Jude Law at 50: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Stardom

British actor Jude Law celebrated his 50th birthday on December 29th. In honor of this milestone, journalist Elena Basse prepared a special interview with the actor for “City of Women.” In this exclusive interview, Jude Law opens up about his career, life philosophy, children, mentors, and much more.

The Handsome Actor with a Complex

It’s hard to believe that one of the most attractive actors of our time has turned 50. Yes, the very same British heartthrob who, at the age of 25, was cast as the genetically perfect man in the futuristic drama “Gattaca” and as the youth of extraordinary beauty in “Wilde,” which drove the Victorian poet wild, has reached this significant age.

Soon, we will see him as the one-handed Captain Hook in “Peter Pan & Wendy” and as the young Albus Dumbledore in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.” It won’t be long before this famous heartthrob starts to frighten not only children but also adults.

Despite this, Jude feels comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t seem to be lamenting his lost youth. On the contrary, he is more confident than ever. This is because, surprisingly, his mature age has helped him overcome his long-standing “handsome actor” complex.

A Fruitful Life: 50 Roles and Six Children

David Jude Law was born just a few days before the new year of 1973 in a London suburb. His parents, both raised in foster families, were already raising their daughter Natasha. As teachers, they supported their children’s passion for the arts from an early age and gave them complete freedom in choosing their life paths.

Thus, they did not oppose Jude’s decision to leave school at the age of 16 to dedicate himself entirely to the acting profession. At that time, the future actor also chose to change his first name “David” to his middle name “Jude,” which he received at birth. According to family legend, he was named after two heroes: the protagonist of Thomas Hardy’s novel “Jude the Obscure” and the famous Beatles song “Hey, Jude!”.

Fortunately, Jude Law did not make a mistake in choosing his life path. Over more than 30 years of his professional career, the British actor has played in more than 50 roles in both cinema and television. This does not include his numerous theatrical works on the stages of the most prestigious theaters in London and New York.

If we add to his professional activities the fact that he has become the father of six children born to four women, then the definition of “fruitful” would best describe his life.

Career Path: From “Minefield” to “I Think I Will Survive”

It’s no secret that his attractive appearance and sex appeal played a significant role in this. This fact caused Jude Law a lot of anxiety when choosing roles, especially at the beginning of his career. He did not want to be typecast as just a handsome actor.

This is why he almost turned down the role of Dickie Greenleaf, the golden boy from “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” When Anthony Minghella, who had already won an Oscar for Best Director and Screenplay for his previous film “The English Patient,” offered Jude Law a role in the new film, the actor was only 27 years old. At that time, the young actor wanted to play extraordinary roles and would have preferred to transform into a hunchback rather than another handsome man.

Fortunately, Jude realized in time that he should not neglect the opportunity to become part of an acting ensemble consisting of such young and talented artists as Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Subsequently, Jude Law’s performance in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was highly praised by both audiences and critics. The New York Times called him an “incredibly talented” actor who “not only is stunningly handsome but also managed to endow his character, Dickie, with a maniacal, teasing power of manipulation that spreads to everyone around him regardless of gender.”

It seems that over time, Jude Law has learned to use his charm and sex appeal to create extraordinary characters such as Lenny Belardo, the hero of the TV series “The Young Pope” and “The New Pope.” The creator of these series, Paolo Sorrentino, who invited Jude Law to play the role of the American Pope, saw in the British actor exactly the traits that his character needed.

During my meeting with Paolo at the Venice Film Festival three years ago, the Italian director explained his choice by saying that it was important to him that Lenny Belardo was not only young but also handsome. At the same time, it is obvious that the mind of the Roman Pope would not be occupied with thoughts of his own beauty. In Sorrentino’s opinion, Jude Law was perfect for this role precisely because he not only does not focus on his own beauty but also does not consider it a particular virtue.

Paolo said:

“Jude needs to be constantly reminded that he is handsome. Moreover, he has a wonderful combination of childlike spontaneity and curiosity with the intellect of an adult. And also, he has qualities such as kindness, the ability to focus, and a strong work ethic, which are incredibly important when working with an artist. Especially with a constantly tight schedule over 7 months.”

This is the absolute truth. I have had the opportunity to speak with Jude Law several times, and each time I was captivated not only by his charisma and style but also by his sincerity and kindness towards his interlocutor.

During one of these conversations, which took place during the pandemic, Jude shared his thoughts on how his artistic self-perception had gradually changed with age. It was hard not to appreciate not only his ability to analyze but also his self-irony.

Thus, he compared his 20-year-old self to a “minefield,” if only because every decision he made could have been his last as an actor. He called his 30s the period of “Oh my God, I think I will survive!”. And only when he turned 40 did he realize: “Oh God, it turns out that the roles offered to me finally have more texture.” This is why he enjoys his current position as an actor when no one expects him to turn into a golden boy or a “beautiful youth” anymore.

At the same time, he is amused by the fact that many of his characters have suddenly started to be perceived as “young”: the young Pope or the young Dumbledore. Speaking about this phenomenon, he makes his signature “big eyes,” learn more about Jude Law on IMDb.