Thomas Brodie-Sangster Reflects on Childhood Bullying During Love Actually Filming

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Reflects on Childhood Bullying During Love Actually Filming


Thomas Brodie-Sangster recently shared that he faced attempts at bullying from classmates while filming the Christmas romcom Love Actually. At just 13, Brodie-Sangster played the role of Sam, a young boy with a budding crush, alongside a cast including Liam Neeson and Olivia Olson. The 2003 movie required him to miss significant school time, which he recalls stirred up some jealousy among his peers.

Reflecting on those days, Brodie-Sangster told The Telegraph that his classmates would often question his absences and “get a little jealous” about his time away from school. Although he received tutoring on set, he faced some teasing. However, he was unbothered. “People tried to pick on me,” he explained, “but I don’t think I cared enough. They would try to bully me for being in a film… So what was their point? Eventually, I made friends with them, and they saw that I was alright.”

Brodie-Sangster’s role in Love Actually turned out to be his big break, setting him up for other major parts, like Nanny McPhee with Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, and later hits like Game of Thrones and the Maze Runner series. Now 34, the actor has successfully transitioned to more mature roles, such as portraying Paul McCartney in Nowhere Boy and chess prodigy Benny Watts in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

Currently, Brodie-Sangster stars in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the BBC’s latest adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels. The show premiered on BBC One, with new episodes airing weekly, offering fans a chance to see the actor continue to make his mark in a leading role.