The only time Jude Law embraced the method: “Please don’t have a heart attack”
When you think of Jude Law, the words charming, softly spoken and handsome probably spring to mind. As do his roles of suave, upper-class Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley or the countryside widower of The Holiday.
A term like ‘method acting’ probably doesn’t. He is, of course, a superb actor, but unlike someone like Christian Bale, he’s not necessarily known for intense commitment to his roles. He seems like the more classically trained, off-the-cuff kind of guy. But for one role, he embraced a touch of the method.
The 2013 comedy crime drama Dom Hemingway saw Law gain weight, embrace his receding hair line and don the accent of a cockney geezer. In fact, the role was pretty much that of a cockney geezer who just so happens to be an expert safecracker, just released from jail and making up for lost time.
Clearly, Law was trying to branch out of his usual kinds of roles, attempting to give himself an edge as he aged. Playing against type and method acting are two roads to this that he decided to embrace all in one fell swoop.
Director Richard Shepard wanted to see a different, slightly less suave and handsome side to Law and so he encouraged him to pile on the pounds. “I was banned from exercise and just encouraged to eat all the wrong stuff,” he explained at the film’s premiere, “I ate a lot of red meat, a lot of steaks and burgers, and ice cream.”
In the end, he gained 15 kilograms for the role. Now, I’m not saying that’s not a fair amount of weight to gain, or that it must have been jarring for a heartthrob of his ilk to let go of his vanity in this way, but compared to the extremes other actors have gone to with ‘method acting’, it seems a little tame.
And honestly, he still manages to look fairly good in the film. After all, he’s still Jude Law, and it’s really not that extreme. Not to compare them yet again, but it’s got nothing on Bale’s losing 27kg for The Machinist only to gain 45kg in muscle for Batman. And really, Law does a great job at the accent and the whole vibe, really begging the question: was it necessary?
Sure, he looks rough around the edges, and realism is always appreciated, but when you’ve got the director worrying you’re going to have a heart attack before filming wraps, and the film only does mildly well, is it all worth it?
It’s very clear in the film that Law is having a lot of fun, especially considering he’s starring alongside the inimitable Richard E Grant. But without this duo, the film doesn’t really stand on its own. And this is due to Law’s talent, not to his ability to gain weight. We have SFX artists for a reason. Please, for the love of god, use them!!
