Love Actually star says it’s ‘odd’ that this emotional lesbian scene was cut from the movie
Love Actually was meant to include a lesbian scene, before it was cut. (YouTube)
A Love Actually star has spoken out about the removal of a lesbian love scene from the film, admitting that it was “odd” that it was cut.
The 2003 film is a festive classic and features an all-star cast, including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page, Alan Rickman, an 18-year-old Keira Knightley, and a 13-year-old Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
Love Actually tells the stories of 10 separate couples and their experiences with love. The movie cleverly intertwines the character’s stories, and it all takes place around Christmas time.
However, the film has often been criticised for its lack of diversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion in its storylines. To be frank, all of the movie’s relationships are straight, except for a queer-coded relationship that is hinted at between rocker Billy Mack and his manager, whom he calls “the love of my life”.
One actress who was set to star in the movie had her touching lesbian storyline eventually cut. Frances de la Tour was supposed to portray the terminally ill partner of the headteacher (Anne Reid).
Deleted scenes showed the headmistress returning from school to find her partner, who is terminally ill, in bed. They laugh and drink wine, before it cuts to them sleeping in bed together, Geraldine painfully coughing.
In a later scene that was also cut, Karen (Thompson) gave a speech at the final Christmas concert while the headteacher sat in the audience wearing dark glasses. She said: “I’d just like to say to our headmistress, on behalf of all the parents, that we think it’s very brave her being here today in light of her recent loss.
“Geraldine was a wonderful and wicked woman, and sorrow is particularly hard at Christmas.”
De la Tour recently told The Independent that it was “odd” that their “lovely” scene, which was the only confirmed gay scene in the entire film, was cut.
“It’s odd that they cut it,” de la Tour reflected. “Maybe it was too dark to bring into it. Because it ended up being quite a light and fluffy film, didn’t it?
“At least [Richard Curtis] wrote to me and said, ‘We’re terribly sorry but it’s got to be cut.’”
Love Actually is available to stream now on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+.
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