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Love Actually Rich List: Here's What The Characters In This Christmas Gem, Actually Earned

Image by yousafbhutta from Pixabay

New analysis has revealed that Billy Mack was able to resuscitate his career and become the richest character in Love Actually.

Research by AskGamblers analysed the average salary for each job title of the Love Actually characters, to determine who would be earning the most and least money if those were their real life jobs, in 2022.

Billy Mack takes the crown as the richest character, with an estimated income of £200,000 a year. Despite Billy’s well-known comments about his need to resuscitate his career, he made a comeback when his single hit Christmas number one. Recent research has shown that Mariah Carey makes £400,000 a year in the UK in royalties from her classic, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, so if Billy’s single performed half as well as this, he could expect to make £200,000 from just one song, putting him at number one on the Love Actually rich list, as well as the charts.

David, played by award-winning actor Hugh Grant, is the Prime Minister who soon falls for his secretary. According to recent data, he would be entitled to a yearly salary of £161,401, making him the second richest character in the film.

Image by Ron Porter from Pixabay

Ranking as the third richest character is Harry, who famously begins a love affair with his secretary Mia. Harry, played by the late Alan Rickman, is a Director of a Design Agency, boasting an average salary of £67,500.

Coming in below Harry is Daniel, a recent widower supporting his stepson Sam through his newfound love. His day job as an architect brings in, on average, £49,224 a year.

Juliet, played by Kiera Knightley, begins the film at her wedding to husband Peter. The film’s creator Richard Curtis recently revealed that she worked as an interior designer, and in the UK, the average salary for this role is £36,169 per year.

Andrew Lincoln's Mark, famously in love with his best friend’s wife, is an Art Gallery Manager. He ranks as the sixth richest Love Actually character with an average salary of £31,750.

Peter and Sarah are both office workers. Peter’s main storyline is his wedding and subsequent honeymoon whilst Sarah spends all of her time flitting between the office and taking care of her brother. The average salary in the UK for this position is £31,202, making them the seventh ‘richest’ characters.

Jamie, ranking eighth, is a crime novelist who goes to France after the revelation that his brother was having an affair with his girlfriend. His writing brings in £30,958; currently earning £7,173 below the UK average salary.

In ninth place, Joe is a music/talent manager of Billy Mack. Typically, this job role pays 10-15% of the musicians’ earnings, leaving Joe with an average salary of £30,000 – not nearly enough for the antics Billy puts him through.

Natalie, played by Martine McCutcheon, is a PA/Secretary to the Prime minister. Before she gets let go, her year salary would be £25,947.

Also in the list are John and Judy, professional body double for films; Tony, a production assistant and Aurelia, a housekeeper

A spokesperson for AskGamblers commented on the findings:
“Love Actually is a staple Christmas film, watched by millions each year, and is loved by many for its relatable characters and a fantastic cast. The character's lifestyles’ are on display throughout the film, and this research provides insight into how these are possible. Knowing how much each of them earns will give even hardcore fans of the film a new perspective the next time they watch it.”

Love Actually Character	Job	Average salary (UK) Glassdoor (£)
Billy Mack	Rockstar	200000
David	Prime minister	161401
Harry	Director of a design agency	67500
Daniel	Architect	49,224
Juliet	Interior Designer	36169
Mark	Runs an art gallery	31750
Peter	Office worker	31202
Sarah	Office worker	31202
Jamie	Crime novelist	30958
Joe	Music/talent manager	60000
Natalie	PA/Secretary	25947
John	Professional body double for films	21349
Judy	Professional body double for films	21349
Tony	Production Assistant	21292
Aurelia	Housekeeper	20378
Colin	Catering assistant	9.93 an hour