Hugh Grant’s dance scene inLove Actuallyis one of the most beloved moments in the 2003 British holiday classic — but the actor himself wasn’t exactly thrilled about it going in.
The scene in question sees Grant’s character David, a.k.a the prime minister, getting down throughout his residence at 10 Downing Street to a backing track ofThe Pointer Sisters' “Jump.”
“I saw it in the script and I thought, ‘Well, I’ll hate doing that,’ " he recalls to Sawyer, 76, in the special. “I didn’t fancy doing the dance at all, let alone rehearsing it.”
“He kept saying no,” adds writer/directorRichard Curtis, joking, “I think he was hoping I’d get ill or something and we’d say, ‘Oh, well, what a shame, we’ll have to lose that dancing sequence.’ "
Hugh Grant inLove Actually(2003).Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/Shutterstock
Curtis, 66, tells Sawyer that Grant “was grumpy” on the day they filmed the scene, but “it was a contractual obligation” that he follow through.
Curtis was ecstatic whenGrant committed to the scene, joking to Sawyer, “[I thought], ‘That’s agonizingly embarrassing. He’s just perfect.’ "
Grant credits himself with the idea of having the prime minister’s secretary catching him in the act, which quickly puts an end to his impromptu boogie.
“And to this day, there’s many people — and I agree with them — who think it’s the most excruciating scene ever committed to celluloid,” he jokes. “But then some people like it.”
Curtis calls Grant — whom he has worked with on several films, includingFour Weddings and a Funeral(1994),Notting Hill(1999) andBridget Jones’s Diary(2001) — his “luckiest break,” explaining, “I don’t even know if I’d have a film career without Hugh, so I’m very grateful he came along.”
Despite his initial reservations about the scene, Grant recreated it for a good cause back in 2017 as part of aLove Actuallymini-sequel— this time set toDrake’s"Hotline Bling.”
Love Actuallyfollows an ensemble cast of primarily London-based characters, whose lives intertwine in various (mostly romantic) relationship-related ways in the weeks leading up toChristmas.
Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon inLove Actually(2003).Peter Mountain/Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
The upcomingone-hour specialmarking the 20th anniversary of its making “will look at how the film became a beloved Christmas tradition and a global sensation, with new insight into behind-the-scenes secrets and iconic scenes,” according to a release.
“The special will also examine how theCOVID-19pandemic refocused the ways we love and connect and the omnipresent acts of kindness inside our families and communities,” the release adds.
Returning alongside Grant and Curtis for the special areEmma Thompson(Karen, Grant’s onscreen sister),Laura Linney(Sarah),Bill Nighy(Billy Mack),Thomas Brodie-Sangster(Sam),Olivia Olson(Joanna) and more. Also included will be a message fromMartine McCutcheon, who plays Natalie, Grant’s onscreen love interest.
Love Actuallyalso starred the lateAlan Rickman,Andrew Lincoln,Keira Knightley,Colin Firth,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Rodrigo Santoro, Lúcia Moniz,Martin Freeman, Kris Marshall, Joanna Page, Heike Makatsch, Abdul Salis, Gregor Fisher andLiam Neeson.
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Specialairs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.
source: people.com
