feel like it’s calling out in every frame. It says “I care about interior design.”‘
Elsewhere in the in five-minute interview, Richard revealed that Juliet was supposed to be the name of Julia Roberts’ character in his 1999 film Notting Hill before it was then changed to Anna Scott.
The director explained that the A-List actress had asked for it be tweaked because she didn’t want it to appear as though she had ‘insisted it was the same’ as hers.
Unsurprisingly, the interview was a hit with followers – who begged the father-and-daughter duo to start their own podcast.
One replied: ‘THIS NEEDS TO BE A WHOLE SERIES.’
‘Some incredible intel,’ another added. ‘Wait, this is blowing my mind,’ a third gushed.
It comes as the cast of Love Actually reunited for an ABC special hosted by Diane Sawyer last month.
Emma Thomas, 63, was asked if she remembered what she thought when she saw the 2003 Richard Curtis romantic comedy screened for the first time.
During an ABC special The Laughter and Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, hosted by broadcaster, Miss Thompson said: ‘I do. I just sat there watching, thinking, “God, this is, uh, it’s quite kind of out there, isn’t it?”
‘And then Hugh came up behind me as we were walking out of the theater and says, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but is that the most psychotic thing we’ve ever been in?”‘
What’s more, Richard Curtis told the host that he feels as though the film has some key ‘out of date’ moments.
‘There are things you’d change, but thank god, society is, you know, changing. So, my film is bound, in some moments, to feel, you know, out of date,’ he said.
To which Diane, 76, asked: ‘What’s the one that makes you wince?’
Richard admitted the movie’s ‘lack of diversity’ makes him feel ‘uncomfortable’ now as he also addressed his romances between bosses and employees in the film.
‘I mean, there are things about the film, you know, the lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid,’ he said.
‘You know, I think there are sort of three plots that have sort of bosses and people who work for them.’
The intertwining plotlines see Harry (Alan Rickman) having an affair with his office secretary, played by Heike Makatsch, while prime minister David (Hugh Grant) also has a romance with Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), who is on his household staff.
Meanwhile, writer Jamie (Colin Firth) and his housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) also form a close bond while spending time with each other as Jamie works.
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