The life-changing role Jude Law almost turned down: “Can you imagine?”
Jude Law still feels like a big star, despite the fact that he hasn’t been in anything major for a while, and sure, he’s been in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Captain Marvel, and the Fantastic Beasts franchise, but none of it has stuck like it used to.
You may wonder if he is not as big a deal anymore or if the landscape of culture has changed that dramatically since he first broke through, but none of this conversation would mean anything if Law hadn’t appeared in The Talented Mr Ripley. In 1999, an excellent year for film, the handsome Englishman played Dickie Greenleaf in Anthony Minghella’s acclaimed adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, a spoiled aristocrat who falls victim to the titular conman, played by Matt Damon, who attempts to infiltrate and eventually steal his lavish lifestyle.
The movie earned Law an Oscar nomination and catapulted him to worldwide fame, but it almost never happened, as he revealed in a conversation with Vanity Fair, looking back over his lengthy career. He spoke about the part that made him a household name as he claimed that an unnamed figure in his inner circle initially advised against him playing Dickie, claiming that it would lead to him being “boxed in”.
“I was being told by this guy, ‘Don’t take this’, and I believed him,” he recalled, “Can you imagine, if I took that single film away from my experience? My life would be very different. He couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m so glad that it proved him wrong, because there’s also a great tale there about Hollywood, which is: Catch the ball and run.”
Law went as far as initially declining Minghella’s offer to star in the movie, leaving the director high and dry, his reasons for saying no including his desire not to play a ‘pretty boy’, as well as the concerns raised by this mysterious individual.
He eventually realised that he’d made a horrible mistake when he saw who else was involved in the project, and luckily, Minghella still wanted him, so he came on board, and the rest is history.
In hindsight, it’s astounding that a young Law thought he was in any sort of position to be turning down movie roles, for at that point in his career, his CV mostly included plays, bit parts on TV, and the odd film here and there. It was one of these movies, The Wisdom of Crocodiles, that caught the attention of producer Carolyn Choa, who was married to Minghella at the time, and when the director caught a glimpse of Law in the dailies for the movie, he decided he’d be perfect for his upcoming project.
As we all know, Law made the right call by changing his mind, which not only made him a star but he helped establish the Ripley story as something of a modern classic, which also led to another collaboration with Minghella on the 2003 film Cold Mountain, which landed the actor a second Oscar nomination.
We might never know who initially advised Law not to accept the role, but we can say for sure that he’s not on his Christmas card list anymore.
