In an early version of “Love Actually”, the end scene in the airport where Sam declares his love to Joanna was very different. The little boy had impressive gymnastic gifts…
Love Actually: the Christmas classic
Every year, as the holidays approach, there is a good chance that you will come across Love Actually on the television. Christmas film par excellence, this romcom takes place in London, a few days before December 25. We follow a host of characters and their heart stories. Directed by Richard Curtis, the film features a luxury cast including: Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley and Liam Neeson.
The latter plays a man whose wife has just died. He finds himself alone with his stepson, Sam, played by the very young Thomas Brodie-Sangster. While overcoming her grief, he will help her declare her love for her classmate whom he is madly in love with: Joanna. At the end of the film, the young boy takes his courage in both hands and goes to meet her at the airport just before she gets on the plane for New York. A cult sequence, in which he must escape to safety. But initially, it had to be rather… different.
Triple somersault and uneven bars
In an early version of Love Actually, young Sam was a little gymnastics prodigy. Richard Curtis explained that he evacuated his sadness by doing acrobatics. The airport scene was first shot with Sam evading the police using his impressive gymnastic skills. Thus, he notably does a somersault above the security gate. He can also be seen using a metal bar as if demonstrating uneven bars. And for our greatest happiness, this sequence was obviously shot. You can watch it in its entirety below. Warning the eyes :
