Alexander Larman

The reinvention of Jude Law

He has become one of the most exciting – and unpredictable – actors of our time

  • From Spectator Life
Jude Law at a screening of Peter Pan and Wendy in New York last month [Getty Images]

The late director Anthony Minghella made three films with actor Jude Law: The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain and Breaking and Entering. They would undoubtedly have made more if Minghella hadn’t died at the cruelly young age of 54 in 2008. He referred to the actor as ‘my muse’, but had a more perceptive comment about him too. ‘Jude is a beautiful boy with the mind of a man. A true character actor struggling to get out of a beautiful body.’

For years, Law seemed to struggle with the weight of his good looks, taking on mediocre roles that talent agencies and producers had shoehorned him into. Now, at the age of 50, he has embraced middle age and the greater opportunities for versatility it offers. He is a true character actor in a handsome, rather than beautiful, man’s body, and one of the most exciting – and unpredictable – thespians working today.

Law’s latest performance, as Captain Hook in David Lowery’s new Peter Pan and Wendy, offers ample proof of his talent and versatility. The role of Hook is often an actor’s graveyard, condemning the likes of Jason Isaacs and Dustin Hoffman to overblown buffoonery. But Law imbues what can be a stock villain with both poignancy and menace, even as he sports a ratty moustache and hideous, straggly hair. Lowery’s film is hardly the animated Peter Pan, but amid its quirkiness and revisionism, Law’s performance stands out for both its eccentricity and commitment. Twenty-four years ago, he was a golden, loathsome Dickie Greenleaf in Ripley; now, he’s a different kind of plunderer altogether, but remains as scene-stealingly excellent as he ever was.

For years, Law seemed to struggle with the weight of his good looks, being shoehorned into mediocre roles. Now, at 50, he has embraced middle age and the greater opportunities for versatility it offers

It seems bizarre to recall that there was a time when Law was so ubiquitous, often in undistinguished films, that Chris Rock mercilessly mocked him at the 2005 Oscars.

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