The Holiday’s Jude Law Jokes About His Role in Reboot

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Is Jude Law reprising the role of Mr. Napkin Head?

Okay, so I was *dying* to know if Matthew, you know, the absolute *star* of ‘Holiday,’ was going to be in the new Apple TV+ version. And when someone finally asked him, he didn’t just *tell* us, he totally teased us with his answer! It was so playful and made me even *more* excited, honestly.

Jude playfully said he was ‘playing the grandfather’ on the September 18th episode of Today, but immediately corrected himself, saying he wasn’t, and wasn’t even close to being one.

The 52-year-old said he’d heard about the upcoming limited series – which features new characters switching homes, similar to how Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz did in the movie – but didn’t know much about it. He added, “As far as I know, I’m not involved.”

Jude found out about the remake through a message from Nancy Meyers, who wrote and directed the original film.

“I think Nancy wrote to me,” he recalled, “and said, ‘Have you heard about this?’”

Jude would only agree to be on the show if Nancy was also involved in the creative process, explaining that she was the key element that made everything work so well.

Nancy had previously shared that she didn’t know about the show until she happened to see an article about it online.

She shared on Instagram Stories in August that she was totally surprised to see this post as the first thing on her feed. She wrote, ‘News to me!’

The 75-year-old posted a thinking face emoji with her message, but didn’t say anything more about it at that moment.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rob Delaney, known for his work on *Catastrophe*, is joining the series as a writer. Krissie Ducker will serve as executive producer.

I’ve been a huge fan for years, and while Nancy isn’t currently part of the show, she’s talked a lot about wanting to do another *Holiday* movie – she even got Jude excited about the idea too!

In a December Instagram video, a fan told the actor she’d watched many of his interviews and noticed he was always asked about a possible sequel. She then asked for his thoughts on the matter.

Law glanced at the camera, then quickly transformed into his well-known ‘Mr. Napkin Head’ character and gave a mysterious answer.

While we’re still waiting for news about the *Holiday* series, here are some fun facts about the original romantic comedy.

Director Nancy Meyers specifically wrote the characters of Iris and Amanda with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in mind. She admitted that when writing, it’s natural to envision actors bringing the characters to life.

Casting Winslet for the role of Iris felt obvious to Meyers, who considers her one of the best actresses for portraying a 30-year-old English woman.

Despite being the inspiration for the character, Winslet worried she’d be fired from the movie. Having never done a romantic comedy before, she was excited but nervous about proving she could be funny. She and co-star Jude Law frequently discussed their fears of not being funny enough and potentially being replaced before filming began.

When it came to casting Cameron Diaz as the movie trailer editor, Meyers felt she was a natural fit. Meyers explained that Diaz is a talented comedian and that she consistently impressed her in that regard. Meyers specifically looks for actresses who appeal to female audiences in her films, and Diaz perfectly embodies that quality – she’s funny, attractive, and relatable to women while also being popular with men. Meyers felt Diaz was ideal for the role of a Californian girl.

Jude Law, who played the single father Graham, wasn’t Meyers’ first choice for the part. She admitted that his character developed significantly during the writing process, and she took the role in unexpected directions. While she recognized Law’s talent and good looks, she initially wasn’t sure if he would be right for the genre. However, after meeting with him and reviewing the script, she realized he understood the character perfectly and hadn’t had the opportunity to play a similar role before.

When writing the character of Miles, Iris’ love interest, writer Nancy Meyers specifically had Jack Black in mind after seeing his performance in *School of Rock*. She told ComingSoon.net that she was captivated by him and felt an immediate connection as a viewer. Meyers consciously chose Black because she wanted to portray a relatable, everyday guy – someone charming and lovable, not a traditional Hollywood leading man. She believed everyone deserves love, and Miles should be paired with someone as wonderful as Kate Winslet.

In fact, the opportunity to work with Winslet was a major factor in Black accepting the role. Meyers even tried to convince him over a pasta dinner! Black himself confirmed in 2006 that he was a huge fan of Winslet and her work, and that she was a key reason he wanted to be part of the movie.

The accidental brush between Miles and Iris wasn’t planned; it came from a real-life moment between actors Ashton Kutcher and Kate Hudson. Hudson shared that Kutcher once bumped into her and immediately apologized for brushing against her chest, which she found amusing. She wrote the moment into the script because she thought it was a relatable and funny interaction.

Interestingly, Kate Winslet and Rufus Sewell, who played Iris’s ex-boyfriend Jasper, actually dated briefly in the early 1990s. However, they remained friends and weren’t awkward while filming. Winslet said she was happy Sewell got the part and that their past relationship wasn’t an issue on set.

While Amanda’s Los Angeles house was beautiful, the crew found Iris’s cozy country cottage even more charming. The producers initially looked for an existing cottage, but ultimately decided to build their own near London to have more control over the location. They created Rosehill Cottage from an empty field in just two weeks, even adding a wall and trees – it became a local attraction during filming. After filming, the cottage was taken down, and all interior shots were filmed on a sound stage in California. Director Meyers asked her cinematographer, Dean Cundey, to avoid wide shots inside the cottage to maintain a sense of intimacy.

A particularly memorable scene involves Hugh Grant’s improvised performance as ‘Mr. Napkinhead’. Miffy Englefield, who played Sophie after competing against over 2,500 other actresses, shared that Grant came up with the line about the dangers of smoking. Englefield also genuinely told Cameron Diaz that the scene was hilarious, predicting she’d ‘fall off her chair’.

Lindsay Lohan and James Franco surprisingly appeared in a movie trailer Amanda’s company was editing. Amanda Meyers explained she directed *The Parent Trap* and jokingly told Lindsay she owed her a favor, which Lindsay happily agreed to. She also knew James Franco from a few dinner parties and simply asked if he’d participate. It turned out Lohan and Franco already knew each other, making the shoot even more enjoyable.

Dustin Hoffman’s cameo in the Blockbuster scene was completely spontaneous. He happened to be driving by the store while they were filming, stopped to see what was happening, and after chatting with Amanda, she decided to include him. Hoffman jokingly admitted he didn’t even bother to negotiate his appearance!

A memorable scene where Amanda rushes back to the cottage wasn’t originally planned. As Cameron Diaz revealed to *Vulture*, she ended up running about seven miles a day in heels during filming, navigating mud and hills. She found it funny and didn’t mind the physical challenge.

Writing the romantic comedy *The Holiday* proved difficult for writer Nancy Meyers after her 2003 film *Something’s Gotta Give*. She wanted to create a story with multiple characters and interwoven storylines. She intentionally avoided having both lead characters immediately fall in love, instead focusing on Kate developing a friendship with Eli. Meyers enjoyed the complexity of writing an ensemble movie.

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2025-09-19 03:17