Jude Law: ‘Now that I’m saggy & balding,’ I wish I had played up my looks

Jude Law in the 1990s was one of the most beautiful men to ever exist. People would just stop and stare at his beauty. His Oscar-nominated role in The Talented Mr. Ripley showcased Jude in every way and he became an icon for that alone. I would argue that he was still quite handsome throughout the early ‘00s too, but things started dropping off. These days, he no longer plays heartthrobs or beautiful men – he relies on his acting talent to get by. He’s currently promoting Firebrand, where he plays Henry VIII in his final years, against Alicia Vikander’s Catherine Parr. I just watched the trailer – while there are prosthetics involved, it’s subtle work transforming Jude into Henry VIII. It’s not like he threw on a fat suit and called it a day. Well, Jude is talking about his golden-boy youth and Henry VIII with DuJour – you can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

On Henry VIII: “He’d been a highly attractive and sought-after golden boy. He was a romantic in a way, believing each time that he’d found the right woman. The murder and the mayhem that ensued was part of his sense that they had let him down.”

The version of Henry VII portrayed by Jude: Lumbering around shadowy halls on swollen legs, Law’s Henry VIII is a sour and spiteful menace. “He’s full of regret, self-medicating with alcohol and trying to deal with intense pain and the madness that it brings on.”

The prosthetics involved: “It took so much time every morning to get into this huge, weighted costume and I would stay in it for the rest of the day. You could rehearse in jeans and a T-shirt, but then you would turn up in this enormous outfit and realize you’re going to knock everyone over. So you might as well maintain that sense of Henry’s shape and size.” That went for the king’s stench, too: Law collaborated with historians to conjure up a scent of bodily decay and wore it during the shoot inside a Derbyshire castle.

His beautiful early days: “I didn’t feel like I really ever leaned into playing handsome, but there were roles that required an attractive energy. I was trying to play against my looks in my early 20s, and now that I’m saggy and balding, I wish I had played it up.”

He’s glad that he no longer has to play good-looking characters: Still, parts have recently come the actor’s way that “have not leaned in to any sort of attraction. It’s been satisfying not having to turn that switch on.”

He’s entering the Star Wars universe with Skeleton Crew. Law: He grew up admiring the original films but “wasn’t a Star Wars geek, or whatever the polite way to say it is,” describes his character as “contradictory, complicated, mischievous and at times heroic,” though not very paternal. “He has no time for someone crying because they’re 11 and really scared. He’s like, ‘Pull yourself together and get on with it.’”

Fatherhood: A father of seven, Law describes himself as an “excessive” dad, “because I think about them all the time.” His wife, Phillipa Coan, and their two kids have been traveling with Law for the past couple of years, living in seven or eight countries, an itinerant period he calls “wonderful but hard.” “I’ve never been someone who’s comfortable going off to film for weeks on my own. Having the reality to return to makes you feel normal again before going back to playing someone like Henry VIII.”

Watching his son Rafferty become an actor: “It’s complicated because I’m aware of how hard it is. When I came into this business, I didn’t have the comparison, but with him, people might always say, ‘Oh, you’re just like your dad.’ Which is nonsense; his career is his career. I’m thrilled because we get to share our enthusiasm, and I get to give him advice if he wants to hear it. I’m immensely proud that he’s put himself out there because he found something that he loves. He’s obviously seen the way I work, and it’s rubbed off on him.”

[From DuJour]

The thing about the stench… gross. Why would you do that? Why would you inflict that on your coworkers for the sake of Method acting?? “I didn’t feel like I really ever leaned into playing handsome, but there were roles that required an attractive energy.” I mean… he’s correct that he didn’t take a lot of those parts which would have made him into a chiseled movie star. He was always very clear that he was a “serious actor.” But now that he’s 51, he regrets not taking more of those roles. “Now that I’m saggy and balding, I wish I had played it up.” Me too, Jude.

Cover courtesy of DuJour, additional photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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28 Responses to “Jude Law: ‘Now that I’m saggy & balding,’ I wish I had played up my looks”

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  1. Tuesday says:

    I literally only associate his success with his looks. Wasn’t a fan of Talented Mr Ripley and I’m pretty sure he did a few other things like Alfie. Meh.

    • Kokiri says:

      Then you haven’t seen him act.

      Gattaca is phenomenal. The casting is perfect.

      A.I., Cold Mountain, RepoMan, X-Extense

      He’s a wonderful actor.

      Still a beautiful man, too, but those 3 in Ripley, in that year, they were so beautiful & glamorous.

      Behind Enemy Lines. You’re missing out nit seeing his work.

      • Lady Rae says:

        I absolutely love Gattaca, it’s such an underrated film.

      • Traveller says:

        Just an aside:
        I’m an architect. I never saw the entire movie Gattaca but what I did see showed many scenes filmed in the Cal Poly building I was one of the project architects on. It took three of us since it was a very complicated Antoine Predock building.
        It was really very cool to see it used in this film.

      • East Villager says:

        @traveller that is so cool that you were an architect on that Cal State Poly building!

    • sparrow1 says:

      He’s done some very impressive acting over his career, and succeeded in a wide range of roles imo. The Holiday certainly didn’t suffer from his romcom movie star looks, however! So sorry to be shallow, but I love that nonsense film.

    • Lauren says:

      His looks do seem to be a feature of many of his roles. I mean, it’s an important plot element in the “The Young Pope” and “The New Pope” series.

      But, he is a great actor still. Loved him in Cold Mountain.

      I’m looking forward to seeing him as Henry VIII. He’s a great choice, for many reasons, not least of which is that Henry VIII was considered to be a very handsome man in his youth like Law.

    • Kirsten says:

      He’s a genuinely incredible actor — Gattaca, The Third Day, The Road to Perdition, Closer, Anna Karenina, The Nest… he’s done more than a few other things and done them all really, really well.

  2. Lady Esther says:

    That gorgeous face will age like a fine wine, but he’s always had a bit of a dumpy physique. Whoever put him in that baggy suit in the first photo (not the magazine photo, the one on a red carpet) should be shot. At least he’s not trying to hide his hair loss, I think it looks great au naturel…that plus the facial hair are sort of rakish and it fits his personality.

    I do think he’s a tremendous actor and has yet to show us all he’s got, I look forward to seeing more of his stage work as well as edgier fare like “The Young Pope.”

  3. Barbara says:

    I read that the custom “stench” was a blend of “blood, faecal matter and sweat.” That’s horrendous!

    • sparrow1 says:

      I’m hurrying at this point in the day and reading quickly. I thought you posted “stench” “blood” etc as film titles he’d done!

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      But probably historically accurate. Although adding a bit flower aroma would have nailed it.

  4. Freddy says:

    Jude, I’d happily take you saggy and balding any day!

  5. Dalat says:

    I was chatting with spouse about this very topic of not trading on looks and Jude Law came up. In Wilde, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and a few others he definitely played an object of desire. But most of the time he was just an actor who happened to be extremely beautiful. Not sure how much farther his face and dreamy voice could’ve taken him but I think he did fine. Gattaca is my favorite of his films.

  6. Kaye says:

    I loved him in “The Holiday.” In fact, I loved the entire cast. Think I’ll go watch it again.

  7. Digital Unicorn says:

    In some roles he has def played up on his looks – Young Pope, Talented Mr Ripley to name a few and he’s aging very well. Young Dumbledore was FINE.

  8. potatoe says:

    I saw the movie and was bored into oblivion.

  9. Kimmy says:

    I had the biggest crush on him circa Ripley. He’s aging like a fine wine!

    The thing I enjoy most about him is that he pops up in everything!!! He has such a varied filmography and he’s truly a chameleon. Marvel, Dumbledore, now Star Wars, but he can also do theatre and Henry VIII.

  10. Kirsten says:

    Sorry but if that’s saggy and balding most people are in real trouble. He looks amazing.

  11. Kingston says:

    All that I saw of jude law whenever I looked at him is how much of a slut he has been throughout his life. His looks never impressed me. I wonder how many kids he has now….last count was 7 in 2023. Given his penchant for fucking his nannies I wonder if any kids from those escapades count?

  12. Flamingo says:

    I’m dying to see Firebrand; it’s getting great reviews. And Jude went pretty method to the point he had a perfumer come up with a concoction that would smell like Henry’s puss infected leg. That he sprayed it around on set to get more into character. And for the reactions of the actors around him. Since that is what they had to put up with when Henry VIII was in full tyrant mode.

    I think how Jude treated a lot of women was distasteful especially the ones he impregnated. But he seems to have matured and settled down well. Honestly, I had no idea he was even married.

    And to the commentor up above. I agree with you Gattaca is a fantastic and underrated film. I watch that movie several times a year. I too would like to get on a rocket and off this planet. To something better.

  13. Sasha says:

    Yeah, he was mesmerising in the Talented Mr Ripley. Such beautiful bone structure and eyes. I watched a video once about what makes people strikingly attractive, and apparently it’s having contrasting features. Jude Law has a combination of very masculine (jaw line) and feminine features (pretty eyes) and I think that’s what made him really stand out.

  14. JFerber says:

    What happened to the hair plugs he seemingly had recently? Played up his looks? My God, he’s actually a character actor who got leading man parts BECAUSE of his good looks. No one has ever accused him of being a wonderful actor and he’s worked above his pay grade for so long because he was so pretty. Hell, he’s still pretty.

  15. mimosa_cuddle says:

    That man can act! He’s a wonderful and versatile actor, multilayered and smart in his ways of acting, too.
    I saw him as Hamlet on stage in London in 2009. It was absolutely mesmerizing and a wonderful. The entire cast was really good but he was something else.
    Concerning his son being compared to him, I have to say, if you are really talented and good, this comparison will not matter long. Not sure Bill, Gustaf, or Alexander Skarsgard were called the son of such and such for very long without having their massive talent acknowledged at the same time.

  16. bisynaptic says:

    He’s starting to look like Dabney Coleman., RIP.

  17. AC says:

    I remembered when he was in the Talented Mr Ripley. His debut to American audiences- he was beautiful.
    I also remembered his first interview with US back then(on the last pages of the magazine), and he didn’t want to be Hollywoodized . Same as Jim Sturgess(he’s beautiful too) but didn’t want these pretty boy type of roles. Funny how they both regretted and now wouldn’t mind if they had to go back in time.
    Lessons learn : have a bit of fun once in a while, YOLO