Joanna Page is opening up about a terrifying chapter from her past. The “Love Actually” actress, 48, revealed on the September 24 episode of Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things podcast that she was once held hostage by a taxi driver in South Africa while filming the 2005 BBC miniseries “To the Ends of the Earth.”
(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)Page, also known for her roles in “Dolittle” and “Gavin & Stacey,” admitted she ignored production advice and ventured out shopping alone. “They said, ‘You can’t go anywhere without your chaperone,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. I need to get out,” she recalled.
A Taxi Ride That Turned Into a Nightmare
After spending the day at a mall, Page said the atmosphere shifted and she struggled to find her way back. Desperate, she asked a man in a car to take her to her hotel. Instead, he drove her around for an hour and a half.
“He told me he was going to take me somewhere, I was going to take off all my clothes, and he was going to take photos of me,” she said. “It was the only time in my life where I thought, ‘You’re in serious trouble. You can’t get yourself out of this.’”
How She Escaped the Dangerous Situation
Thinking quickly, Page decided to defuse the situation by joking with her captor. “I just laughed with him, made him laugh, told some jokes, was really cheeky back,” she explained. Eventually, the driver returned her to the hotel. “I ran straight to reception. I was in such a state, and they told me I was incredibly lucky,” she said.
Benedict Cumberbatch & Matthew McConaughey Faced a Similar Scare
GettyPage’s story is not the only time an actor has spoken out about frightening ordeals abroad and beyond. As per People, Benedict Cumberbatch, her co-star in “To the Ends of the Earth,” was abducted in South Africa during the same production.
And Oscar-winning Matthew McConaughey has also reflected on his own harrowing experience.
In his memoir Greenlights, McConaughey revealed he was abducted at 18, left unconscious, and assaulted before managing to escape. In a recent interview with The Guardian, he described it as the most vulnerable moment of his life. “I got out relatively unscathed. It could have been worse is what I’m saying,” he shared, adding that he feels deeply grateful to have survived.
