Emily Mortimer, the actress who played one of Hugh Grant’s love interests in the much-loved rom-com Notting Hill, has opened up about a scene that was “very awkward.”
In a new interview with PeopleTV, the actress revealed that she turned up to filming covered in hives after having an allergic reaction to a suit she’d found in an op-shop.
Mortimer was on steroids to try and get rid of the hives but still struggled through the scene, admitting “it was a nightmare”.
“Every time I got nervous — which you do when you’re acting — I got hives and my face (became swollen), well, one side of it you can still see is sort of chipmunk-like,” she explained.
It’s the scene where Will Thacker (Hugh Grant) takes Mortimer, his new love interest, to his friends’ weekly get-together, around the time he realises no one will ever compare with his ex, Hollywood star Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts).
Unfortunately, the cast — also including Emma Chambers and Hugh Bonneville — didn’t alleviate any of the stress.
“Everybody was really embarrassed. It was very awkward. It was like, ‘Who is this girl who’s come — she’s just got one scene and she’s making such a meal of it’, and nobody would talk to me. It was weird.”
Nevertheless, Notting Hill was still a hit, making $364 million at the box office following its release. After almost 20 years, it still remains one of the most popular romantic comedies of all time.
