Love Actually fans gobsmacked after realising secret link to Eurovision – 21 years later
It's quite astonishing to think that Love Actually first captured our hearts over 20 years ago.
The festive favourite has earned a permanent spot in our Christmas movie marathons, but there's something you may not know about one of its beloved characters. The character of Aurelia, who wins the heart of Jamie, portrayed by Colin Firth, is played by someone who's rather well-known in the music world.
Ana Lucia Pereira Moniz, the actress behind Aurelia, flew the flag for her nation at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1996. Beyond her acting roles, the talented Portuguese star has also released a total of five albums over the years.
Now as Christmas is a week away, TikTok users have been gobsmacked after rediscovering her Eurovision performance in a recent video clip. While some were completely unaware she graced the Eurovision stage, others claimed her act as their "favourite" Portuguese entry ever.
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Though she's recognised widely for her endearing part in Love Actually, Moniz also made impressive strides in Eurovision, finishing sixth out of 23 participants. To this day, she stands as one of Portugal's most triumphant Eurovision acts.
As the festive season rolls around, movie fans melt every time Aurelia and Jamie, played by Firth, come together after an unexpectedly charming romance develops. In a sweet twist of fate, although Aurelia speaks only Portuguese and Jamie only English, the language barrier couldn't keep them from finding love by the end of the film.
It was her first major international role, and one that many fans likely still associate her with. However, the actress has since enjoyed a diverse and successful career.
In 2011, Moniz's design work for a cookbook earned her a Gourmand Award. Two years later, she published a book of her photographs, titled Vou Tentar Falar Sem Dizer Nada.
Then in 2017, to the delight of many, Moniz reprised her Love Actually role for Comic Relief. The short film sequel was created to raise funds for the charity, reuniting many of the film's beloved stars.
Fast forward to 2021, and she scooped up the Best Performance award at the Raindance Film Festival for her portrayal of a struggling mother of a deaf child in the 2020 film, Listen.
