Earlier this month, fans of “Love Actually” rejoiced when it was announced that the cast of the 2003 romantic comedy film will have a reunion this year. Among those who are set to return is Rowan Atkinson. While some thought that the actor will be reprising his role as the overly fastidious jeweler in the short film, it looks like his character, Rufus, will have a new job in the special.
Script editor Emma Freud took to her Twitter account last week to post a photo of Atkinson while the actor was filming his scene. It appears that in the “Love Actually” sequel, Rufus will be working as a cashier at his local Sainsbury’s.
The post was captioned, “Oh look who we found in @sainsburys. Day 2 filming for #rednoseactually going well…actually.”
Sainsbury’s is a well-known institution in the United Kingdom, being the second largest chain of supermarkets in the country.
Another photo of Rufus was shared by Freud, with the dapper cashier looking very animated. Freud wrote, “Oh Rufus. There’s something unexpected in the bagging area. #rednoseactually day 2. Done.”
In the original film, Rufus had a scene-stealing bit as he appeared alongside Harry (played by the late Alan Rickman) as the latter was buying a Christmas gift for his potential mistress. Harry tried to get Rufus to hurry as he was trying to keep his wife, Karen (Emma Thompson), from seeing the present, but Rufus insists on adding extra things while wrapping up the necklace.
In the hilarious scene, Rufus neatly encases the necklace in a box and places it inside a clear plastic bag. Then, he nonchalantly includes scoops of dried flower buds, sprigs of lavender, a cinnamon stick, and a sprig of holly, while an agitated Harry pleads for him to hurry up.
Clearly impatient with his shenanigans, Harry asks, “What else is it gonna be? Are you gonna dip it in yoghurt? Cover it with chocolate buttons?”
Apart from Atkinson, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, and Andrew Lincoln will also be returning for the short film, which will be released as part of this year’s Red Nose Day, a telethon that raises money for Comic Relief. The “Love Actually” reunion short film will premiere in the U.K. on March 24 and in the U.S. on May 25.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on the “Golden Girls”-themed café which opened in New York City.
