‘World’ draws Law back into producing
November 30, 2003
By Sharon Knolle

After the gradual disintegration of Natural Nylon — the much-hyped production company formed in 1996 by hot young Brits Jude Law; Ewan McGregor; Sean Pertwee; Jonny Lee Miller; and Law’s now ex-wife, Sadie Frost — Law is quietly getting back into producing with a new shingle, Rorschach Films.

Rorschach’s first pic is the ambitious “The World of Tomorrow,” starring Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. “It’s like the difference between being a lion tamer and being a clown, really,” says Law in comparing producing and acting. “It’s like you’re all part of the circus, but you’re fulfilling very different roles.”

“‘The World of Tomorrow’ is very particular, because in a funny way, we were inventing a new way of making films, a new way of shooting them and a new way of creating them in post-production,” says Law of the pic, which makes extensive use of CGI. “It was a process that was designed by Kerry Conran, the director, and realized by Jon Avnet, initially, and then I came onboard as a producing partner, along with Sadie Frost.”

So far, the film has gotten ink mostly for Law and Frost’s split, with Law being linked in the tabloids to both his “Cold Mountain” leading lady Nicole Kidman and “Alfie” co-star Sienna Miller.

The couple, who wed in 1997, were divorced a little over a month ago. “At the time, working together was probably very helpful and healing to us,” he says.

“The primary role for me, I felt, in that particular piece, was to be on the floor, because I was in every scene,” he says of “World of Tomorrow.” “It really enabled Kerry to get everything he needed in what was a very unique and, timewise, very pressured shoot.

“The nuts and bolts weren’t really down to me on that piece, and thank God, because it was hand to mouth for a lot of it, until we got a deal at Paramount.”

What else is on the page for Rorschach? “As for the other pieces that I’m producing, it’s more of an overall, at times caressing, role in filmmaking, a sometimes tough or protective role,” explains the actor. “With acting, I think you’re really coming in and serving a part, serving a piece and fulfilling a very particular function. I think there needs to be a more versatile approach in serving as a producer. Although versatility in acting doesn’t go amiss, it’s just a different kind of versatility.”

Asked whether it’s difficult to change hats on the same production, he laughs, “Not necessarily, it’s just more a case of staying awake.”

Law plans to produce a remake of “Sleuth,” in which he’ll also star with Michael Caine. “I’m very excited by a couple of those (producing projects) and seeing those through to the end, whether I’m in them or not,” he says, while keeping mum on other films that might be on his plate.

“I’m still in the foothills, really,” Law adds about his career as a producer.

Besides the obvious motivation to find better projects for himself as an actor, Law says, “I think it’s also an interest in the process of the development of the text and working with writers and finding and working with a director who’ll realize a piece that you see holds potential and something that’s worth telling.”

While Law enjoys producing, he can’t see a time when he’s working only behind the scenes. “But I’m allowed to change my mind,” he says.

Top leading men, Brit legends fuel Jude’s imagination

Jude Law counts several diverse thespians among his influences, including Daniel Day-Lewis, Michael Caine (whose shoes he fills in upcoming remakes of “Alfie” and “Sleuth”) and Charlie Chaplin.

“I remember as a child watching Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin,” Law says. “They used to have a TV slot in England, I think it was about 4:30 or 5, when you just got home from school, and they used to run a lot of those guys’ work. I just remember loving them and never missing them. And I suppose that related somewhat to what I was doing at school at the age of 7 of 8, wanting to put on plays, and make people laugh and fall over, and pick flowers and offer them up to girls.”

A very different role model made a big impression on the teenage Law: “Seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ was an inspiration because I’d just seen him in ‘A Room With a View.’ Seeing him transform himself from a character I recognized as one who I’d grown up alongside, to a guy from another time period and another emotional world, was extraordinary.”

“I think the role of Johnny from ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ was so familiar to me that it was one of those parts that I thought, ‘I understand that man, I understand that world, and therefore that film is about my life, too.’ ”

Naturally, Day-Lewis is on Law’s list of dream co-stars. “I’ve always been a big fan of Gary Oldman and Daniel Day-Lewis, so I would love an opportunity to bring those two together and be a part of that,” says the actor.

He is reticent to name more actors he’d like to work with one day, for fear of alienating anyone, but he includes “the majority of the people I’ve worked with before, because it’s always nice to work with people for a second time. I’ve worked with Ray Winstone on several films, and every time it’s a new and exciting experience to work with him.

“I just spent five days on ‘The Aviator,’” Law continues, “where I did simply two scenes, one that Leo DiCaprio is in and with Cate Blanchett and Adam Scott. It was a great experience, a magic week in Montreal, and I’d love to work with those three again. Cate was in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley,’ but we never had a scene together.”

He lists Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn (“a fantastic actor”) and Edward Norton among his American counterparts he’d like to collaborate with.