8 'Love Actually' Cast Members Who Made It Big On TV (PHOTOS)

What do Betty Francis (n?e Draper) and Rick Grimes have in common? Neither character would be who s/he is without "Love Actually."

"Mad Men" star January Jones and "Walking Dead" leader Andrew Lincoln both appeared in the 2003 romantic comedy hit along with plenty of other now-familiar faces.

Before she was Betty, Jones was "Love Actually's" flirtatious Jeannie, who picked up British horndog Colin (Kris Marshall) at her local Wisconsin bar along with her roommates, one of which was played by "Happy Endings" and "24" star Elisha Cuthbert.

And you can thank Lincoln for that memorable cue-card scene with Keira Knightley. Before he was fending off zombies, the actor played Mark, whose romantic gesture got him a kiss with his best friend's wife (Knightley). Keep it classy, Rick.

So which "Game of Thrones" newbie, "Lost" character everyone loved to hate and Showtime star also had roles in "Love Actually"? Click through the slideshow below to find out!

• Andrew Lincoln (Mark)

  Before Andrew Lincoln was protecting his post-apocalyptic friends against zombies and a one-eyed Governor as Rick Grimes on "The Walking Dead," he was just a guy with a crush in "Love Actually." As Mark, the actor offered one of the most romantic gestures in TV history, trying to win the heart of Juliet (Keira Knightley) with some sentimental <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_fcyg1Fdk" target="_blank">cue cards</a>. Well, as romantic and sentimental as trying to steal your best friend's wife can be. To us, you are perfect, Andrew.

• January Jones (Jeannie)

  Four years before Betty Draper was a glimmer in our eyes, January Jones was lending her flirty blonde talents to "Love Actually." It's not hard to recognize the "Mad Men" actress as Jeannie, a jukebox lover who helped woo Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) at a Milwaukee bar with her friends and roommates in the 2003 film.

• Thomas Brodie Sangster (Sam)

  Daniel's (Liam Neeson) stepson Sam was arguably the most romantic character in "Love Actually." He learned how to play the drums just to get close to his classmate Joanna (Olivia Olson). Nearly a decade later, Sangster is looking very different for his role as Jojen Reed in the third season of HBO's "Game of Thrones." Though we may not have seen the now 22-year-old actor's face for a while, he's been lending his voice to the latter half of Disney's "Phineas and Ferb." Coincidentally, Olson also voices a character on the series, Vanessa, evil scientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz's not-really-evil daughter.

• Elisha Cuthbert (Carol-Anne)

  Of course many know Elisha Cuthbert as the "Girl Next Door" or as Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) daughter on "24" and these days, as Alex on "Happy Endings." But in "Love Actually," the then-22-year-old actress was the sexy Carol-Ann, one of a group of Wisconsin women who wooed Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) at a Milwaukee bar before bringing back to her house.

• Rodrigo Santoro (Karl)

  In "Love Actually," Karl was the object of Sarah's (Laura Linney) affection at the office. She had worked at her company for "two years, seven months, three days and ... two hours" and been in love with Karl, the "enigmatic chief designer" for "two years, seven months, three days and ... an hour and 30 minutes." Eventually, they hooked up ... or almost did. Three years later, Rodrigo Santoro had a new lady. The actor wound up on the island of "Lost" as half of the infamous Paulo and Nikki. Their storyline, which ended with the couple being buried alive in Season 3, was far from a fan favorite and is <a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/01/16/nikki-paolo-lost/" target="_blank">still debated today</a>.

• Laura Linney (Sarah)

  Linney was already an Oscar- , Emmy- , and Tony- nominated actress by the time she starred as the tragic Sarah in "Love Actually," a sweet woman who finally got the man she wanted (Karl, played by Rodrigo Santoro), but had to give him up for the sake of her mentally ill brother. Linney went on to earn more accolades before signing on for Showtime's "The Big C," which is about to embark on its final season. Linney has already won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Cathy Jamison, a suburban wife and mother who's diagnosed with melanoma.

• Martin Freeman (John)

  Martin Freeman was already a star in the UK when he appeared in "Love Actually" as John, thanks to his work on the original "Office." But many Americans first met him in the 2003 romantic film as the sex scene body double who fell for his on-screen partner Judy (Joanna Page). Freeman has since become even more of a presence, starring in "The Hobbit" series and earning an Emmy nod for his portrayal of Dr. John Watson in BBC's "Sherlock," which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes.

• Ivana Mili?evi? (Stacey)

  These days, Ivana Mili?evi? is wielding guns on Cinemax's "Banshee" as Carrie Hopewell, but in "Love Actually," the actress was using sex as her weapon. She was the first to charm Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) at a local Wisconsin bar before introducing him to her roommates played by January Jones, Elisha Cuthbert and Shannon Elizabeth.

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/love-actually-cast-now-big-tv-stars-now_n_3002645.html

colts big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired notorious big biggie smalls lyrics azores