[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jude_law_1626.jpg]]
->''"I don't want to do anything that I'm not passionate about."''

David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972 in Lewisham), known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.

He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989. After starring in films directed by Creator/AndrewNiccol, Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/DavidCronenberg, he was nominated for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor in 1999 for his performance in Anthony Minghella's ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley''. In 2000, he won a Best Supporting Actor UsefulNotes/{{BAFTA}} Award for his work in the film. In 2003, he was nominated for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor for his performance in another Minghella film, ''Literature/ColdMountain''. He is also known for his role as Dr. John Watson in the ''Film/{{Sherlock Holmes|2009}}'' film series alongside Creator/RobertDowneyJr as Holmes. In 2017, he was cast as Albus Dumbledore in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' {{Prequel}} series ''Film/FantasticBeasts''.

In 2006, he was ranked as [[HollywoodHypeMachine one of the top ten most bankable film stars in Hollywood]]. In 2007, he received an Honorary César and was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government

Not to be confused with Creator/JenniferLawrence, who is sometimes referred to by the nickname "J-Law".
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!! Selected filmography:
* ''Literature/TheTailorOfGloucester'' (1989) as Sam, Mayor's Stableboy
* ''[[Series/SherlockHolmes The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes]]'' (1991) as Joe Barnes
* ''Film/{{Shopping}}'' (1994) as Billy
* ''Film/{{Bent}}'' (1997) as Stormtrooper
* ''Film/{{Gattaca}}'' (1997) as Jerome Eugene Morrow
* ''Film/MidnightInTheGardenOfGoodAndEvil'' (1997) as Billy Carl Hanson
* ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}'' (1999) as Ted Pikul
* ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley'' (1999) as Dickie Greenleaf
* ''Film/EnemyAtTheGates'' (2001) as Vasily Zaytsev
* ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'' (2001) as Gigolo Joe
* ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' (2002) as Harlen Maguire
* ''Literature/ColdMountain'' (2003) as W.P. Inman
* ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'' (2004) as Brad Stand
* ''Film/{{Alfie}}'' (2004) as Alfie
* ''Film/{{Closer}}'' (2004) as Dan
* ''Film/TheAviator'' (2004) as Creator/ErrolFlynn
* ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' (2004) as Sky Captain / Joseph Sullivan
* ''Film/{{A Series of Unfortunate Events|2004}}'' (2004) as Lemony Snicket
* ''Film/{{Breaking and Entering|2006}}'' (2006) as Will Francis
* ''Literature/AllTheKingsMen'' (2006) as Jack Burden
* ''Film/TheHoliday'' (2006) as Graham
* ''Theatre/{{Sleuth}}'' (2007) as Milo
* ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus'' (2009) as Tony (2nd transformation)
* ''Film/{{Sherlock Holmes|2009}}'' (2009) as Dr. John Watson
** ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'' (2011)
** ''Sherlock Holmes 3'' (TBA)
* ''Film/RepoMen'' (2010) as Remy
* ''Film/{{Contagion|2011}}'' (2011) as Alan Krumwiede
* ''Film/{{Hugo}}'' (2011) as Hugo's Father
* ''Literature/AnnaKarenina'' (2012) as Count Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin
* ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians'' (2012) as Pitch Black / The Bogeyman (voice)
* ''Film/SideEffects'' (2013) as Dr. Jonathan Banks
* ''Film/DomHemingway'' (2013) as Dom Hemingway
* ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'' (2014) as the Author (in 1968)
* ''Film/BlackSea'' (2014) as Captain Robinson
* ''Film/{{Spy}}'' (2015) as Bradley Fine
* ''Series/TheYoungPope'' (2016) as Lenny Belardo / [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope Pius XIII]]
** ''Series/TheNewPope'' (2020)
* ''Film/KingArthurLegendOfTheSword'' (2017) as King Vortigern
* ''Film/FantasticBeasts'' as [[Characters/HarryPotterAlbusDumbledore Albus Dumbledore]]
** ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' (2018)
** ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheSecretsOfDumbledore'' (2022)
* ''Film/VoxLux'' (2018) as [[NoNameGiven The Manager]]
* ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'' (2019) as Yon-Rogg
* ''Film/ARainyDayInNewYork'' (2019) as Ted Davidoff
* ''Series/TheThirdDay'' (2020) as Sam
* ''Film/PeterPanAndWendy'' (2023) as Captain James Hook

!! Selected theatre:
* ''Theatre/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat''
* ''Theatre/{{Pygmalion}}''
* ''Theatre/DeathOfASalesman''
* ''Theatre/TisPityShesAWhore''
* ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus''
* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''
* ''Theatre/HenryV''


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!Tropes
* BillingDisplacement: He gets third billing in ''Film/{{Spy}}''. [[spoiler:His character vanishes from the plot 15 minutes in being presumed dead and only returns right before the start of the third act,]] having far less screentime than Creator/MirandaHart or Creator/RoseByrne.
* FakeAmerican: Many of his roles are this.
* MrFanservice: He tends to appear in many "Sexiest Man Alive" lists, especially during the TurnOfTheMillennium.
* ProductionPosse: Most famously with Anthony Minaghella.
* ProtagonistTitle: Many of his leading roles are the eponymous hero of the story.
* ShakespearianActors: He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre and been in many plays, including ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' and ''Theatre/HenryV'', ever since.
* StarMakingRole: ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley''.
* ThoseTwoActors: Frequently co-star with Creator/GwynethPaltrow and Creator/KateWinslet.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** He dropped out of the movie ''Film/FromHell''. Additionally, he was originally considered for the role of [[Creator/TomHardy Shinzon of Remus]] in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' and the role of [[Creator/OrlandoBloom Will Turner]] in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''.
** Creator/BryanSinger originally wanted him to play Zod in ''Film/SupermanReturns''.
** He was originally cast as Ozymandias in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'', and was attached to the role late enough in pre-production that his likeness is clearly recognizable in the character's [[http://i43.tinypic.com/344sfoh.jpg costume sketch]]. His reasons for dropping out remain unknown, and he was replaced by the then-relatively unknown Creator/MatthewGoode instead, in keeping with the idea that the story should be a bigger star than the actors involved. For the matter, he had also expressed interest in playing Rorschach.
** He got pretty far in the casting process to play Gilderoy Lockheart in the [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets second]] ''Film/HarryPotter '' film but the production team thought he looked too young. A decade and a half later, he got cast as a younger Albus Dumbledore in ''Film/FantasticBeasts''.

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