What The Cast Of The Holiday Looks Like Today
There are plenty of entertaining Christmas movies to watch, but a lasting favorite has proven to be "The Holiday." While "The Holiday" wasn't well-loved by critics, audiences disagreed, and today it's heralded by many as one of the greatest Christmas films of all time. The film, written and directed by Nancy Meyers (the queen of set interiors), stars Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black as four rather unlucky-in-love individuals whose lives change after two women swap houses for the holiday season. The movie is charming and endearing, and along with its sweet script, it's got an iconic score written by the inimitable Hans Zimmer. Needless to say, there's a lot to love about "The Holiday."
Diaz, Law, Winslet, and Black aren't the only big names attached to this film. Meyers assembled an all-star cast, most of whom either had an illustrious career prior to or after the film and many of whom enjoyed bookend success. From indie projects, writing, and directing to starring in blockbuster films and award-winning TV series, the majority of the cast members of this film are still working in Hollywood today. Here's what the cast of "The Holiday" looks like now.
Cameron Diaz took a break from acting
Cameron Diaz played one of the two leading women in "The Holiday." Her character Amanda, a movie trailer producer living in Los Angeles, breaks up with her boyfriend and takes an impromptu trip to England at the end of the year, switching houses with a stranger she met on the internet in the hopes of feeling less alone.
Diaz has had an incredibly successful career in Hollywood. In addition to "The Holiday," the actor is known for roles in films like "There's Something About Mary," "Vanilla Sky," "Charlie's Angels," and more. After playing Miss Hanigan in the 2014 "Annie" remake, Diaz quit acting, surprising many considering her previous success. "It's kind of a nice thing to kind of go, 'You know what? Let me just step back for a second, take a look at what the whole picture looks like for me and what are the things that I could do better and be more engaged with that would make me feel more whole.' And I did that," Diaz said in an interview with CBS News of her decision to take a break. Diaz returned to acting in 2023 to film a Netflix movie with Jamie Foxx. However, sources report that due to poor behavior from Foxx on set, Diaz will be taking another break from acting.
Jude Law joined the Harry Potter universe
Jude Law played Graham in "The Holiday," a British widower with two children who works as a book editor. Graham meets Amanda by happenstance while she's in England and, despite promising her he won't, falls in love with her. Jude Law's career was fruitful before his role in "The Holiday," and nothing changed afterward. The actor had two Oscar nominations prior to joining the cast, and since filming, he's had roles in projects like 2009's "Sherlock Holmes," 2012's "Anna Karenina," 2016's "The Young Pope," and 2023's "Peter Pan & Wendy." He also, notably, joined the "Harry Potter" universe by playing Albus Dumbledore in 2018's "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," as well as its 2022 sequel "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."
Law took his role as Dumbledore seriously. "It was a privilege for me to play this character because of the impact he as a character made on so many children through the books of 'Harry Potter,'" Law told Rotten Tomatoes about playing Dumbledore. "I was fortunate enough to ride on the coattails of two remarkable actors who play him as an older wizard," Law added, referring to Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, the two actors who played Dumbledore in the "Harry Potter" films.
Kate Winslet now has an Oscar and an Emmy
Kate Winslet played Iris in "The Holiday." Iris, a writer from Surrey, England, and sister to Jude Law's Graham takes her own impromptu holiday vacation to Los Angeles after learning her ex-boyfriend, who she's still in love with, is engaged to another woman. Winslet was one of the most famous actors in Hollywood at the time of filming "The Holiday" thanks to roles in "Titanic" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." She maintained her status after "The Holiday" with appearances in 2008's "The Reader," 2015's "Steve Jobs," 2021's "Mare of Easttown," and 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Winslet had been nominated for multiple Oscars prior to "The Holiday," and she was nominated for an Emmy the year the film was released. Since then, she's been nominated for a number of additional Oscars, winning in 2009 for "The Reader," and she won two Emmys, one in 2011 and another in 2021. Thanks to those awards and her 2000 Grammy Award, Winslet is one of the few actors who's just one award away from achieving EGOT status. Moving forward, Winslet wants to tell more stories about females. "I think we want to hear women's voices and stories more than ever right now," Winslet said in an interview with the Television Academy after her 2021 Emmy win. "Those will always be the things that I am drawn to," she added.
Jack Black voiced a classic Nintendo character
In "The Holiday," Jack Black, in perhaps his most sentimental role, played Miles, a Los Angeles-based film composer who befriends and falls in love with Iris during her holiday vacation to the United States amid his own romantic turmoil. The mid-2000s were a busy time in Black's career. In addition to his role in "The Holiday," he played the leading role in the now iconic film "School of Rock," which premiered in 2005, as well as the leading role in 2006's "Nacho Libre." Since then, Black's become known for his work in 2008's "Kung Fu Panda," as well as its sequels, shorts, and 2023's "Kung Fu Panda 4." Black also joined the cast of 2023's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," in which he voiced the classic video game character Bowser.
Black has been in so many movies that he's seemingly forgotten some of his own roles. In a 2019 interview with Variety, Black was asked to name his favorite Christmas movie, and the actor said "Elf." The interviewer complimented Black on his apparent humility, to which Black replied, "Do I have a Christmas movie? Which one is mine?" He then realized his error. "Oh, 'The Holiday!' Obviously 'The Holiday.' Nancy Meyers, genius," he added. Black might have forgotten about his role in "The Holiday," but we never will.
Eli Wallach died in 2014
Near the end of a prolific career in Hollywood, Eli Wallach played Arthur in "The Holiday," a retired screenwriter whom Iris helps get into shape so he can accept an award for his contributions to filmmaking. He, in turn, helps Iris solve problems of her own. While younger generations might know Wallach best for his work in "The Holiday," older generations and cinephiles will know him for projects like 1956's "Baby Doll," 1960's "The Magnificent Seven," and 1966's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Wallach also earned an Emmy Award for his work in "The Poppy is Also a Flower," and in 2011 he received an honorary Oscar for the many characters he brought to life on screen. The celebrated actor also earned a Tony Award during his career.
Wallach was revered in the film community, and he had some very famous friends. When Wallach received his honorary Oscar in 2011, Clint Eastwood gave a speech in honor of the actor and presented him with his award. "I'm deeply moved by this honor," Wallach said of the Oscar. "Your recognition of my artistry makes something very dear to me. I don't act to live, I live to act," he added. After a life spent acting, in 2014, Wallach died at the age of 98.
Edward Burns played some of his own characters
Edward Burns had a small but important role in "The Holiday." He played Ethan, Amanda's film composer boyfriend whom she learns has been cheating on her with his secretary. Amanda and Ethan's breakup then inspires Amanda to take her European holiday. Before "The Holiday," Burns appeared in "Saving Private Ryan," and afterward, in 2008's "27 Dresses." Although Burns has acted in dozens of roles, what got him his start and what's continued his entire career in entertainment is writing. Burns' breakout role was in the 1995 film "The Brothers McMullen," which he wrote, produced, and starred in.
Throughout his career, Burns has starred in multiple projects he's written, including 2007's "Purple Violets," 2012's "The Fitzgerald Family Christmas," 2019's "Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies," and the 2021 TV series "Bridge and Tunnel." Burns joined "Hoda & Jenna" to talk about his inspiration for that last show, sharing that he's always been intrigued by New York City in the 1970s. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Burns wanted to write something that would make people happy, and he decided to give life to his fascination. "In the end, the show ends up becoming small-town kids with big-city dreams," Burns explained of the project, adding that the setting had to be changed from New York City to Long Island due to pandemic-related filming restrictions.
Rufus Sewell acted in some popular TV shows
Rufus Sewell played Jasper in "The Holiday," Iris' co-worker and ex-boyfriend who, despite getting engaged at the beginning of the film, still finds his way into her life, making it difficult for her to move on. Sewell's career had spanned well over a decade when he joined the cast of "The Holiday," with some of his credits including 1996's "Hamlet" and 2005's "The Legend of Zorro." After wrapping "The Holiday," Sewell found work in several movies, but he was perhaps more successful in the TV industry. Sewell had roles in series like 2008's "Eleventh Hour," 2016's "Victoria," and 2017's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and he had a starring role in "The Man in the High Castle" from 2015 to 2019.
2023 was a particularly good year for Sewell in television. His year started with the release of the Netflix miniseries "Kaleidoscope," and later that year his series "The Diplomat" aired, which was nominated for an Emmy and picked up for a second season. "I just love the fact that it genuinely made me laugh," Sewell said of "The Diplomat" in an interview with Collider. "I felt like I was in good hands with the writers ... It's the best thing I've read in a very long time."
Miffy Englefield stopped acting
Miffy Englefield played Sophie in "The Holiday," one of Graham's children. "The Holiday" was Englefield's first and only movie role. The child actor had a part in an episode of the 2007 series "The Whistleblower," a part in multiple episodes of the series "Casualty" from 2008 to 2010, and a role in the 2011 short "Beautiful Enough." After that, Englefield stopped acting due to familial obstacles. In 2020, Englefield spoke with Vulture about the film and her time on set, noting that the four leads — Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black — were wonderful to her during filming. Englefield added that while she didn't like being associated with the film for a time, she's now happy to have been part of it.
Although she no longer acts, Englefield is still involved in the entertainment world. "I do a lot of music stuff, at the moment. I play a lot of gigs. My partner's in a band as well, that gets to tour around America and things like that, so I get to go to a lot of his shows." However, she maintains a casual interest in acting. "In my spare time I still read monologues, I still write a lot and watch a lot of films," she added.
Shannyn Sossamon has worked steadily as an actor
Shannyn Sossamon played Maggie in "The Holiday," another minor character who ends up being vital to the plot. Maggie is Miles' girlfriend for most of the film, and while Miles thinks he's happy in their relationship, he learns it's actually messed with his head. Sossamon's career started out promising. She found early success with roles in films such as "A Knight's Tale" and "The Rules of Attraction," but Sossamon struggled to find work after giving birth to her son. "Everything came completely to a total stop," Sossamon said of her career trajectory in a 2015 interview with Uproxx. "And that was a blessing in disguise for many reasons, obviously. The main one being my beautiful now 12-year-old boy," she added.
Sossamon's career eventually picked back up, and she was cast in multiple projects just before "The Holiday." After the Christmas movie, Sossamon steadily continued to find work in film and television, with 2014's "Over the Garden Wall," and 2015's "Sinister 2" and "Sleepy Hollow" among her biggest titles. In 2023, Sossamon also had a role in the film "Backspot."
Kathryn Hahn joined the MCU
Kathryn Hahn had a very small role in "The Holiday." She played Bristol, one of Amanda's employees who reminds the boss how busy they are when Amanda suggests they take a few weeks off for the holidays. Hahn has been an underrated talent for much of her career. Though at the time "The Holiday" was released she had a recurring role in the series "Crossing Jordan," many of her other parts have been minor characters, albeit in popular films and series. Some of Hahn's most recognizable projects include 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," 2008's "Step Brothers," 2009's "Parks and Recreation," and 2014's "Transparent."
In 2021, Hahn finally got the widespread recognition she deserved for her role in the Marvel show "WandaVision," for which she received her second Emmy nomination. "I don't know very much about Marvel. But, when I was pitched this story, I was so taken by the ambition of it," Hahn said of her role in "WandaVision" in an interview with The New Yorker. "It really did feel like I was able to throw my whole self into it," she added. In 2023, Hahn had a role in the film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," and she starred in the screen adaptation of the novel "Tiny Beautiful Things," for which she earned her third Emmy nomination.
John Krasinski became a director
John Krasinski also had a small role in "The Holiday." When "The Office" was just gaining popularity, Krasinski played Ben in the Christmas film, another one of Amanda's employees. Krasinski's career is still largely defined by his time on "The Office," but he's added plenty of other notable credits to his resume since the popular sitcom ended, including 2016's "13 Hours" and the series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan," which began in 2018. While Krasinski still acts, he's also taken up another art form within the entertainment industry: Directing.
Aside from a few episodes of "The Office," Krasinski's first major directing credit is the 2016 film "The Hollars," a romantic comedy that Krasinski also acted in. His most significant directing credits, however, are 2018's "A Quiet Place" and its 2020 sequel "A Quiet Place Part II," both of which he co-wrote and acted in alongside his real-life wife, Emily Blunt. "People have said: 'Did you always want to direct?' And, very truthfully, no," Krasinski said in an interview with The Independent. "I was so happy just being on ['The Office']. And then it slowly started coming organically to direct and, I think, because it was organic, because I hadn't had the intention of doing, I had so much fun with it," he added.