‘Love Actually’ director regrets weight jokes and film’s lack of diversity – The Hollywood Reporter

Richard Curtis, Hugh Grant, Martin McCutcheon in Love Actually

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in retrospect love actually and bridget jones diaryRichard Curtis has regretted including negative comments about women’s bodies in his films amid recent criticism.

Recently, when I was talking with times and sunday times Cheltenham Literary Festival, via todayThe director and screenwriter recalled, “I was as shocked as I was five years ago.” [my daughter] Scarlett told me, “Never use the word fat again.” ”

In the 2003 Christmas movie, Natalie, played by Martin McCutcheon, is teased several times for her weight, including being called “chubby” and being told that she has “huge tree trunk thighs”. . At one point, Natalie’s lover, the British Prime Minister played by Hugh Grant, also says, “God, you weigh so much” as Natalie jumps into his arms.

After saying his daughter was “right” to no longer use the word “fat” in her projects, he added: I don’t think there was any malicious intent on my part at the time, but I think I wasn’t as observant and as smart as I should have been. ”

Curtis also addressed criticism of past films, including the 2001 film. bridget jones diary and in 1999 notting hillfeaturing an all-white main cast and about the way people of color were treated at the time.

“I think it’s because I came from a school that wasn’t very diverse and I had a lot of friends from college,” the filmmaker said. “[With] notting hill, I think I was fixated on the diversity issue and the feeling that I didn’t know how to write that part. And I think I was just stupid and wrong about that. ”

He continued, “I feel as if me, the casting director, the producers, didn’t think anything of it. We just didn’t look outward enough.”