Actors sometimes give gifts to their co-stars after a film ends. Keira Knightley, known for her role in Love Actually, appeared on The Graham Norton Show with Cher, Josh Brolin, and Michael Fassbender. Fassbender received a unique gift from Knightley more than ten years ago after they worked together on the film A Dangerous Method. In the movie, Fassbender’s character had to spank Knightley’s character, and Knightley thought it would be fitting to give him a spanking paddle as a gift, along with three other cast members. She humorously recounted the experience of buying the paddles from a sex shop.
During the show, Knightley and Fassbender discussed the challenges of filming the spanking scene realistically without causing Knightley any pain. They revealed that they used a Yellow Pages book as a buffer between Knightley’s body and the paddle. Knightley also shared her thoughts on the famous scene from Love Actually, where Andrew Lincoln’s character confesses his love using cue cards. She described an encounter with builders who recreated the scene in a car next to hers, finding it both creepy and sweet.
In addition to her past works, Knightley also talked about her upcoming role in Netflix’s new show Black Doves. The discussion on The Graham Norton Show shed light on the behind-the-scenes experiences of actors and the interesting gifts they exchange. Love Actually, a film that has been debated for its romantic portrayal, continues to spark conversations and reappraisals years after its release, showing the lasting impact of iconic scenes and performances in cinema.