Heike Makatsch played the office secretary who flirted with her boss in Love Actually, but she looks completely different now
Heike Makatsch is almost unrecognisable, two decades after her memorable appearance in Love Actually. The actress is embarking on a new venture in Apple’s first German-language series.
Recognised for her breakthrough performance in 2003 as Mia, the alluring secretary to Alan Rickman’s character in Love Actually, she’s now diving into the darkly comic thriller series Where’s Wanda?
Launching on Wednesday, 2nd October, 2024 on Apple TV+, the programme follows the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt, a married couple portrayed by Axel Stein and Heike respectively, who are desperately hunting for their vanished daughter Wanda, played by Lea Drinda. When official channels fail to deliver results, the family chooses to conduct their own investigation into their 17 year old’s disappearance.
They undertake an intensive quest, delving deep into their neighbourhood whilst utilising surveillance technology to observe potential suspects throughout the ten-episode series.
The years have transformed Heike from her Love Actually persona as the “office tart” who notoriously pursued her boss Harry, ultimately causing devastation for his wife Karen, all while sporting brunette locks. Now, entering the realm of hard-hitting drama, she showcases a completely different look that distances her entirely from her Love Actually legacy, reports the Mirror.
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In the beloved film, the seductress sported a sharp, cropped dark bob, but nowadays, at 53, she’s virtually unrecognisable with her cascading golden tresses, causing many fans to fail to identify her as the Love Actually actress.
Heike portrayed what many consider the most despised character in the 2003 masterpiece, though the film never definitively reveals whether Harry, brought to life by Alan Rickman, actually cheated on his spouse Karen with the captivating workplace temptress.
Nevertheless, the plot thread left audiences feeling both furious and devastated. Near the movie’s conclusion, Karen, brilliantly performed by Emma Thompson, finds a necklace tucked away in Harry’s jacket and assumes it’s intended for her.
The possible betrayal becomes apparent when she opens her Christmas gift to discover a Joni Mitchell CD rather than the expected jewellery. Subsequently, viewers witness Mia barely clothed, smugly wearing the very necklace that Karen had previously discovered.
Despite audience hopes that no genuine affair had taken place, script editor Emma Freud later verified that one had indeed happened.
One memorable scene features Mia, portrayed by Makatsch, alongside Rickman’s Harry at a Christmas celebration where she sports a skimpy outfit and devilish horns, attempting to seduce him.
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Following Henry’s gift of a locket to Mia, she seductively declares: “I don’t want something I need. I want something pretty.”
Besides her portrayal of Mia in Love Actually, Heike has also featured in prominent films like Resident Evil (2002) and The Book Thief (2013). After her memorable role, she carried on with her acting career in a range of German films and television programmes.
She was notably in a relationship with James Bond star Daniel Craig for seven years, having met him on the set of the romantic drama Obsession. Following their break up in 2004, Heike started dating Max Martin Schroder, a musician from a German indie band, and they have two children together.
Love Actually is available to stream on Netflix.