More than twenty years after its premiere, actress Keira Knightley has spoken out about a pivotal sequence in the beloved film “Love.” In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Knightley revisited the famous cue card scene, which has received renewed attention for its implications on consent and conduct.
Knightley, who was only 17 when filming, remembers feeling nervous about the scene with co-star Andrew Lincoln. In this memorable scene, Lincoln’s character, Mark, secretly professes his love for Juliet (played by Knightley) through a sequence of handwritten cue cards. At the same time, her husband, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), remains clueless inside the house.
Knightley commented, “The slightly stalker-ish aspect of it—I remember that.” She addressed her worries to director Richard Curtis, describing the incident as “quite creepy.” Curtis, who has since become a close friend, advised her to change her expressions to make the situation less scary.
Knightley reflected on her age, saying, “I knew I was 17.” It only feels like a few years ago that everyone else recognized I was 17.” This statement emphasizes how the scene is now perceived differently in light of current discussions regarding consent and proper behaviour.
Curtis addressed the scene’s disturbing nature in a 2023 interview with The Independent, acknowledging that it now seemed “a bit weird” by today’s standards. However, he clarified that the directors did not consider it a stalker scene then.
The cultural influence of “Love Actually” is still felt today, with Knightley telling an amusing story about a recent experience on The Graham Norton Show. Stuck in traffic, she noticed a group of construction workers reenacting the cue card moment, which she characterized as “creepy and sweet simultaneously.”
Released in 2003, “Love Actually” catapulted Knightley to international celebrity, coinciding with her part in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” The cue card scene is still one of the most well-known in romantic comedy history. Still, its underlying themes are being examined more critically.
