Few actors would be willing to douse themselves in the filthy stench of blood and feces to get into character, but not Jude Law.
For his forthcoming film, Firebrand, the Sherlock Holmes star went above and beyond to immerse himself into the role of the infamous King of England, Henry VIII. Some might say he ended up going too far, but as it turns out, smelling “awful” was somehow key for the English actor to unlock his true potential. Who’s going to tell him that the audience can’t smell him through the screen?
Firebrand – Jude Law Covered Himself in Awful Stench on Set
Karim Aïnouz’s Firebrand is an upcoming historical drama based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s 2013 novel, Queen’s Gambit; painting a portrait of Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr, the movie stars Jude Law as the notorious and obese king, and Alicia Vikander as his bride who ended up outliving the chaotic ruler.
Portraying the King of England on-screen is no short of a colossal challenge, and nailing the delivery even more difficult. So, to make his performance more convincing and really lodge himself into character, Law, 50, decided to suffuse himself in a miasma of a preposterous combination of “puss, blood, fecal matter, and sweat.”
Back when he ruled England, people could get a whiff of Henry VIII’s stink from as far as three rooms away owing to his “rotting” leg. And, after reading “several interesting accounts” about the same, the Marvel star just knew he had to reek to get a hang of the role. “I just thought it would have a great impact if I smelled awful,” Law said at Firebrand‘s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
And thanks to a “brilliant perfumier,” Law thus became the pride owner of a concoction of probably the vilest smells known to mankind. “She somehow managed to come up with this extraordinary variety which was puss, blood, fecal matter, and […] sweat,” the Academy Award nominee noted. “Initially, I used it very subtly, I sort of thought I’d use it myself and that would have an impact.” Turns out, as harrowing as the smell had been, it was a “wonderful” tactic that worked out in Law’s favor, as remarked by the director.
Fans Are Horrified at Jude Law’s Extreme Methods
The Fantastic Beasts 3 star took the blood and sweat part too seriously from the “blood, sweat, and tears” phrase, and fans are positively appalled.
While one Twitter user claimed it to be a futile and excessive measure for Law to sprinkle such a vicious stench on himself, another pointed out how terrible an experience it must’ve been for his co-stars on set. Poor Vikander!
i don’t think that was necessary jude law
— 👤 (@nosoyanxo) May 22, 2023
poor alicia jesus fucking christ… method acting it ok as long but not when it's so nasty and horrid to your coworkers… what the fuck is wrong with him
— adi (@folieadieux) May 22, 2023
So extra and for what ?
— Gaku 👁⃤ One-Eye (@BeanJaay) May 22, 2023
None of these words are in the Bible.
— Matt Smith emmy campaigner (@wenbbilliams) May 22, 2023
Alicia Vikander standing next to Jude Law on the Firebrand set
— David Grimmett (@TheDGrimmett) May 22, 2023
While Law’s methods might have been over the top, the film does seem to be a spectacle given the eight-minute standing ovation that it received ahead of its Cannes premiere. Critics, however, seem to be narrating a different story with Firebrand amassing mixed reviews from them. Looks like the only way to tell whether it deserved the standing ovation is to wait for its theatrical release.
A release date for Firebrand‘s world premiere is yet to be released.
Source: Film Updates | Twitter
