It has been almost two decades sinceLove Actuallyhit cinemas, and starThomas Brodie-Sangsterhas seen his career grow from his appearance as young Sam in the holiday classic. After being known as “TheLove Actuallykid” for many years, Brodie-Sangster returned to his role in 2017 for a Red Nose Day special, which reunited many of the original cast members for a special “sequel” to the film and caught up with some of the much-loved characters. Brodie-Sangster recently spoke toThe Guardianabout still being associated with the movie after so many years.
Despite being part of a huge ensemble cast of established faces such as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liam Neeson, and of course, Alan Rickman, 13-year-old Brodie-Sangster played an iconic role as Sam, a young boy who endeared himself to audiences through his close relationship with his father (Neeson) and his unspoken crush on a girl.
Over the years, Brodie-Sangster has appeared in many other roles, including in series such asThe Queen’s GambitandGame of Thrones, as well as the role of Newt inThe Maze Runnertrilogy. Yet, no matter how many roles he plays, there are plenty of people who still know him as “theLove Actuallykid,” and that is something he has learned to accept. He toldThe Guardian:
“If I got annoyed about it every time, I’d spend a lot of my life that way, it’s something I’m really proud of. It’s cool to be in a film that’s somehow still gaining momentum. It did quite well but it wasn’t a huge blockbuster. But over the years it’s gained that cult following.”
Related:These Are the Best Meet-Cute Moments in Rom-Com History
Thomas Brodie-Sangster Has a Bright Future
For every child actor, there is a big leap needed to break away from the role that everyone recognizes, which shows them as a doe-eyed child, with a cute factor of 100 and everything to prove as an actor. After starring inLove Actually, Brodie-Sangster then appeared inNanny McPhee, another role that required him to be a child with a face that expressed more than his scripted words, so it took a while for him to get out of that shadow and move into a more adult world, something that isn’t easy when you still have a very young face.
The actor’s most well-known work sinceLove Actuallywas inThe Queen’s Gambitas Benny Watts, a role that saw him nominated for an Emmy Award, which he didn’t win but put him on the right track for the future. Having appeared in award-winning shows likeGame of Thrones, it is undoubtedly only a matter of time before the star is finally given the kind of recognition he deserves. His next role is in theDanny Boyle directed miniseriesPistolon FX, in which he plays Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols. The six-part series makes its premiere on FX on Hulu on May 31
