Jude Law went a step further during the filming of the new film “Firebrand”. He sprayed himself with a perfume that smelled of poo, blood and sweat – to take on the role of Henry VIII with as much credibility as possible:
– At first I used it very subtly. But then it became a spray party.
The costume drama “Firebrand” is about the marriage between the English King Henry VIII (played by Jude Law) and Katarina Parr, who was the last of his six wives. She is played by Swedish star Alicia Vikander. The film is competing at the Cannes Film Festival held in France this week.
At the Cannes festival, Jude Law told a press conference on Monday that during the filming they went a step further to imitate the 16th century when the film takes place. It reports The Guardian. King Henry VIII was injured in war and one of his legs began to rot and smell. Which he tried to hide with rose oil. Jude Law therefore hired a perfume specialist to smell as believable as possible during filming. Then a perfume was produced that smelled of poo, sweat and blood.
– I read several interesting accounts that you could smell Henry three rooms away, Law said at the press conference.
Alicia Vikander on the unique recording: “Some people threw up”
He used the perfume so that his co-star Alicia Vikander would react as believably as possible to his character.
– I thought it would have a big impact if I smelled terrible, he says and adds:
– Initially, I used it very subtly. But then it became a spray party.
The perfume isn’t the only smell Alicia Vikander was forced to endure. A scene where the king’s bloody wound had started to smell was extra difficult to record, she tells TT. Then they also brought very smelly garbage into the room.
– Some really vomited, it smelled so bad. There was no escape. It was interesting, I have never experienced anything like this before, she tells TT.