Jude Law
|
Jude Law at the 2001 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) |
David Jude Heyworth Law (born
December 29,
1972) is an
Academy Award nominated
English actor. He is known professionally as
Jude Law.
Law was born in
Lewisham,
South London,
England to two teachers. His sister
Natasha Law is a well regarded illustrator and artist. He was educated at
John Ball Primary School in
Blackheath and
Alleyn's School in
Dulwich. He started acting with the
National Youth Music Theatre at the age
Law appeared as Michael in the West End production of
Indiscretions, an imaginative re-working of
Jean Cocteau's tragicomedy
Les Parents Terribles directed by Sean Mathias, a role he subsequently played on Broadway opposite
Kathleen Turner,
Roger Rees and
Cynthia Nixon. After minor roles in
British television, Law had his breakthrough with the British
ram-raiding drama
Shopping which also featured his future wife
Sadie Frost. He shot to fame in Britain upon the release of
Wilde, in which he played
Lord Alfred Douglas, the glamorous lover of
Stephen Fry's
Oscar Wilde.
|
Law and Matt Damon, stars of The Talented Mr. Ripley at the 2000 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner) |
Law subsequently moved to Hollywood; his performances include
Gattaca, as a frustrated Olympic medalist bound by a wheelchair, in
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil as an ill-fated lover of
Kevin Spacey's character, in
Road to Perdition as a sadistic hitman in a critically-praised performance. He has been nominated for an Academy Award twice; once as
Best Supporting Actor for his performance in
The Talented Mr. Ripley in 2000, and then again as
Best Actor in a Leading Role for
Cold Mountain in early 2004.
Law's career suffered a decline during
2004. The remake of
Alfie was a box-office flop, making back only about half of its estimated $60 million budget, and was voted one of the worst remakes of all time by subscribers to Screen Select. Writing in the
Daily Mail in 2005 Laura Benjamin contended that though Law had been effective in supporting roles, his appeal was too limited to carry a film all on his own.
Other films of his in 2004, such as
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow also flopped, whereas
I ♥ Huckabees while flopped in the box office, it did obtain critical "indie" praise from many as playing a courageous aviator this time around. Law was the butt of a joke by
Chris Rock at the 2005 Academy Awards, which preceded Law's subsequent departure from the
Creative Artists Agency.[
1] However, fellow co-star and actor
Sean Penn, whom Law lost the Best Actor Oscar in 2004, rebuked the comic's remarks about Law's poor acting talent, referring to Law as one of the best actors of his time, although Penn was considered one of Law's few supporters that night.
Law has sometimes chosen to hide his classical looks in unglamorous roles such as the evil, balding hitman in
Road to Perdition.
Law is a fan of the seminal
graphic novel Watchmen, by
Alan Moore, so much so he has a
tattoo of the
Rorschach character. He has maintained an interest in being involved in a feature film production of the series, especially if it were directed by
Darren Aronofsky. He has said that he would most likely play the character
Ozymandias. This could be because he was, at one point, courted to play either Batman or Superman in
Batman Begins,
Batman Vs Superman, and/or
Superman Returns, but he is said to have regretted it when he was not selected for the role and the former film was a huge success. In addition, he was asked by
Returns director
Bryan Singer to play
General Zod, but the character was eliminated from the script when Law refused the part.
Law married
Sadie Frost on
September 2,
1997. They have three children together: son Rafferty (born
October 6,
1996), daughter Iris (born
October 25,
2000) and son Rudy (born
September 10,
2002). For a time Frost and Law were central to the so called '
Primrose Hill set' of young British actors. They finalized their
divorce on
October 29,
2003. Frost cited Law's "unreasonable behaviour" which, she claimed, had worsened her post-natal depression to the extent that she'd had to seek medical aid. Matters had not been helped when, at a kids' party at London's Soho House private member's club, daughter Iris had swallowed an ecstasy tablet she'd apparently found on the floor and been rushed to hospital.
In
2005, Frost and Law reached a divorce settlement after nearly two years of negotiations. Frost will keep the couple's $4 million
London house in
Primrose Hill, and receive payments from Law totalling $2 million.
Subsequent to Law and Frost's divorce, UK newspapers reported of alleged 'sex swap' parties and holidays that had taken place during the couple's marriage with
Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey and his wife
Pearl Lowe.
Law became engaged to
Sienna Miller, his co-star in
Alfie. On
July 18,
2005, he issued a public apology to his fiancée for having an affair with his children's
nanny, Daisy Wright, in
New Orleans [
2]. Law and Miller reconciled after that, but in
October 2005, Law learned that Miller was conducting a relationship with
Daniel Craig, while expressing feelings of betrayal and upset at Law's affair. He reportedly threw her out of their North London home in disgust at the news and ended their engagement. [
3] This was familiar to his character in
Closer. The latest reports from
May 29,
2006 state that Miller and Law are "working things out". [
4] Currently, however, it is rumored that Law is dating Liza Rtishchev, who served as one of his assistant managers.
* Hosted
Saturday Night Live on
October 23 2004, the episode that featured the infamous
Ashlee Simpson lip-synching incident.
* On
November 17,
2004, Jude Law was named
People magazine's sexiest man alive.
Films
The Crane (1994) (short subject)
Shopping (1994)
I Love You, I Love You Not (1996)
Bent (1997)
Wilde (1997)
Gattaca (1997)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Music From Another Room (1998)
Final Cut (1998)
The Wisdom of Crocodiles (1998)
eXistenZ (1999)
Tube Tales (1999) (director)
Presence of Mind (1999)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Love, Honor and Obey (2000)
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
(2001)
Road to Perdition (2003)
Cold Mountain (2003)
I ♥ Huckabees (2004)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Alfie (2004)
Closer (2004)
The Aviator (2004)
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) (voice only)
All the King's Men (2006) (currently in post-production)
Breaking and Entering (2006)
The Holiday (2006) (currently in post-production)
Television
The Tailor of Gloucester (1989)
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes: Shoscombe Old Place (1991)
Families (1990â€"1993)
The Marshal (1993)
Operation Good Guys (1998)
*
Jude Law Fan Site*
