'''David Jude Heyworth Law''' (born December 29, 1972) is an Academy Award nominated English actor. He is known professionally as '''Jude Law'''.
Biography
Early life
Law was born in Lewisham, South London, England to two teachers. His sister Natasha Law is a well regarded illustrator and artist. He was educated at John Ball Primary School in Blackheath and Alleyn's School in Dulwich. He started acting with the National Youth Music Theatre at the age of 12 and, at 17, he dropped out of school completely.
Career
Law's first major stage role was as Foxtrot Darling, the sexually ambigious and manipulative teenager in Philip Ridley's The Fastest Clock In The Universe. Law went on to appeare as Michael in the West End production of ''Indiscretions'', an imaginative re-working of Jean Cocteau's tragicomedy ''Les Parents Terribles'' directed by Sean Mathias, a role he subsequently played on Broadway opposite Kathleen Turner, Roger Rees and Cynthia Nixon. After minor roles in British television, including a two year stint in the Granada TV soap opera ''Families'', Law had his breakthrough with the British ram-raiding drama ''
Shopping'' which also featured his future wife Sadie Frost. He shot to fame in Britain upon the release of ''
Wilde'', in which he played Lord Alfred Douglas, the glamorous lover of Stephen Fry's Oscar Wilde.
thumb|left|230px|Law and Matt Damon, stars of ''
The Talented Mr. Ripley'' at the 2000 Berlinale (photo by Michael Weiner)
Law subsequently moved to Hollywood; his performances include ''
Gattaca'', as a frustrated Olympic medalist bound by a wheelchair, in ''
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' as an ill-fated lover of Kevin Spacey's character, in ''Road to Perdition'' as a sadistic hitman in a critically-praised performance. He has been nominated for an Academy Award twice; once as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''
The Talented Mr. Ripley'' in 2000, and then again as Best Actor in a Leading Role for ''
Cold Mountain'' in early 2004.
Law's career suffered a decline during 2004. The remake of ''
Alfie'' was a box-office flop, making back only about half of its estimated $60 million budget, and was voted one of the worst remakes of all time by subscribers to Screen Select. Writing in the Daily Mail in 2005 Laura Benjamin contended that though Law had been effective in supporting roles, his appeal was too limited to carry a film all on his own.
Other films of his in 2004, such as ''
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'' also flopped, whereas ''
I ♥ Huckabees'' while flopped
