11 million views after the Gentleman’s Wager I, Jude Law has teamed up with Director Jake Scott (son of Ridley), to present Gentleman’s Wager II, made for Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which also sees Giancarlo Giannini and Zhao Wei star in the short film that celebrates how a little gratitude goes a long way. Oscar-nominated Law ambitiously accepts a wager to travel from Southerm Italy to Monaco from Giancarlo Giannini in a classic Delahaye car. En route, he encounters some recognisable faces that he manages to help despite his race against the clock. We caught up with Jude Law himself to talk to the highs and lows of acting and the art of being joyful…
Have you ever taken part in a real life wager?
You know what, I don’t think I have. In real life, I am not a huge betting person so I think I have been living vicariously through this character with Giancarlo in the last two films. I seem to live out most things in roles I play rather than in real life.
The film is about gratitude. Is there anyone in life that owes you a debt of gratitude?
All my children owe me a huge debt of gratitude everyday [Laughs]. I think with gratitude you don’t keep an account of it, you do it and you move on and don’t necessarily expect anything back so I suppose I don’t see it as debt. I like to think of myself as a generous person when it comes to ideas or favours.
How important is it that you relate to brands that you work with?
I think it is really important. One of the things that struck me when I first started working with these guys was how much they stressed it was a creative collaboration. It wasn’t a case of ‘show up and do this and do what you are told’, they really wanted my input. The fact Johnnie Walker were open to ideas and interested in what I thought was great. Plus they are really using the campaign to spread a positive message. When you partner with a brand you always want to hold your head up high and be proud of it, and on a personal level, they are really great people.
What’s your main passion?
I guess the main one is movies. I have been obsessed with them since I was a boy and now I am lucky enough to be involved with making them. I think buildings too. Architecture! I don’t have much expertise but I know what I like. I am working in Rome at the moment so I have become obsessed with Borromini architecture and have been hunting down his gems around the city. Travel is a passion of mine too.
Where would your ideal road trip be?
At the moment, South America. I went to Bolivia earlier on this year and I would like to go back and explore it. I think I would drive down from North and South.
How happy are you with your career so far?
Yeah… I am pretty happy but I am always restless, looking for new challenges. I am in the middle of an enormous challenge right now and am loving every minute of it, I am filming an 8-part HBO with Paolo Sorrentino about a fictional young American Pope. At present, I am content playing this really challenging part. It’s interesting, find the longer you work with film, the more you figure out what you want out of it. It obviously depends on where you are in your life but when I turned 40, I felt it was a new chapter. Before then, you lean towards playing romantic leads or heroic roles but now I have the opportunity to explore other parts. I have always been curious about directing, I have always been interested in making films, I just maybe couldn’t commit that much time to it so I would like that… if someone could let me!
You were inducted into Hollywood royalty at a young age, what did that mean to you?
I never thought of myself as Hollywood royalty! On the one hand, you get a lot of success with working on films out of America, it opens a lot of doors and you can think about the kind of films you want to make as opposed to just trying to get jobs and that makes the immediate future a little easier. There is a downside in that you realise you are part of a game and your worth can rise and fall accordingly, and that can get confusing. For any young actor, if you experience a high very quickly, it can throw you but weathering that is part of the job. What I have certainly learnt over the years is that if you keep working and keep learning then this job will always be pleasurable. So this has all been a blessing, it has made a dream actually possible!
Do you have an example of when joy has taken you further?
Experiences with friends and family, when you have a great Sunday, a great holiday, it actually elevates your sense of wellbeing. Being comfortable and taking joy in yourself and how you express yourself is probably the way forward.
How do you serve your whiskey?
Large and without any ice. I like it how it comes and even a bit warm. Only a straw required!
Jude Law stars in The Gentleman’s Wager II, the latest short film from Johnnie Walker Blue Label celebrating the belief that a little gratitude goes a long way.