For nearly three decades, Jude Law has made quite a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s leading actors. Throughout his career, however, he’s faced a number of challenges — both personally and professionally.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the 51-year-old British actor — who is currently starring in the new Disney+ series, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” — opened up about the “uncertainties” of Hollywood and explained why he doesn’t have any regrets.
“No, [I don’t have regrets]. Not really. I mean, I just don’t think you can spend your time looking back on life like that,” said Law. “You live and you learn, and part of being in a career in a creative business is that you are really learning on a daily basis because you are making different things, several different things over a short period of time with very different people, with different hopes and aspirations.”
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Jude Law opened up about the “uncertainties” of Hollywood. (Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)
“One minute you can be in a low-budget indie film, the next minute you’re in a tentpole kind of franchise like [‘Star Wars’], and they have different demands and challenges, and you’ve got to be open to learning, open to failing, picking yourself up and getting on with it,” he added.
In a recent interview with GQ Magazine UK, Law opened up about his 2004 romantic comedy “Alfie,” calling it a “bad move” on his part. The film made only $35 million worldwide on a reported $60 million production budget, according to Variety.
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“I was in a really strong position [at that time] because I’d just had another [Oscar] nomination on the back of ‘Cold Mountain,'” Law said. “For ‘Alfie’ to be the film I chose to do quite soon after that, I think was a bad move. I just felt it hadn’t elevated [the material] and felt a little light, a little too cheesy. I think it was made for too much money, and I was probably paid too much money, which I underestimated at the time. I kicked myself that I’d done something that was leaning into the heartthrob and the charismatic lead and it hadn’t worked.”
Despite the hiccup, Law told Fox News Digital he looked on it as a learning experience.
The British actor said he’s learned a lot over the past three decades. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
“It just wasn’t for my taste and the film I thought it was going to be,” he said. “I put undue pressure on it, or we put undue pressure on it with the budget, and you live and learn. And so, to me, the fact that it didn’t make the money back shifted my career somewhat or slightly. Hindsight’s sometimes a good thing, sometimes not a good thing, but it just sat in a complicated part of me, I suppose my relationship with it, but really it’s more aesthetics. I mean, I love that people like it and if they like it, it just didn’t quite hit the note that I hoped it would. That’s all.”
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“I still had a really good experience making that film and learned a lot from it and the experience,” he added.
In his latest effort, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” Law stars as Jod Na Nawood, a Force-user who is a possible Jedi.
“I really got the concept I really liked,” he told Fox News Digital of his decision to take on the role. “I thought it was a refreshing perspective on this much-loved universe, and I love that it connected in a way to the innocent or inspired boy. I was watching the first [‘Star Wars’] film in the late ’70s. To take that, and make the protagonists of our story, that was just beautiful. And then they had this wonderful character for me who was complicated, contradictory, different things to different people.”
Law currently stars in the new Disney+ series, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.” (Matt Kennedy/©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM)
According to the show’s synopsis, “Skeleton Crew” follows “the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home — and meeting unlikely allies and enemies — will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.”
Regarding his time filming the project, Law said, “It was a lovely experience, all in all.”
When it comes to his personal life, the actor — who’s been nominated for various Oscars and Golden Globe Awards throughout his career — has made it a point to remain as private as possible.
“There’s huge amounts of me that no one knows about, that I’ve never given in to reveal, or have any interest in revealing,” Law told GQ. “And it gets frustrating sometimes, because I’ve been in the public eye for nearly 30 years and I feel like there are certain perceptions that I can’t really change [that] people have of me because of narratives that have been written, or rehashed stories from decades ago that are constantly poked at. But I don’t think there’s enough of me out there for people to see me in a part and think: I don’t buy that! I hope not.”
Jude Law said there are “huge amounts” that people don’t know about him. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
Given Hollywood’s curveballs, the actor said his one constant has proven to be a huge influence.
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“Meeting [wife] Phil and falling in love with her and the relationship we’ve been in has been a huge influence on my life,” he told GQ. “I’ve never felt happier. I’ve never felt more supported. And my home has felt incredibly safe and secure. I don’t want this to sound like it never was before, but when you meet someone in particular, and you click, and they understand your work and your needs, you are in a good place. So I felt hugely nurtured by that and by her.”
“Also, Phil’s a psychologist. So we enjoy a very healthy relationship where we talk a lot about how we feel, our relationships with friends, relationships with our families, and she has a wonderful perspective on all of that,” he added.
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” an eight-episode series, will premiere its first two episodes on Monday, with future episodes set to be released on Tuesdays for the rest of the season.
