“I knew I was 17”: Keira Knightley Will Never Do Anything Like ‘Love Actually’ That Tried to Whitewash Andrew Lincoln’s Disturbing Scene

A holiday staple, Love Actually (2003) is a delightful flick that reminds us that love sure does come in all shapes and sizes. From grand gestures of love to unrequited feelings, the film is all you need to feel all kinds of emotions in a little over 2 hours. Starring actors like Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, and more, Love Actually is everything you could ask from a rom-com wrapped into one elegant piece.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Keira Knightley in Love Actually (2003) | Credits: Universal Pictures

The film tells 10 separate stories side-by-side, many of which are interlinked in one way or another. However, there is one story we would like to single out—the story of Juliet, Peter, and Mark. As it turns out, the leading woman of the story, Keira Knightley, was creeped out by one iconic scene in the film.

Keira Knightley recalls the scene with Andrew Lincoln

Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightley in a still from Love Actually | Credits: Universal Pictures

Keira Knightley (Juliet), Andrew Lincoln (Mark), and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s (Peter) story is one about unrequited love. Juliet and Peter find their soulmates in each other, leaving Mark behind.

Peter and Juliet get married with Mark being the best man. Eventually, as the couple continues to enjoy their blissful life together, Mark shows up at their doorstep on Christmas Eve with a boombox and cue cards that express his feelings.

After confessing his love to her, he walks away. However, Juliet catches up to him and they share a brief kiss before their story comes to an end with Mark muttering to himself, “Enough. Enough now.”

Needless to say, it is an absolutely iconic scene in the rom-com industry that will make any hopeless romantic swoon over it. However, we cannot deny that it was a bit creepy. Just a tiny bit, maybe? After all, her husband was right there! Knightley agrees.

In an interview with the LA Times, Knightley recalled how the director, Richard Curtis pointed out that she was looking at Lincoln “like he’s creepy.” Her thoughts? It was quite creepy, indeed.

Then there was the fact that Knightley was only seventeen when they shot Love Actually, as opposed to Lincoln who was 29 at the time. Knightley stated,

Well, it didn’t seem problematic back in 2003, did it? Now that the world has progressed and become more aware of these things, it’s a different story altogether!

Andrew Lincoln was worried about being a “Creepy Stalker”

Andrew Lincoln as Mark in Love Actually | Credits: Universal Pictures

Entertainment Weekly carried out a poll in 2016 where 66% of the voters stated that Lincoln’s character was a lovestruck sap, not a creepy stalker. However, the actor might disagree.

Speaking with EW for Love Actually’s reunion feature, Lincoln reminisced on how he got to play the only character in the entire film who didn’t get the girl in the end.

In his words, “The story is set up like a prism looking at all the different qualities of love. Mine was unrequited. So I got to be this weird stalker guy.” While most might not put it that way, Lincoln even had a discussion with Curtis where he voiced his concerns about coming off as a creepy stalker.

He said, “But I kept saying to Richard, ‘Are you sure I’m not going to come off as a creepy stalker?’” Curtis was able to calm his worries back then but looking back at the film, even he agrees that Lincoln’s character “was on the edge.” Does this ruin Love Actually for you?

Love Actually is available to watch on Netflix.