Method Acting Gone Too Far: Jude Law Tells Press at Cannes He Wore a Truly Disgusting Perfume to Portray Henry VIII in New Film
Photo by: Rocco Spaziani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Film sets can be stressful places for a variety of reasons — budget and time pressures, actors and directors with diva personalities, dangerous or unpleasant filming locations — but the set of Jude Law’s latest movie was apparently a method-acting-inflicted malodorous mess.
The film, Firebrand, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, is a historical drama about King Henry VIII and his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr, with Law playing the role of the oft-married English monarch.
Law’s quest for historical accuracy took him down some dark and fetid places, according to a report by Variety.
Besides the 16th century custom of infrequent baths, Henry had a series of health problems in his final years — including obesity, chronic leg ulcers, and gout — that contributed to a less-than-majestic personal odor.
“I read several interesting accounts that you could smell Henry three rooms away,” Law told reporters at Monday’s presser at Cannes to promote the film. “His leg was rotting so badly. He hid it with rose oil.”
“I thought it would have a great impact if I smelt awful,” Law continued, and explained that he sought out a perfume specialist who “somehow came up with this extraordinary variety of blood, fecal matter and sweat.”
According to Law, he “used it very subtly” at first but then “it became a spray-fest.”
The pungent perfume might have helped Law get into the mindset of his troubled character, but Variety’s report describes the “stinky brew” as having “permeated the entire production.”
Firebrand director Karim Aïnouz was not a fan, shaking his head when asked about it.
“When Jude walked in on set,” he said, “it was just horrible.”
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