Fans of the beloved Christmas film The Holiday have been left reeling after a revelation from star Jude Law, who has apologised for 'bursting the bubble' about one of the movie's most iconic locations.
The Shocking Truth Behind Rosehill Cottage
For nearly two decades, viewers have adored the picturesque English countryside cottage that Cameron Diaz's character, Amanda, calls home in the 2006 romantic comedy. With its chocolate-box charm, it appeared to be a centuries-old dwelling. However, in a recent interview, Law disclosed the heart-warming truth: Rosehill Cottage never existed.
Law explained to BBC Radio 2's Zoe Ball Breakfast Show in 2024 that director Nancy Meyers, a noted perfectionist, could not find the exact cottage she envisioned during location scouting. "She toured that whole area and didn’t quite find the chocolate box cottage she was looking for. So she just hired a field and drew it and had someone build it," the actor revealed.
The reaction in the studio was one of mock devastation, with Zoe Ball exclaiming, "We don’t want to hear anymore. We can’t bear it," and another guest calling the news "very upsetting." Law responded in an apologetic tone, joking, "Sorry, just burst the bubble."
A Set Built in Just Weeks
The magical cottage was, in fact, a meticulously crafted film set constructed in Shere, Surrey. It was modelled after a real property, Honeysuckle Cottage, located in the nearby village of Holmbury St Mary. The speed of its construction was astonishing.
Location manager Benjamin Greenacre detailed the process in a 2017 making-of feature, stating it began as a field with four wooden pegs. "Within four days, you could actually see the cottage, and then four weeks spent landscape gardening the outside and making it look like the garden had been there for, you know, 200 years," he said. The exterior was built in Surrey, while all interior scenes were shot on custom-built sets at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.
Real Locations Amidst the Illusion
Not every charming location was fabricated. The cosy pub where Amanda and Law's character, Graham, share flirtatious drinks is very real. Those scenes were filmed at The White Horse, a 16th-century tavern in Shere. Production designer Jon Hutman told PEOPLE magazine they discovered the village "almost by chance," finding the perfect site near St. James Church.
Similarly, the stunning Californian mansion belonging to Amanda is a real house, boasting seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. However, its interior shots were also completed on a soundstage, filmed between takes in the UK.
The revelation adds a new layer of fascination to the classic film, demonstrating the incredible artifice of cinema. While Rosehill Cottage may only live on screen, the festive magic it helped create for millions of viewers since its 2006 release remains utterly real.
