Jude Law wore a custom-made perfume designed to smell like sweat, blood and poop while playing the role of Henry VIII. That’s dedication for you, eh?
The 50-year-old star plays the Tudor king in the new period drama Firebrand, and is picking up rave reviews.
And it turns out The Holiday actor was willing to go above and beyond to make the character as realistic as possible, even choosing to splash on a custom-made scent that absolutely stank.
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Speaking during a press conference at the Cannes film festival this week, Law said: “I read several interesting accounts that you could smell Henry three rooms away.
“His leg was rotting so badly. He hid it with rose oil. I thought it would have a great impact if I smelt awful.”
Fair enough. I’m sure your co-stars loved that idea, mate.
In an attempt to smell as awful as possible, a specialist perfumer was enlisted to create the perfect(ly horrible) perfume.
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Law went on: “She makes wonderful scents, and she also makes awful scents. She somehow came up with this extraordinary variety of blood, fecal matter and sweat.”
The actor admitted to becoming very liberal with the perfume, adding: “Initially, I used it very subtly. But then it became a spray fest.”
The film’s director, Karim Aïnouz was quick to reveal that the perfume had the desired effect.
“When he walked in on set,” he said, “it was just horrible.”
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But it seems it was all worth it - the film was given an eight-minute standing ovation after it premiered at Cannes and the reviews for Law are glowing.
The Telegraph said Law is ‘horribly good’, while the Guardian said the actor ‘outrageously steals every scene’.
Somewhat bizarrely, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw questioned whether Law had used a ‘buttock double’, for one scene in which Henry VIII’s bottom - which is likened to the ‘giant, shaved arse of a sheep’ - is on display.
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The scene in question sees Henry and wife Catherine getting down to business and viewers are given an eyeful of the late monarch’s ample backside.
Bradshaw was not the only man questioning whether a stunt butt had been used, either.
The Times reviewer Kevin Maher wrote: A gasp-inducing shot of Henry’s enormous rolling buttocks suggests that Law has partaken in some alarmingly detrimental weight gain (he hasn’t!) or else clever editing, and a substitute posterior, is at work.”
Featured Image Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo / Magnolia Mae FilmsTopics: Cannes Film Festival, TV and Film