Q&A: ‘Love, Actually’ filmmaker Richard Curtis on charity, the Oscars and the state of rom-coms

Richard Curtis may be widely known for his contributions to romantic comedies with “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill” and “Love, Actually.” But writing and directing some of modern cinema’s most quotable scenes only occupy a portion of his professional life.

Since a trip to Ethiopia in 1985 during the famine, Curtis has also devoted much of his time and energy to charitable causes: Co-founding Comic Relief, producing Red Nose Day for years and helping create organizations like Make Poverty History and more.