Jude Law

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Jude Law

Law at the 2001 Berlinale
(photo by Michael Weiner)
Birth name David Jude Heyworth Law
Born December 29, 1972 (age 33) [1]
Lewisham, South London, England
Notable roles Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley
Harlen Maguire in Road to Perdition
W. P. Inman in Cold Mountain
Dan in Closer
Jerome Eugene Morrow in Gattaca

David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an Academy Award nominated English actor, who is known as Jude Law.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Law was born in Lewisham, South London, England to teachers, Peter and Maggie Law. 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 of 12 and, at 17, he dropped out of school completely. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. which he later dropped out of.

[edit] Career

Law's first major stage role was as Foxtrot Darling, the sexually ambiguous and manipulative teenager in Philip Ridley's The Fastest Clock In The Universe. Law went on to appear 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, including a two year stint in the Granada TV soap opera Families, 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)
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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 2003.

Law's career suffered a major decline during 2004. The remake of Alfie was a box-office flop, earning 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. I ♥ Huckabees, which flopped at the box office, did obtain modest critical "indie" praise. Law was famously the butt of a joke by Chris Rock at the 2005 Academy Awards, which preceded Law's departure from the Creative Artists Agency.[2] At the awards ceremony, Sean Penn, who had worked with Law rebuked Rock, but was notably 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.

In addition, he was asked by Superman Returns director Bryan Singer to play General Zod, but the character was eliminated from the script. However, recent news suggests Law will play General Zod in the Superman Returns prequel.

[edit] Personal life

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 on October 5, 2002, daughter Iris had swallowed an ecstasy tablet she'd apparently found on the floor, and was rushed to the hospital.[1]

In 2005, Frost and Law reached a divorce settlement after nearly two years of negotiations. Frost kept the couple's $4 million London house in Primrose Hill, and received payments from Law totalling $2 million.[2]

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 girlfriend, Pearl Lowe. Lowe has confirmed the affairs, but Law and Frost have denied them.[3]

Law became engaged to Sienna Miller, his co-star in Alfie.[4] 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 [3]. 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 at the news and ended their engagement. [4]. The latest reports from May 29, 2006 state that Miller and Law are "working things out".[5]. On November 12, 2006 Sienna Miller and Jude Law made public their relationship is over.[4]

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • In the novel Saint by author Ted Dekker, the main antagonist, known as Englishman, thought that he looked like Jude Law.
  • A song by the band Brand New is titled "Jude Law and A Semester Abroad".
  • The term "the Jude Laws" is used by British hairdressers when talking about hair recession above the temples.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Films

[edit] Television


[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Reuters news services. "Jude Law, Sadie Frost divorce", Sydney Morning Herald, 2003-10-30. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
  2. ^ "Jude's pricy divorce", Metro, 2006-12-11. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
  3. ^ "Pearl Lowe confirms wife swapping with Jude Law and Sadie Frost", UPI News Service, 2005-02-15. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
  4. ^ a b Norman, Pete. "Jude Law and Sienna Miller Call It Quits", People, 2006-11-12. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
  5. ^ Miller and Law 'working things out'. WENN (2006-05-29). Retrieved on 2006-12-11.

[edit] External links

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