Hugh Grant found out on set he is distantly related to Love Actually co-star (2025)

Love Actually was actually a family affair as Hugh Grant discovered during filming that one of his co-stars was a relative.

The Richard Curtis flick, starring Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson,Andrew Lincoln, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson and Martine McCutcheon,first hit the big screen on November 14, 2003.

The film became a festive classic over the years, with families falling in love with the various storylines and the all-star cast.

Adding to the lore surrounding the film, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, 34, who played Liam Neeson’s love-struck stepson Sam, who fell in love with an American classmate, revealed that he is related to Hugh Grant.

‘His grandmother and my great-grandmother are sisters… [Hugh] didn’t know,’ the actor told ITV’s Lorraine in November.

He revealed that he told Hugh about their ties on set, and earned a sweet nickname from the star.

‘I said, “Apparently, you are my uncle or my cousin or something”. Then he kind of remembered my mum and uncle.

‘So, for the rest of the shoot, he went round saying “Hello cousin”. That felt quite cool.’

He added: ‘He referred to me as “little cousin” while filming.He’d come and ruffle my hair.’

Thomas was 13 when the film was released in November 2003, while KieraKnightley was 18 when she was playing the newlywed character Juliet.

The five-year age gap between the characters has baffled fans who couldn’t believe that the actors were so close in age but looked so different in the series.

Thomas went on to appear in several films and TV shows, including Game of Thrones, Nanny McPhee,The Queen’s Gambit, the Maze Runner franchise,and The Artful Dodger.

He played Paul McCartney in Nowhere Boy and was also the voice of Ferb in the popular TV series Phineas and Ferb.

In June 2024, theactor married fellow actor Talulah Riley, 39, best known for her work in St Trinians, Inception, Pride and Prejudice and The Boat That Rocked.

The couple is believed to have met when they starred together in the 2022 biographical series Pistol, with Thomas playing Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and Talulah depicting fashion legend Vivienne Westwood.

Talulah was previously married to Tesla CEO and X chair Elon Musk, with the former couple marrying twice before their second divorce was finalised in 2016.

Announcing her engagement on X, Talulah said: ‘Very happy to share that after two years of dating, Thomas Brodie Sangster and I are engaged!’

Her ex-husband Elon reacted to the news replying ‘Congratulations!’ along with a red heart.

When Thomas announced his engagement to Talulah, he quoted Love Actually in a sweet post on social media: ‘Happy to announce that Talulah and I are engaged. Love is all around X.’

The pair tied the knot in a private ceremony in St George’s Church in Anstey, Herts.

Following the wedding it was reported that the couple bought a Grade II-listed manor house.

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