Jude Law: A Law unto Himself

Jude began his acting career on a Granada soap opera at the age of 17, then moved onto the London stage. He crossed the Atlantic to appear on Broadway in Indiscretions with Kathleen Turner and later crossed the country to launch his film career in Hollywood. After appearing in a number of independent films, he found his first big-name movie in Gattaca (1997) with Uma Thurman. But he is probably best known for the two roles that earned him Oscar nods: his first partnering with Gwyneth Paltrow, as golden boy Dickie Greenleaf in 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley, and his starring turn in the Civil War saga Cold Mountain (2003) opposite Nicole Kidman.

This fall, he reunites with Gwyneth in the groundbreaking Sky Captain, in which he plays aviator hero Joe Sullivan to her intrepid reporter Polly Perkins. A throwback to films of the 1930s, Sky Captain offers comedy, adventure and romance. And that's just the beginning of what Jude's got in store for us this season.

You've got six films coming out this fall. Are you comfortable with where your career stands at this point?
I don't think one should ever be comfy with where they stand. [laughs] You always have to think about what's next just to keep yourself interested and interesting, I suppose. It's a little bit of a shame to me that I've spent two years making these films and they all come out in four months. That's nothing to do with me, but?