Happy Endings Abound In The 'Love Actually' Mini-Sequel

“Love Actually ” is still all around us, thanks to the mini-sequel that aired Thursday during NBC’s Red Nose Day charity special. We are now blessed with an update on most of the characters from the 2003 Christmas hit that continues to inspire obsession and vitriol around the world. 

It’s happy endings (mostly) all around. The couples formed in the film Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and the prime minister (Hugh Grant), Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (Lucia Moniz), even Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Joanna (Olivia Olson) are still together. Mark (Andrew Lincoln) is still showing up at Juliet’s (Keira Knightley) door while Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) awaits her return, but now Mark is married to Kate Moss. Billy Mack’s (Bill Nighy) manager has died, but Billy is still recording half-baked publicity singles and giving cantankerous radio interviews. Rufus (Rowan Atkinson) is methodically packaging gifts at Walgreens, because product placement is real, and Daniel is inquiring about Sam’s life on that same waterfront bench (sans Claudia Schiffer). The happiest ending of all goes to Sarah (Laura Linney), who’s bagged a new fellow played by Patrick Dempsey. 

Cast members missing from the roster: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman (who died in 2016 ), Rodrigo Santoro, Kris Marshall and the rest of Colin’s crew, and Martin Freeman and Joanna Page, who played the flirty body doubles. 

You can watch the full 16-minute bit above.