The third annual The Red Nose Day Special aired on NBC on May 25, 2017 and raised $35+ million for child in need, bringing the total raised to more than $95 million in the U.S. The annual fundraising event, which was created by Oscar-nominated writer-director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral), has brought in $1 billion worldwide since Curtis began the Red Nose Day campaign in 1988 in the UK.
The 2017 Red Nose Day Special included the much-anticipated “Red Nose Day Actually” short film which reunited the cast of 2003’s Love Actually, written and directed by Richard Curtis. The 16-minute film features Love Actually cast members Rowan Atkinson, Marcus Brigstocke, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Lucia Moniz, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, and Olivia Olson catching Love Actually fans up on where they are now. The short also includes a happy ending for Laura Linney’s character with the introduction of her husband played by Patrick Dempsey.
The “Red Nose Day Actually” video ends on an optimistic note, with Hugh Grant as the U.K. Prime Minister declaring there’s reason to be hopeful. “Metallica’s new album is an absolute cracker. And on a deeper level, I’m optimistic. Wherever you see tragedy, you see bravery, too. Wherever you see ordinary people in need, you see extraordinary ordinary people come to their aid. Today’s Red Nose Day and people are giving their hard-earned cash to people who they’ll never meet, but whose pain and fear they feel and want to fight. So, it’s not just romantic love which is all around. Most people still every day, everywhere have enough love in their hearts to help human beings in trouble. Good’s going to win – I’m actually sure of it,” says Grant.
Richard Curtis executive produced the U.S. special along with Lily Sobhani and John Irwin of Irwin Entertainment. For more information, visit the Red Nose Day website at rednoseday.org.
This post was last modified on September 11, 2022 12:44 am