The new Law in Hollywood: The blue-eyed star is hot
There’s no avoiding Jude Law these days.
Already on screen as the superhero pilot in “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and as a businessman in “I (Heart) Huckabees,” he stars as the British womanizer in the new “Alfie” and can be seen later this year playing opposite Julia Roberts in the Mike Nichols drama “Closer.” He also supplies the voice of Lemony Snicket in the upcoming “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
“Jude is like an old-style Hollywood Douglas Fairbanks with more talent,” says his “Alfie” co-star, Susan Sarandon.
When asked if a good-looking man is necessarily as promiscuous as Alfie is in the movie, Law, a sinewy, sandy-haired Brit with mischievous blue eyes, replies: “Ask Paul Newman.”
Law is 31, divorced from actress Sadie Frost and father to their three children, Rafferty, 8, Iris, 3, and Rudy, 2. He has two Oscar nominations under his belt (“Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”). He met his current girlfriend, 22-year-old British actress Sienna Miller, on the set of “Alfie.” She recently denied that Law has proposed.
Co-star Jane Krakowski met Law for the first time on the “Alfie” set the day they had to film a racy scene in the back of a limo. She was embarrassed. He was shy. So they spent an hour discussing it before the filming started.
“He’s a full-fledged, bona fide movie star,” the Tony Award-winning actress explains. “But he approaches each role as a character actor. He doesn’t rely on his looks and he works on all of his choices.”
The part of Alfie, an unrepentant womanizer who gets a lesson in life when one of the women he beds becomes pregnant, made a star of Michael Caine in 1966. The remake, directed by Charles Shyer, is set in New York City, but Alfie is still British, sexually casual and clueless when it comes to women’s feelings.
One of the gimmicks from the original movie has been retained for the remake: Alfie talks directly to the camera from time to time, relating whatever comes to mind. The role requires Law to be on screen in nearly every scene and play Alfie in a way that doesn’t turn him into a cad.
Alfie’s lifestyle is one in which Law claims to have only briefly dabbled.
“I like to think everyone – man and woman – identifies with this guy,” Law says of the character. “Yeah, I had my Alfie days. I think it happened in my late teens. Suddenly you’re legally allowed in bars and clubs. The world offers itself to you.
“But if you look at my life, I was someone who always looked for commitment. That’s my makeup. That’s why I got married and had children.
“I think the beautiful thing about this film is there are so many levels to it. It’s not just about a guy who likes to mess around. It’s about relationships. Every one of us recognizes the survival tactics of a relationship in this film. We’ve all been the dump-ee or the dump-er at some point in our lives.”
The birthday bunch
Actress Shelley Morrison (“Will & Grace”) is 68. Actor Bob Hoskins is 62. “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak is 58. Actress Jaclyn Smith is 57. Musician Bootsy Collins is 53. Guitarist Keith Strickland of the B-52’s is 51. Actress Rita Wilson is 46. Actor Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”) is 43. Actor Cary Elwes is 42. Singer Natalie Merchant is 41. Actor Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) is 36. Singer Mark Barry of BBMak is 26.