How Ed Sheeran Convinced ‘Love Actually’ Director Richard Curtis to Create His Festive ‘Under the Tree’ Music Video

In an interview with Variety, the pop star reflected on his years of collaboration with Richard Curtis.

Ed Sheeran enlisted the help of legendary rom-com director Richard Curtis for his latest music video.

In a December 11 interview with Variety, the 33-year-old singer discussed how the Love Actually filmmaker, 68, contributed to the creation of the video for “Under the Tree.”

Sheeran and Curtis share a unique bond that dates back years, with Variety noting that Sheeran’s first girlfriend once babysat Curtis’s children.

Over time, the duo has collaborated on multiple projects, including initiatives for Comic Relief and the 2017 movie Yesterday.

While working on his TV special That Christmas, now available on Netflix, Curtis shared with Sheeran that it would be a musical.

“He asked if I’d be interested in writing the music for it, and I agreed,” Sheeran recalled. “I wrote a chorus for one scene but didn’t hear anything back.”

Two years later, the About Time director reached out to Sheeran with an update on That Christmas and asked him to complete the song “Under the Tree.”

Initially planned as an animated musical, That Christmas eventually transformed into an animated feature inspired by Curtis’ children’s books.

With “Under the Tree,” Sheeran crafted his first melancholic Christmas song.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to write,” he admitted. “I never felt the need to write a sad Christmas song before, but this one felt necessary… it reflects the reality for many people during Christmas.”

After submitting the song, Sheeran thought his work was finished. However, he shared that he would only do a music video for it if Curtis agreed to direct, something Curtis had never done before.

“I thought it would be special to have him put his stamp on my Christmas song,” Sheeran explained.