Love Actually: The Couples Ranked Worst To Best

Love Actually remains one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time because it showcases a wide variety of deep connections, from romantic to platonic, between characters who are equal parts rom-com archetypes and flawed humans. Richard Curtis allows fans to get to know each couple intimately despite the size of the cast, and each one’s journey is important even if it doesn’t always end wrapped up in a bow.

For the majority of the couples, invested interest in each other’s happiness not only makes them successful, but it also makes them popular among fans, but even if some of them aren’t the healthiest, they’re important to include because of how much they highlight the importance of honest communication and trust. Here’s how all the couples in Love Actually measure up!

9 Colin And The American Girls

Colin (Kris Marshall) heads to America with only one thing in mind: sex. While there’s nothing inherently problematic about that mission, accumulating fangirls in a bar (and seemingly ranking them according to sex appeal as each appears) is enough to tarnish Colin’s more endearing qualities.

Colin goes home with “The American Angel” (January Jones), “The American Goddess” (Elisha Cuthbert), Stacey “The American Dreamgirl,” and Harriet “The Sexy One” (Shannon Elizabeth), but only Harriet comes back to England with him, along with her friend Carla (Denise Richards) for Tony. Their interactions are all amusing, but not necessarily romantic.

8 Juliet, Peter, And Mark

It’s hard for fans to support Mark (Andrew Lincoln) when he’s pining for Juliet (Keira Knightley), the new wife of his best friend Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and showing up at her house unannounced with a display of courtly love that’s equal parts creepy and awkward.

Mark’s effort is admirable, and the silent poster scene is one of the most memorable in the movie, but he puts Juliet in an incredibly insensitive position after being curt with her for no reason other than he was afraid to express himself in a mature way. What makes matters worse, Juliet chases Mark down the street and kisses him, effectively rewarding him for his unhealthy behavior.

7 Harry And Karen

Harry and Karen constitute one of the saddest couples in the entire movie, and not for lack of charismatic performances by Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. They represent what happens when a couple allows a chasm to widen between either party, filled with unspoken resentments, broken promises, and hidden fears.

Rather than communicate the repercussions of a mid-life crisis with his wife, Harry cheats on her with someone who shows him attention – his secretary. It’s a devastating act which not only makes him look like a fool but makes the life Karen leads look “foolish too.” Perhaps worse than their splitting up is their staying together, all but ensuring they will face similar trials again.

6 Sarah And Karl

Despite having been in love with her coworker Karl (Rodrigo Santoro) for 2 years, seven months, 3 days, one hour and thirty minutes, he doesn’t seem to acknowledge her existence. It takes Sarah really stepping outside her comfort zone to get his attention, but even when it looks like her efforts are going to pay off, their steamy romantic scene is interrupted by life’s inevitable inconveniences.

After the death of her parents, she became responsible for her brother with special needs, and balancing his care with work and maintaining a social life has left Sarah emotionally wiped out. Unfortunately, she’s not able to be open with Karl about the difficulties of prioritizing her role as a caregiver and as a romantic individual.

5 Jamie And Aurelia

Though Jamie (Colin Firth) had just been cheated on and couldn’t speak Portuguese, he nevertheless opens himself up to the possibility of love with his bashful housekeeper Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz). Though she doesn’t know a lick of English either, they communicate their interest in each other through awkward body language and the indisputable signals of desire.

That they each learn each other’s native language to better communicate their feelings for one another shows the depths to which they’ll work to stay connected. The relationship might have moved a little fast for some fans, but when you know, you know.

4 Billy Mack And Joe

Though aging rock star Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) briefly lets his newfound fame go to his head, he leaves Elton John’s rager party on New Year’s Eve to spend time with the person who’s been there for him through thick and thin; his manager Joe (Gregor Fisher).

Their blossoming bromance makes for one of the most touching scenes in the movie and reinforces the concept that platonic bonds can be just as important as romantic ones, and who constitutes “family” is entirely up to who each person chooses to have in their lives.

3 John And Judy

John (Martin Freeman) and “Just” Judy (Joanna Page) get to know one another in one of the most intimate ways two people can – as stand-ins for the sex scene of a porn movie. Despite the exposed nature of their work, they represented one of the most respectful, charming, and engaging couples in the entire movie.

Genuinely interested in one another, they got to know each other over time, while still maintaining their professional courtesy as coworkers. Even though they’ve seen each other nude, they’re not ready to be as naked with their feelings, and by the time they finally fess up to their interest, their romance is surprisingly chaste and sweet.

2 David And Natalie

While there were a few professional boundaries crossed by David, Prime Minister of the UK (Hugh Grant) fancying his secretary Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), he did his best to work through the sensitive nature of his feelings and eventually find a way to express them without imperiling her position.

Despite his lofty position of authority and throwing down with a powerful foreign leader, David was reduced to a stuttering schoolboy at the doorstep of his crush, but his openness ended up leading to one of the most iconic scenes in the movie – a passionate kiss at a school nativity play.

1 Daniel And Sam

While Sam’s crush on Joanna (Olivia Olson) is certainly adorable, it’s the bond he has with his stepdad that should really be celebrated as the biggest, purest love connection in the entire movie. Both characters are processing the grief of losing Sam’s mom in different ways, and their search for external romantic love brings them closer together as a platonic pairing.

Not only is their “love story” the cutest in the movie, but it’s also the most exciting because of how much fans root for Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Daniel (Liam Neeson) to find happiness and heal. When Sam calls Daniel “Dad” for the first time, it’s the purest gift he could ever receive for Christmas.

About The Author

Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
(1344 Articles Published)

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she’s particularly proud of. When she isn’t writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she’s working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.

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