Keira Knightley thrilled Love Actually is part of Christmas

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY is thrilled her hit movie LOVE ACTUALLY has become synonymous with the Christmas countdown, because she's now part of her fans' festive period.

The 2003 movie was a collaborative film starring Knightley, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Emma Thompson, and is regularly shown on U.K. TV in the lead-up to Christmas Day.

And Knightley loves having a film which has become a must-see for families at this time of year.

She tells the Huffington Post, "It's amazing that it turned that kind of Christmas movie, isn't it? I don't think anyone realized it was going to do that.

"It's an extraordinary thing when people come up and go, 'Oh, you know, that's the thing I watch every Christmas'. It's a lovely thing. That's why you make them."