Is Love Actually A Christmas Movie? Bill Nighy Weighs In

"Love Actually," the ensemble holiday romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis, came out a full two decades ago in 2003 — and has remained a part of the cultural zeitgeist ever since. The film follows numerous characters through ten different storylines involving love during the holidays. For example, Karen (Emma Thompson), a stay-at-home mom who finds out that her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), is having an affair. Then, there's Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who is grappling with his romantic feelings for his best friend Peter's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) new wife, Juliet (Keira Knightley). Additionally, the cast also includes Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Lúcia Moniz, Martin Freeman, Thomas Sangster, and Laura Linney, amongst others, in various other storylines.

Over the years, "Love Actually" has become a bit of a divisive topic — some people love it, and some people hate it. Those who love it find it charming, while those who don't think it hasn't aged well. And those who aren't fans of the film may even argue that it's not a Christmas movie (despite it being a hard fact to dispute) — to which star Bill Nighy, who plays famous musician Billy Mack, has a response.

Bill Nighy recently appeared on the Variety podcast, "Awards Circuit Podcast," during which the subject of one of his most notable films, "Love Actually," came up in conversation. As one of the last topics of the show, the host asked if Nighy thinks "Love Actually" is a Christmas movie.

Nighy said, "Well I think so, given that the whole world seems to watch it every Christmas. But yeah, I guess so. I've never doubted that it was a Christmas movie." The actor then went on to talk about the film's popularity and how its status as such a famous movie certainly helps the case that it is a Christmas film. In fact, he still has interactions with fans of the film.

Nighy continued, "It's certainly a Christmas phenomenon. And every Christmas I get lots of people singing that song to me in the street and in restaurants. And if I walk in anywhere where there's a professional piano player, you know like a hotel lounge, as soon as I walk in they start playing, 'I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes.' So I think we can confidently conclude that yes, it is a Christmas movie."

If you'd like to watch "Love Actually" — which, according to Nighy is a Christmas film — it's currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.