British actors Hugh Grant (R) and Martine McCutcheon arrive for the UK charity premiere of the film, in which they star, 'Love Actually' at the Odeon Leicester Square, London, November 16, 2003.
British actors Hugh Grant (R) and Martine McCutcheon arrive for the UK charity premiere of the film, in which they star, 'Love Actually' at the Odeon Leicester Square, London, November 16, 2003. Reuters/Stephen Hird

Almost 14 years after, “Love Actually” has finally released a sequel to the 2003 British box office hit. “Red Nose Day Actually: The Love Actually Reunion” – which brought back the film’s original characters and actors like Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Colin Firth and Keira Knightley – is now available to watch for Australian viewers online.

The sequel is part of the annual UK fund-raising event Red Nose Day. It aired on the BBC in the UK on Wednesday and in the US on Thursday. For Australian viewers, they can watch the full US version on NBC’s YouTube channel. The video is also embedded below.

Spoilers included below for both the original film and the short sequel

The US version is longer, with additional scenes with Laura Linney (Sarah) and new cast Patrick Dempsey. It also has Rowan Atkinson’s annoying but helpful salesman character, Rufus, quoting the price of a red nose in dollars rather than pounds.

Juliet and Peter and Mark

The almost 17-minute film starts with Juliet (Knightley) watching television with her husband Peter (Ejiofor). Like in the first film, she answers the door and finds Mark (Lincoln) communicating with her using cue cards. They tell each other that they are happy with their respective lives. As he reminds Juliet, he promised to marry one of the models on his cue cards. It turns out he actually did. He married Kate Moss, whom he introduces to Juliet as his wife. When Juliet asks Kate if she likes Mark’s beard, Kate answers also using cue cards, saying no. Peter answers from the living room as well, indicating he knows about the trio’s silent communication.

David and Natalie

David (Grant) is prime minister again. He dances to Drake’s “Hotline Bling” in his official residence and falls down the stars. Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) catches him mid-dance, playfully reprimanding him for dancing on the stairs. Later while he is addressing a group of reporters, he says that while the times have changed, love is still present and the good in people will prevail.

Billy Mack without Joe

Billy Mack (Nighy) is promoting his charity single on a radio show, answering very frankly about why he is releasing a charity (he’s got a biography coming out, and hence the single would be a good promotion for it). He also reveals that his long-time manager, Joe (played by Gregor Fisher in the original film), has passed away from a heart attack.

Jamie and Aurelia

Jamie (Firth) is now married to Aurelia (Lucia Moniz), who was a housekeeper in the first film. He can now speak and understand Portuguese, while she can now speak in English. She tells him in her native language that although it’s impossible to be completely happy, love makes people feel like they are 100 percent happy. They fetch their bilingual children from school before she tells him in Portuguese that she is pregnant again.

Daniel, Sam and Joanna

Surprising his stepfather Daniel (Neeson) with a visit, Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), who is now 26, is back from New York City, where he now lives. Like in the first film, he asks the older man for advice on love. Daniel jokingly tells him he should have figured it by now, reminding him of his childhood crush who left for the US more than a decade ago. Sam tells him that she’s still on his mind, surprising Daniel again with Joanna’s (Olivia Olson) presence. Sam and Joanna met again in New York, and now she’s asking Daniel for Sam’s hand in marriage.

Sarah

Sarah (Laura Linney) has finally been given a happy ending. In the first film, she passed up her chance for romance with a co-worker to care for his mentally ill brother. In the sequel, she is seen working late in her office while another male colleague, who looks wistfully at her, says goodbye. When her mobile phone rings, she appears annoyed at first, but then her husband (Dempsey) makes her laugh.

The sequel ends with footage of various people and celebrities joining programs supported by the British charity Comic Relief. Red Nose Day is the annual fundraising event organised by the charity.

Missing from the sequel were Martin Freeman and Joanna Page, who played professional film body doubles John and Judy respectively; Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman, who played married couple Karen and Harry who almost separated following Harry’s infidelity; and Kris Marshall and Abdul Salis, who played friends Colin and Tony.

Watch ‘Red Nose Day Actually: Love Actually Reunion’

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