Jude Law is back in the headlines for gorging on late-night pasta and ice cream in the name of art. That’s right, the once-heartthrob is now waddling through Hollywood as a bloated, bedridden Henry VIII.
The 51-year-old actor recently spilled the beans to The Sunday Times, detailing his “most extreme transformation yet.” Forget The Talented Mr. Ripley or Closer—this time, it’s all about embodying a 28-stone king who was less a monarch and more a human blob. Jude described his character as a “paraplegic gorilla”—a power move, for sure, but also “weirdly helpless.”
What did Jude do to prepare for his big bloated moment? Late-night pasta and ice cream, naturally. Because apparently, that’s the secret to getting the “bigger face” that’s crucial for playing a man who, by all historical accounts, was the picture of gluttony. For those keeping track, Jude was gorging himself on carbs not for personal indulgence (wink, wink), but for the art of transforming into a man who could barely walk.
In true Hollywood fashion, Jude’s excuse for not going all the way was that he only had four months to prepare. Instead, he relied on bodysuits, weights in his shoes, and some good old-fashioned beard-growing to get into the role.
For those of us who remember Jude in his heyday—when he was the golden boy of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, and the Alfie remake—it’s a little jarring to see him puffing up to play a grotesque Henry VIII.
Let’s leave it to Hollywood to throw around the term “domestic abuse” in a way that feels more like a PR tactic than a genuine conversation starter. Jude Law is now playing the victim—sorry, “paraplegic gorilla”—in a film that, according to him, is a reflection of today’s issues.
The English actor is also starring in The Order, a historical crime film that just premiered at the Venice Film Festival. In this one, he plays Terry Husk, a washed-up FBI agent facing off against a real-life white supremacist group. The film, based on The Silent Brotherhood biography, might actually have some relevance given the rise of far-right ideologies. The movie received a seven-minute standing ovation at Venice. Did Jude really knock it out of the park as a washed-up FBI agent? Well, it seems to appear so. Either way, the film is hitting Prime Video soon, so you can judge for yourself. But don’t be surprised if you’re more focused on Jude’s mustache than anything else.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Jude Law’s career is somehow still chugging along, albeit in a bloated, bedridden Henry VIII kind of way. He’s stuffing his face with ice cream, growing mustaches, and trying to make us care about long-forgotten kings and FBI agents. Will he win another Oscar? Let us know what you think in the comments! And while you’re here, don’t forget to smash that like button, subscribe to our channel, and hit the notification bell for more juicy celebrity gossip!
