Where are they now? The lesser-known cast members of Love Actually, 20 years on.

For 20 years, the annual re-watching of Love Actually has become a sacred Christmas tradition.

Every year, we watch Hugh Grant dancing through the halls of 10 Downing Street, Andrew Lincoln professing his love to Keira Knightley on her doorstep, and Alan Rickman breaking Emma Thompson's heart.

Since the romantic comedy was released in 2003, many of the film's cast members have gone on to have incredibly illustrious careers. 

But what happened to the lesser-known cast members of Love Actually?

From the staffer at 10 Downing Street who caught the attention of the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) to Jamie's (Colin Firth) love interest, here's where they are now.

Watch the trailer for Love Actually below. Post continues after video.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Sam).

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played the sweet, innocent Sam in Love Actually, is now 33 years old.

The actor was just 13 years old when the romantic comedy premiered in 2003.

In 2013, a decade after the film premiered, Brodie-Sangster played a 13-year-old once again on Game of Thrones, starring as Jojen Reed. In more recent years, he has appeared in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, The Maze Runner franchise, and the animated series Thunderbirds Are Go and Phineas and Ferb.

In 2020, the world fell in love with him all over again in Netflix's hit series, The Queen's Gambit.

This week in an interesting turn of events, Brodie-Sangster has announced he is engaged - to Elon Musk's ex-wife.

 Brodie-Sangster and Talulah Riley shared on Instagram a picture of them on a boat where he proposed, with the caption: "Happy to announce that Talulah and I are engaged. Love is all around."

And you've got to admire that Love Actually reference in the engagement announcement. 

Riley, who appeared alongside her new fiancé in last year's Pistol series, was previously married to Twitter boss and Tesla's Elon Musk, whom she married and divorced twice.

Image: Universal Pictures/Getty.

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Olivia Olson (Joanna Anderson).

Olivia Olson played Sam's crush in Love Actually, Joanna Anderson.

After appearing in Love Actually together, both Brodie-Sangster and Olson have voiced characters in Phineas and Ferb. As for her other roles, Olson has voiced characters in Adventure Time, The Powderpuff Girls, and Fast & Furious Spy Racers.

Outside of her voice acting work, the 31-year-old released her debut solo album, Nowhere Land, in 2018.

In 2019, she competed in The X Factor: Celebrity, before becoming the second act to be evicted from the live shows. It was an emotional elimination, leading Olson to later explain her reaction on Instagram.

"I was confused why Simon [Cowell] would tell me I could win this competition and then ultimately send me home. It was a punch in the gut. People have emotions and mine got the best of me... because I REALLY wanted this," she wrote. "I'm proud of my performance last night and that's what matters to me."

Reflecting on Love Actually, she said to The Morning Show last year that she has fond memories from filming.

"I think people still imagine me as that little girl, so I don't get recognised often. 20 years of the same movie - some people watch it religiously, and I definitely know my mum watches it every year to be nostalgic."

Image: Universal Pictures/Getty.

Martine McCutcheon (Natalie).

Martine McCutcheon played Natalie in Love Actually, the staffer at 10 Downing Street who caught the attention of the Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant.

Prior to Love Actually, McCutcheon was well-known in Britain for her role on soap opera EastEnders.

In more recent years, the 47-year-old has appeared in several TV shows, including Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach. She also appeared as a regular panellist on British talk show Loose Women from 2016 to 2017.

Outside of acting, McCutcheon has released four studio albums, with her song 'Perfect Moment' scoring a number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1999.

As for her personal life, the actress married singer Jake McManus in 2012, before welcoming their son, Rafferty, in 2015. After having her first child, McCutcheon opened up about her struggles with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), a chronic fatigue syndrome.

"You're pushed to your limits too much. You feel like you're really hungover, like you've been beaten up by Mike Tyson. I was getting lots of infections and my immune system was down," she shared on Loose Women. "I've just had to pace myself and realise what matters. At one point for about a week, I was in a wheelchair. I didn't trust myself."

Just before her 45th birthday, the actress told The Sun she feels more confident now. 

"I'm feeling so much more fulfilled, confident and sexy than I ever did in my twenties," she said. 

"What's amazing is looking at people like Jennifer Lopez and Helen Mirren, who are ageing and yet their careers are still going strong. They've got this inner glow. People always thought I was really confident, but it was a good act. Genuine confidence took time for me."

Image: Universal Pictures/Instagram.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peter).

Before Love Actually, Chiwetel Ejiofor was relatively unknown in the industry. In the 2003 romantic comedy, Ejofor played Peter, the man who marries Juliet (Keira Knightley). 

While Ejiofor was fairly new to the scene in Love Actually, the 44-year-old is now an Oscar-nominated actor.

In 2013, the actor landed the lead role in 12 Years a Slave, earning him a BAFTA Film Award for Best Leading Actor. The actor has since appeared in Doctor Strange, The Old Guard, Infinite, Locked Down, and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which he directed.

He is also pretty legendary in the theatre scene for his roles in a bunch of Shakespeare productions and plays.

Image: Universal Pictures/Getty.

Joanna Page (Judy).

Like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joanna Page had only been in a few TV and film roles before Love Actually. In the film, Page played Judy, an adult movie actress who falls in love with her co-star, John (Martin Freeman).

After Love Actually, Page went on to star in the much-loved British comedy series, Gavin and Stacey, from 2007 to 2010.

The Welsch actress also had roles in Breathless, Doctor Who, and Dolittle. The 46-year-old is married to actor James Thornton, who she met on the set of 1999 TV serial, David Copperfield.

The couple have four children together, and these days Page is a presenter, as well as a recent contestant on the hit reality TV competition show Cooking with the Stars.

Image: Universal Pictures/Instagram.

Rodrigo Santoro (Karl).

Rodrigo Santoro played Karl, the chief designer at a company who went home with Sarah (Laura Linney) after a Christmas party.

Prior to Love Actually, Santoro appeared in several Brazilian movies as well as the Hollywood film, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

These days, Santoro is best known for his role as the villain Xerxes in 300, Jesus in Ben Hur, and starring in Focus alongside Will Smith and Margot Robbie. In the past four years, the 47-year-old has starred in Westworld as Hector Escaton. 

Oh, and did we mention that he's still ridiculously good-looking? But for those keen to see if he's single - he is married and has a child. 

Image: Universal Pictures/Instagram.

Heike Makatsch (Mia).

Resident Evil star Heike Makatsch played Mia, Harry's (Alan Rickman) assistant in Love Actually. 

Since the romantic comedy was released, the German actress has appeared in a range of English and German productions, including The Book Thief, Capelli Code, and I've Never Been to New York.

As for her personal life, the actress was in a relationship with British actor Daniel Craig for seven years until they separated in 2004.

Now 51, Makatsch has three daughters, and posts regularly on social media. 

Image: Universal Pictures/Getty.

Kris Marshall (Colin Frissell).

Kris Marshall appeared in Love Actually as Colin Frissell, the movie's... grossest character. (Remember that nose-picking scene?)

In the film, Colin travels to the United States after struggling to meet women in England. And It totally worked, too.

Since Love Actually, the 48-year-old has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Death at a Funeral, My Family, Citizen Khan, and Death in Paradise.

The actor made headlines in 2011 after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car in a supermarket car park, leading him to be disqualified from driving for six months.

In recent years he returned to TV in a spin-off for Death in Paradise.

Image: Universal Pictures/Getty.

Lúcia Moniz (Aurelia).

Lúcia Moniz played Aurelia in Love Actually, Jamie's (Colin Firth) love interest.

Before appearing in the movie, Moniz came sixth at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996.

Throughout her career, the 46-year-old Portuguese singer has released four studio albums and appeared in a number of Portuguese soap operas and movies. And she's also an incredible photographer, based on her social media feed. 

Image: Universal Pictures/Instagram.

Who was your favourite character in Love Actually? Let us know in the comments below!

This article was originally published in December 2022, and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Universal Pictures.

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