It was the role that propelled her to unforeseen stardom, but Martine McCutcheon was on the verge of quitting showbiz completely before Love Actually came knocking.
She stole hearts with her portrayal of bumbling secretary Natalie in the 2003 rom-com. Unlucky in love and infamous for her accidental foul-mouthed remarks, she kept anything but her cool in the presence of Prime Minister David, played by Hugh Grant.
But, true to the film’s message, romance found her serendipitously, as the PM reciprocated his blushing junior staff member’s feelings, and, well, the rest is history.
It’s been 22 years since the Richard Curtis-directed festive flick was released, and there’s no denying it’s a classic now, as Martine is as much a part of the nation’s Christmases as she is her own.
However, Martine, who was in her mid-twenties during filming, almost missed out on her big shot at fame, having decided she was ready to find another career path away from the spotlight.
Speaking exclusively to Metro, the actress and singer, 49, explains how much of an ‘honour’ it is to have been part of the ensemble cast comprising Dame Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, and more.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I knew what an amazing, “pinch-me” opportunity it was, but I didn’t believe it had actually happened to me for a few years afterwards. I was so in shock.
‘My really specific dream for anything was to work with Richard Curtis and Hugh Grant, and because it happened at a time when I was considering leaving the industry after being in the West End. I thought maybe my time was done.
‘I’d been the golden girl, and everything I touched was doing so, so well, after EastEnders and my music, then the theatre shows, but still, at the time, women didn’t really have a voice to tell the truth or answer to any criticisms, so I didn’t have a platform to share what I was doing.’
Martine then found the ‘sudden turn’ from general public support to more ‘salacious’ press coverage of her life hard to deal with.
‘I was young and really sensitive. I just wanted to perform and make people feel good, so after all of that was ongoing for a brutal year, I thought I’d find something else.’
Thankfully, when her ex-manager reached out with the opportunity while Martine was in Spain, she realised that she couldn’t turn her back on acting.
‘[Love Actually] almost chose me in such a huge, huge way that I couldn’t ignore it,’ she says with fondness.
‘It was also special to me because it took me back to what I love and doing things for the right reasons. It’s just snowballed and built more and more momentum ever since.’
Reminiscing on Natalie as a character, Martine reckons she was a ‘refreshing’ presence on the silver screen in the early Noughties.
‘She had an innocence about her and an unfiltered quality that is rare. With the characters I play, that does seem to be something they have in common, and that seems to be something other women love.’
Martine recently reunited with Thomas Brodie-Sangster, whose performance as smitten schoolboy Sam thawed all of our icy hearts.
In the two decades since, Thomas has forged a dazzling career. Now aged 35, he’s appeared in Game of Thrones, the Maze Runner film series, and The Queen’s Gambit, to name a few—but he’ll always hold Sam dearly.
Consequently, he appeared in a hilarious Google Pixel Christmas ad with Martine this year, which poked fun at their old roles.
Speaking of working together again, Martine shares with us: ‘It was kind of emotional, because I hadn’t seen him for so long, but I’d seen how well he’s done, and I was so pleased that this amazing little talent and this gorgeous, sweet little boy had gone from strength to strength in what can be a brutal industry.
‘To see him as a grown man and talking about his life away from acting and seeing how he was, it was really lovely.’
Thomas was just 13 in Love Actually, and while Martine’s own son, Rafferty, is almost a similar age, born in 2015, she admits there’s a little too much swearing in the rom-com for him to watch it just yet.
One thing’s for certain, though, and it’s that Love Actually has, for the most part, aged well.
On why she thinks this is, Martine muses: ‘It means just as much now as it did then, and times change, but ultimately, the one thing I like to think we all have in common is that we all love, or want to be loved, or have lost love. As human beings, that’s how we connect.’
In somewhat of a full-circle moment, the former EastEnders star is heading back to the airport to spread festive warmth with her new campaign, just as she did in 2003 when Natalie leapt into David’s arms to welcome him home.
Collaborating with Costa Coffee, Martine fronted a special welcoming committee for travellers arriving at London’s Stansted Airport, handing out festive drinks and flanked by a gospel choir providing an uplifting soundtrack.
The campaign was launched to help boost levels of togetherness ahead of the holidays, with Martine saying: ‘They wanted to highlight just how important it is for us to connect with people we care about most, and it not just be a routine thing.
‘A lot of people have emotional times of reconnection over a Costa at the airport or train station.
‘In a day and age when we are so in touch with everyone only behind screens, it’s nice to go back to basics and remind yourself what matters.’
Martine McCutcheon partnered with Costa Coffee to recreate the beloved Love Actually airport scene, celebrating Christmas reunions. With Costa Club, every festive catch-up comes with a little extra magic.
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