Jude Law: ‘Playing Henry VIII messed up my back. I’m still trying to sort it out’

Why did the paps used to call you “Celebrity Dave”? peter1234
I didn’t know the paps call me Celebrity Dave! If they do, it’s probably because the name in my passport is David Jude as opposed to Jude David. No one’s ever called me David. My mum and dad called me Jude. It was just one of those odd things they did.

You were recently quoted as saying: “I didn’t feel like I really ever leaned into playing handsome. I was trying to play against my looks in my early 20s, and now that I’m saggy and balding, I wish I had played it up.” You were joking, right? NonDairyCanary
I think I was slightly misquoted. What I meant was, in my 20s, I was very conscious of wanting to be taken seriously and play a variety of dramatic roles, so not to be simply cast in the sort of good-looking roles. I played it out in my own head with a lot of agitation and drama. As you get older and you’re no longer cast in those roles, you think: “What was I thinking?” I suppose I can understand a 22-year-old wanting a healthy, broad career. The good aspect of getting into middle age is that your characters can carry a little more complexity.

My mum, Wendy Parke, remembers you from when she was a dresser at the National Youth Music Theatre. She’s 94 next month and says hi. What part did the NYMT play in your career? Taskman
Ah, I remember Wendy from the National Youth Music Theatre. Happy birthday, Wendy! I have very fond memories of everybody there. It was a very formative part of my life, from 13 to 17. There was a great sense of camaraderie, like you were finally meeting your own people. It was the first time I’d ever met someone from Eton, but also the first time I’d ever met someone from Cumbria. To get in you had to audition for the weekend at a workshop where I guess they check you out and make sure you’ve got some sort of talent and that you’re not a maniac. I wrote off, got accepted and when I turned up, they obviously assumed that I was a girl, and was put in the girls dorm. Obviously, they rectified it pretty quickly.

Your transformation as Henry VIII is like nothing you have done before. What was the most challenging part? Bingbangbeng
Getting the movement and size plausible and accurate. His clothes were voluminous with multilayers to demonstrate his wealth, on top of which he wore all this jewellery. I tried to put on weight. I built up my upper body because I wanted him to be powerful across the chest and upper arms, but withered as he got to his legs. His legs were bloated with infection, so I had to get the gait for someone in chronic pain, which messed up my back. I chose painful shoes that messed with the way I walked that had a bad effect on my right hip, which I’m still trying to sort out. I didn’t wear prosthetics because I didn’t want to be covered in plastic, so it’s my own beard.

AI: Artificial Intelligence is one of the saddest movies I’ve seen. What was your experience of playing Gigolo Joe, and did the ending have the same spiritual impact on you as it did me? Aubrey26
It was an extraordinary experience. I was in the hands of Steven Spielberg, one of the great masters of cinema. Learning from him and experiencing his process was great. We were using an early form of CGI blue screen that hadn’t been used before and has since become obsolete. There was all sorts of extraordinary stuff I’d never experienced. As for the spiritual, I always loved the idea that this robot had this awakening that he existed, which is such a huge jump for a robot. And that’s what I always hoped would be the effect of his death. So, I agree. I think there is a melancholy that makes it rather beautiful and poetic.

I sold you a bottle of bubbly in the VIP tent at the Oxford South Park Radiohead gig, 2001, for which you left a generous tip. Thank you. Have you always liked Radiohead? Helena_Hancart

I’ve always adored Radiohead. I think they are just blistering with talent. I listen to their music regularly. They’re one of the great bands. I’ve worked with Vampire Weekend [reading a poem on their 2019 album Father of the Bride] because Ezra [Koenig] is an old friend of mine. If Thom Yorke and his band want me to do anything, I would be honoured.

Have you ever had a ghostly experience? AtcAtc
I’ve never seen a ghost, no. And I find it hard to believe in things I’ve never experienced or seen. But I’m open to listening to people that have.

Which is the most stressful: acting on stage or supporting Spurs? Blackavar
Oh, supporting Spurs, undoubtedly! Because acting, you have some input, control, and say over; I’ve rehearsed, I know what I’m doing. By the time you open, you hope the nerves have gone. But watching Spurs can be just terribly upsetting and unnerving because you have no control.

When researching for a role, what’s been the biggest take away you’ve brought into everyday life? Did starring in Enemy at the Gates improve your skills on the fairground rifle range? DonalIre and EdithClunge
One of the great benefits of trying to see the world from other people’s perspectives means you get a broader perspective on humanity and on the world. I’d like to think all the characters I’ve played have left some kind of trace. Even if you’re playing someone awful, you try and empathise to understand, which I think is a healthy thing in life. With Ripley, I learned to sail and a bit of the saxophone. I’ve learned to shoot, which I don’t use in everyday life, particularly. I learned to play the harpsichord for Henry VIII. That was a treat. I did a lot of dance classes for Gigolo Joe in AI. But I’m not down the shooting range, no. And sadly I don’t pick up my sax, although I probably should.

At what point in your career have you been the happiest? Makro_DK
Probably now. I have a great sense of who I am, what I’ve done and what I hope to do. I like to think I’ve always been picky. The interesting thing about getting older is that you could play characters similar to those you’ve played in the past, but they’re now in their 50s. I like the idea of playing Dickie Greenleaf now he’s in his 50s, had he survived in Ripley. What would that type of playboy guy be like now? Or a rusty old gigolo robot who is 30 years older than the glossy new one. But really it’s always about curiosity and looking for fresh ground.

Aren’t you sick to death of Hey Jude? I would be. Stechriswillgil
Not at all. I love that song. Thank God it’s such a wonderful song. I have a very personal attachment because it’s a song my mum loved, so in truth it reminds me of her. I think it’s a brilliant song and I’m glad I have any kind of association with it. Do people sing it at me when I walk into the room? They will now.

• Firebrand is in cinemas now.