Emma Thompson reveals heartbreaking reason she straightens bed during famous Love Actually scene

It's the festive film scene that has leaves viewers choking back tears every year - and this week, Emma Thompson has revealed why she made a specific acting choice during her most gut-wrenching Love Actually moment.

For those in need of a reminder, the 66-year-old actress took on the role of doting mother-of-two 'Karen' in Richard Curtis' 2003 Christmas classic, starring alongside her on-screen husband, Alan Rickman.

Also taking up the all-star cast were the likes of Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon, Martin Freeman, Kiera Knightley, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln and Joanna Page.

In the film, Thompson's character prepares for a fun-fuelled family Christmas, unaware that Rickman's 'Harry' is foolishly falling for a much-younger office siren, plying her with snazzy gifts like expensive gold necklaces.

Thompson's character discover her husband has purchased a necklace for another women (Universal Pictures)

His cheating antics are finally unearthed one night, however, as the couple prepare to attend their children's nativity performance, when Karen opens a Christmas present from Harry, convinced its the hefty jewellery after spotting it in his coat pocket.

After unwrapping the paper, however, she finds a Joni Mitchell CD, confirming the affair she'd long suspected.

In the heartbreaking scene, Thompson's character can be seen crying quietly whilst listening to her new disk in their bedroom. Eventually, however, she takes a deep breath, brushes away the tears and heads downstairs - not before straightening the bed sheets.

Whilst the latter move might have gone unnoticed by some film fans, the Academy Award winner this week claimed that her tending to the bedroom was an entirely conscious decision.

The actress reflected on the emotional scene (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Of the emotional scene, she told QC: "It was really easy to do - I knew what being heartbroken felt like, so it wasn't difficult. We did it about, I don't know, four or five times. Richard Curtis [was] snivelling in the corner, which is very funny.

"It was just that thing of - that I'd so understand of people - crying, but not wanting to cry, and then having to cover it up."

Thompson continued: "There's nobody that doesn't know what that's - or, no woman that doesn't know what that's - like, especially if they've got kids.

"Straightening the bed is just such a natural thing to do at the end because it's just that last little moment of, 'I'll sort my face out, push this somewhere where it's not going to be seen', and then just pat the bed."

Also during the interview, the much-loved Dame gave a special shout-out to her Love Actually co-star Hugh Grant, with whom she's also worked alongside in Sense and Sensibility in 1995.

The pair play brother and sister in Love Actually (Universal Pictures)

As a reminder, Thompson and Grant play brother and sister in the seasonal blockbuster, but have portrayed all sorts of relationship dynamics in the past.

"I've worked with Hugh Grant so many times," she recalled. "He's been my brother, my lover, my sort-of husband person, as somebody I served as a servant in The Remains of the Day.

"We've done so many things together. I worked it out - I thought, I don't think I've worked with anyone more than him. More than Alan Rickman, more than anyone," Thompson continued. "And it's always been a completely different relationship."