Love Actually’s Joanna Page on Being Held Hostage by Taxi Driver

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Joanna Page is recalling a scary incident.

The actress known for *Love Actually* recently shared a harrowing experience she had in South Africa two decades ago. It happened shortly after she arrived to film the 2005 BBC miniseries *To the Ends of the Earth*, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.

On the September 24th episode of Russell Howard’s *Five Brilliant Things* podcast, she explained that when she arrived on set, some of the other actors were already there. She was told at the hotel that she couldn’t leave without a chaperone, which she found frustrating. ‘It was ridiculous,’ she said. ‘I was so bored and really wanted to explore.’

Even after being warned, 48-year-old Joanna asked the staff to call her a taxi to the mall, and unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

I spent the entire day at the shopping center, and around 4:30 PM, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. It started to feel really threatening, and I was stuck because I didn’t have a car or know how to get back to my hotel.

Feeling lost and worried, the actress from *Gavin & Stacy* asked a man who seemed like a taxi driver for a ride back to her hotel. But she said his behavior became strange as soon as they started driving.

She explained that he drove her around for about ninety minutes, repeatedly telling her he intended to take nude photos of her. She said that while she’s often been in uncomfortable situations, she usually feels confident she can handle them. But this time was different. She realized she was in real danger and felt completely helpless to escape.

Fortunately, Joanna did manage to come up with a plan on the spot.

She remembered thinking, ‘Just laugh along with him. Try to make him laugh – tell jokes, and be playfully sassy if he threatens anything.’ She said she did that for about ninety minutes while he drove her around, and eventually he brought her back to the hotel.

When Joanna returned, she told the staff about what happened, and they warned her to be more careful for the remainder of her visit.

She recalled people telling her how lucky she was, saying things like, “You’re incredibly lucky!” However, the receptionists strongly warned her not to repeat whatever she had done, telling her, “Don’t ever do that again.”

A similar incident happened during the same filming trip. Benedict, 49, was also taken hostage after a diving trip with friends. According to Variety, the group had a flat tire on their way back, and when they stopped to fix it, they were robbed and kidnapped by six men. They were later found tied up and released.

Benedict explained that experiencing fame gave him a strange awareness of time. He said it made him restless and eager to live a more fulfilling life, a feeling he continues to grapple with even now.

Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his role in *Doctor Strange*, shared that becoming a father to his three children – Christopher, 10, Hal, 8, and Finn, 6, with wife Sophie Hunter – changed his perspective on life all over again.

Honestly, hearing him talk about it just… hit me differently. He said it made him realize life is fragile, that any day could be his last! He was so fearless back then, constantly pushing limits – skydiving, taking crazy risks, it was amazing. But he admitted it was different *before* he had a family. Now that he does, everything’s changed. He said becoming a dad really grounded him, made him think twice about everything. It’s like, the stakes are just so much higher now, and he finally understands that. It’s so beautiful and heartbreaking all at once!

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2025-09-25 21:17