Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesJude Law is famous for his sexy accent and gorgeous face, but the former pretty boy actor now admits he welcomes the opportunity to age with grace.
The Anna Karenina star—who turns 40 in December—tells T, New York Times Style magazine that it's nice to have others focus on his talent, rather than his good looks and tabloid life.
"In a weird way, it's kind of a relief to think, ‘Oh, I know I'm not that young sort of pretty thing anymore,'" Law tells the mag. "It's quite nice talking about what it was like to be the young pretty thing, rather than being it."
The British bloke also admits that he hasn't always chosen his roles as wisely as he should have, and he welcomed the opportunity to grow as an artist in the Joe Wright-directed film.
In the flick, Law plays Anna's (Keira Knightley) highly controlling, duty-driven husband Karenin, who, unlike the star's previous roles, is a no-sex-appeal kind of character.
"Without sounding too pretentious, it's difficult to remember that it's an art form and you are, maybe, an artist and you have to make decisions on that level," he said. "I feel kind of more confident, more settled as a human being, more settled in my own skin."
Law continues, admitting that playing Karenin was a total departure for the charming star:
"It seemed to go against everything I have done, and it was fun to investigate the sides of a man that I hadn't done before in any way, shape or form."
And feeling comfortable with himself is exactly what allowed The Holiday actor to immerse himself in his latest role, even though Wright admits he had to stop the sexy star from "doing his handsome face."
As for the biggest change you'll see in Law's look? His hair, which, unlike Karenin's, is not receding, and Law chose to cut it that way, rather than wear a wig for the role.
Hey, Jude might be more than a pretty face, but even with that balding head of hair, he's still mighty fine to look at.
Have you seen Anna Karenina? What did you think of Law's performance?