It’s already been 20 years since we were collectively gifted with one of the best romantic Christmas movies of all time: Love Actually, and yet, we still have so much to learn about what happened behind the scenes of those iconic cinematographic moments.

However, a recently revealed fact from the Richard Curtis film has been rather controversial, as it implicates the questionable age gap between actors.

In case you have forgotten Love Actually’s plot, the movie follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England, IMDb states.

People were baffled to learn that Keira Knightley and her Love Actually co-stars had questionable age gaps at the time of the filming

Image credits: TEA – The Entertainment Agency

One of these couples includes Juliet, played by Keira Knightley, caught in a peculiar love triangle with her on-screen husband Peter, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Peter’s best friend Mark, played by Andrew Lincoln.

While Keira Knightley was only 18 at the time, her on-screen husband, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, was 26

Image credits: STUDIOCANAL International

Image credits: STUDIOCANAL International

Nevertheless, more and more fans of the rom-com have expressed their disbelief upon learning there was only a five-year age gap in real life between Keira and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played school pupil Sam, Liam Neeson’s character’s son.

At the time of shooting Love Actually in 2003, Keira was 18, and Thomas 13, while Chiwetel was 26 and Andrew 30.

Indeed, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was closer in age to the movie’s lovesick teen boy than her on-screen love interests.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira were only five years apart

Image credits: STUDIOCANAL International

Ahead of the release of his new Christmas film – a remake of his 1991 film Bernard and the Genie – movie director Richard Curtis told LADbible that he didn’t find the age gap “too peculiar” at the time.

As the difference of ages was reportedly brought up to Richard, he admitted the casting would probably be approached differently now as opposed to back in 2003.

Image credits: Gage Skidmore

He said: “I’m really interested in whether or not I would think ‘don’t do that’ now. 

“And that actually now we probably wouldn’t have gotten someone as young as Keira was in.

“The great thing now is that everybody is bold enough to say anything they don’t particularly like in what you do – kind of gives you a filter these days.

“But on the other hand, I’m thrilled we cast Keira because I thought she was perfect. 

“And I don’t think she reads in the film as being a teenager, I think she reads as being about 23. 

“But it’s interesting that they were far apart.”

“I’m thrilled we cast Keira because I thought she was perfect,” Richard Curtis said

Image credits: Montclair Film Festival

As surprising as it might seem, Love Actually’s controversial age gaps are commonplace in the industry.

Earlier this year, people were stunned to learn that 27-year-old Tom Holland was just 10 years younger than his on-screen mom in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room.

Tom starred as Danny Sullivan, “a man who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979,” while Shameless star, 36-year-old Emmy Rossum, played his mother.

You can watch the trailer for Love Actually below:

Richard’s new film Genie follows the story of Bernard Bottle, a man who discovers a genie after being fired by his boss and abandoned by his girlfriend.

The remake features Paapa Essiedu as workaholic Bernard and Melissa McCarthy as Flora the genie, as per Digital Spy.

While Genie is set to be released on Sky Cinema on December 1, and is available to watch right now in the US on Peacock, Richard has also created the stage show Christmas Actually, which will play at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from December 7-11.

Love Actually fans were stunned to learn about the age gaps

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