Joanna Page Admits Fast Forwarding Through Her Love Actually Nude Scenes With Children
Actress Joanna Page has openly discussed her practice of skipping past her own nude scenes while watching the festive classic Love Actually with her young children. This revelation follows writer Richard Curtis's admission that he regrets asking the Gavin & Stacey star to appear nude in the beloved Christmas film.
Rewatching an Iconic Film With Family
The 48-year-old actress has recently begun rewatching Love Actually at the insistence of her children, having only seen it once before at a Welsh film festival shortly after its 2003 release. In the film, Joanna portrays a body double who films a sex scene alongside fellow stand-in Martin Freeman, with both actors appearing nude. Their characters later develop a romantic relationship after nervously arranging a date, forming one of the movie's many interwoven storylines.
As a mother of four children—Eva, 13, Kit, 10, Noah, nine, and Boe, four—with her husband of 26 years, James Thornton, Joanna remains proud of her involvement in such an iconic production. However, she acknowledges that certain scenes might become embarrassing as her sons grow older and enter secondary school.
Explaining the Scenes to Her Children
Joanna has taken an open and honest approach with her children regarding her role. She explained, 'I've explained to them what my part is—that I'm a stand-in on a film set for nude scenes, so mummy is sort of naked. And I've told them how they stick bits on you so certain things can't be seen.'
She continued, 'I've said to them there are some bits that mummy has to fast forward through but you will get to see me in a nativity and in an airport. So I say you can see me in those bits but the other bits mummy will have to fast forward through.'
Despite the potential awkwardness, Joanna notes that her children are accustomed to seeing her body, particularly due to her extensive breastfeeding experience over the past twelve years. She remarked, 'But I'm so open and honest, I've been breast feeding for 12 years off and on, so they're so used to my boobs and my boobs being hailed as this amazing thing.'
Writer's Regret and Family Traditions
In 2019, Love Actually writer Richard Curtis, now 69, stated that the nude scene featuring Joanna and Martin Freeman is the one moment in the film he would change. He expressed, 'I think the naked people should be wearing more clothes.'
Interestingly, while Joanna finds certain scenes uncomfortable, her parents have embraced the film as a cherished holiday tradition. She revealed, 'My parents say "It's not Christmas until we've seen Love Actually" and it's hilarious because it's not Christmas until they've seen their daughter stark naked on top of Martin Freeman, but that's like a really Christmassy wholesome thing for them. They love it.'
Reflections on Filming Intimate Scenes
Joanna also reflected more broadly on her experiences filming sex and nude scenes throughout her career, describing many as awful. Now in her late 40s, she hopes her days of performing such scenes are behind her, though she hasn't completely ruled out appearing nude again for the right role.
She shared, 'Oh God, they're awful. Luckily now I'm 48, I doubt very much I'm going to have to do anything like that again unless I am doing something where I've got to be naked and either I'm kind of going mad and not being sexy, I could cope with that.'
Joanna highlighted the discomfort on set, noting, 'It's even the nakedness that bothers me, it's just embarrassing being on set, and it's everyone else's embarrassment as well.' However, she found filming intimate scenes with her Gavin & Stacey co-star Mathew Horne to be natural due to their long-standing professional relationship.
Marriage Insights and Future Projects
Beyond her film career, Joanna recently spoke about her marriage to actor James Thornton, admitting that many aspects of their 26-year relationship have been rubbish. She described their dynamic as involving 'massive arguments' due to his 'Northern, measured' temperament clashing with her 'manic, impulsive and fiery' nature.
Despite these challenges, the couple is preparing to offer candid insights into their life together through a new podcast, which Joanna likens to 'couple's therapy.' She emphasized the importance of perseverance in marriage, stating, 'Be prepared, you have to work at marriage, don't give up at the first sign of hard work. Always be kind and have a good sense of humour.'
Legacy and Moving Forward
As her daughter Eva reaches her teenage years, Joanna has begun watching Gavin & Stacey with her, leading to some awkward moments during racier scenes. She expressed pride in the sitcom's enduring popularity, particularly after its blockbuster finale in 2024, but dismissed rumours of a reboot with a new cast.
Joanna stated, 'I don't think it will ever happen. This is the only time that I have been 100 per cent, that is it, it's completely ended. I don't think it will ever be happen.' She added, 'I couldn't see anyone else playing the part of Stacey. I think that's really, really weird, I don't think I would like it, I am so territorial around all of that.'
With her new podcast and family life keeping her busy, Joanna remains focused on her career while navigating the complexities of motherhood and marriage in the public eye.
