Jude Law Opens Up About His Choice to Wear ‘Musky’ Perfume for Latest Film; Details Inside
English actor and The Holiday star Jude Law explains why he wore a foul-smelling perfume to portray King Henry VIII in his new movie, Firebrand. At the 2024 Tribeca Festival on June 11, the 51-year-old actor shared that the perfume had scents of blood and fecal matter for the historical drama.
“It was a stinky method,” Law told PEOPLE magazine, describing the perfume and other techniques he used to get into character for his movie with Alicia Vikander and filmmaker Karim Aïnouz.
“Karim creates a 360-degree environment for acting, where you don’t know where the camera is, making it feel real,” Law said. “The scent was a big part of that, making it smell and feel authentic.”
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Law and Vikander’s Firebrand explores the final months of Henry VIII’s reign
Law and Vikander’s movie Firebrand is set in the last months of Henry VIII’s rule in 16th century England, highlighting conflicts with his wife Katherine Parr.
The Closer movie star further explained that to create authenticity, they kept rooms cold with open windows and had animals present, which was true to the time. His bad smell added to this. He learned that Henry VIII had a stench from his rotten legs, making it interesting for others to fawn over him while trying not to retch.
Law first talked about the strong-smelling perfume after the movie’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023. “I started using it subtly for personal impact, but when Karim got it, it turned into a spray-fest,” he said at a press conference.
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Vikander rules Tudor court in Firebrand before Henry VIII’s demise
The festival’s synopsis for Firebrand says it tracks Vikander’s character navigating the Tudor court’s dangers before Henry VIII’s death.
The synopsis portrays Parr as a champion of change whose progressive ideas clash with the ailing and paranoid king. Henry appoints her as Regent, leading courtiers to plot against her and question her loyalty to the King.
Aïnouz tells PEOPLE that he made the movie because he felt Parr’s character was overlooked in modern media. “Everyone knows about Henry VIII and the women he killed, but so little is said about the one who survived,” he says. For me, it’s about repairing that gap in history. I hope it’s just the start of celebrating her remarkable story.” To learn more, fans can watch Firebrand when it hits theatres on Friday, June 14.
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