US viewers tuned in for the Love Actually TV special to mark the 20-year anniversary of the festive classic on Tuesday night.
Five of the original cast members, including the now grown-up Thomas Brodie-Sangster, 32, and Olivia Olson, 30, sat down with Diane Sawyer to chat about the legacy of the 2003 Richard Curtis movie and share behind the scenes secrets.
For the special, The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, the duo reflected on their feature film debut as loved-up Sam who had a major crush on American Joanna.
Alongside the young stars, the ABC show also features writer, director Curtis with other actors from the movie such as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Laura Linney.
In the reunion, Hugh even revealed how he really feels about his character's iconic Downing Street dance scene in the festive favourite.
In the programme, the duo admitted they ‘couldn’t believe it had been 20 years’ since the Christmas movie was released.
To mark the anniversary, The Queen’s Gambit actor took a trip down memory lane and rewatched the movie again. He told Sawyer: “I watched it for the first time this past Christmas since the premiere. And I'd forgotten how good it was.”
One of the most compelling parts of the movie is Sam’s blossoming relationship with his step-dad Daniel ( Liam Neeson ) who encourages him to declare his love, Joanna.
Not only does Sam romantically sprint through an airport to tell her how he feels, he also takes up the drums to become part of the school’s Christmas band that she’s the lead singer of.
Thomas shared Liam treated him with so much love and support on set, which helped their on-screen relationship and his whole experience on set.
He added: '”I mean, Liam was amazing. He treats me like his son. He was absolutely loving to me. Just created this environment where I was very comfortable.”
“At the time, I thought, you know, I was pretty much a grownup, and I'd been doing this a few years now. I kind of knew what I was doing. So, I was very serious about it. But no, looking back, I'd forgotten how small and new I was.”
Meanwhile, Olivia serenaded viewers as she performed All I Want for Christmas Is You, after her iconic rendition in the movie as a child.
The musician admitted she is “really proud” of the film and loves that it’s watched every Christmas by fans.
“I mean, when I look back at it, I'm really proud that I was part of something so massive,” she told Sawyer.
“Every Christmas, I get the calls and the texts. ‘Hey, look what I'm watching.’ I think it's grown so much and it's become such this, like, nostalgic piece of our holidays.”
Olson also revealed that she has a signed copy of the script that she jokes is like her ‘high school yearbook.’
Fans watching at home felt nostalgic and took to Twitter to comment on their ageless looks.
"Yearly reminder that there is only a five year age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightley in Love Actually. Thomas was 13 and Keira was 18," one wrote.
"Watching a Love, Actually reunion special, and it feels kinda wild how they didn’t even mention Ferb amongst the list of roles Thomas Sangster played. Also, he’s 30 now, which makes me feel old," another typed.
There is no confirmed release date for when the TV special will be available to watch in the UK.
Lead actor Hugh called an iconic scene in Love Actually the 'most excruciating thing ever committed to celluloid' during the special.
Fans will remember the character getting his groove on to the Pointer Sisters' Jump in the offices at Number 10 - before being caught by his secretary.
Speaking to ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer during a special 20-years-later celebration of Love Actually, Hugh admitted: “I think I saw it in the script and thought ‘I’ll hate doing that’. No Englishman can dance when they’re sober at 8am in the morning.
“And to this day, you know, there’s many people, and I agree with them, and we think it’s the most excruciating scene ever committed to celluloid. But then some people like it.”
Hugh also claimed it was his idea to have the secretary, played by the late Meg Wynn Owen, catch him mid-boogie.
“I will give myself the credit of having the secretary catch me… genius,” he said, laughing.
The film’s writer Richard Curtis said the Four Weddings star was “grumpy” about doing the dance, but went through with it due to “contractual obligation”.
“I think he was hoping I (would) get ill or something and they’d say, ‘Oh, what a shame to lose that dancing sequence’", he revealed.
“He was grumpy but he knew he was under a contractual obligation.”
Despite Hugh's reservations, the film, starring Keira Knightly and Martine McCutcheon, remains one of the most popular Christmas films in recent history.
