Rowan Atkinson confirms Christmas angel theory

One of the most beloved Christmas films of all time, Love Actually has a secret that fans have tried to decode for years.

It concerns the iconic scene in which Rowan Atkinson’s character incredibly slowly wraps the gift that Harry (Alan Rickman) buys for his lover. Now, 23 years after the film’s release, the famous actor has finally confirmed the unusual theory about the true reason behind the delay, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

In Richard Curtis’s film, Atkinson plays the shop assistant Rufus. His store scene, where he turns gift-wrapping into a full performance, is a key moment in which Harry almost gets caught cheating on his wife Karen (Emma Thompson).

For years, fans have theorized that Rufus is actually a guardian angel who deliberately delays the wrapping to prevent Harry from completing his purchase and betraying his wife.

During an appearance on a BBC show, Atkinson confirmed the speculation. When asked about online claims that his character was originally intended to be a Christmas angel in earlier versions of the script, the actor gave a clear answer.

“I think that, in theory, being a Christmas angel is still his role when he wraps a gift at Selfridge’s,” Atkinson said, confirming that his character’s purpose was to sabotage the affair.

As reports CE Report, Atkinson also shared an interesting behind-the-scenes detail, revealing that Alan Rickman was “driven crazy” by the long and late-night filming of the scene. Now, after so many years, the mystery has finally been solved, and the iconic scene has taken on an entirely new meaning.