Jude Law, 51, says he’s ‘saggy and balding’ as he shares biggest regret over his looks

Jude Law has spilled the beans on his early career tactics, revealing he deliberately shunned his pin-up potential.

The 51 year old actor, famed for his roles in hits like The Talented Mr Ripley and The Holiday, has confessed that back in the day, he tried to dodge the heartthrob label. Now a father of seven, Jude laments not making the most of his dashing features, bemoaning that these days he’s dealing with a “saggy and balding” reality.

Chatting about his past approach to picking roles, the British hunk, who’s currently playing Henry VIII in the historical flick Firebrand, admitted he avoided embracing his good looks on screen.

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Reflecting on his glittering array of parts, he shared: “I didn’t feel like I really ever leaned into playing handsome, but there were roles that required an attractive energy.”

Back in his twenties, Jude was all about subverting expectations, saying, “I was trying to play against my looks in my early 20s, and now that I’m saggy and balding, I wish I had played it up,” as reported by DuJour magazine, reports the Mirror.

In stark contrast to his former sex symbol image, Jude’s latest gig sees him opposite Alicia Vikander, who portrays Catherine Parr, Henry’s last wife. Gone is the smooth operator, replaced by an aged, fur-clad figure complete with a greying beard and pronounced wrinkles.

He even embraced Henry’s notorious odour for authenticity.

During a press conference at Cannes Film Festival, Jude revealed some gruesome details: “I read several interesting accounts that you could smell Henry three rooms away. His leg was rotting so badly. He hid it with rose oil. I thought it would have a great impact if I smelt awful.”

Chatting to DuJour, the celeb said it was a breath of fresh air to ‘”have not leaned in to any sort of attraction,” and wrapped up with: “It’s been satisfying not having to turn that switch on.”

The A-lister’s lad, Rafferty, 27, who he shares with ex Sadie Frost, is also treading the boards. The young actor has recently made waves in the war drama series, Masters Of The Air, alongside big names like Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner and Austin Butler.

With his star-studded lineage, Rafferty’s been slapped with the label of a nepo baby – a tag his sis, Iris, is also sporting after landing a lush campaign for Dylan perfume by Versace.

But Jude’s got mixed feels about his offspring stepping into the spotlight, confessing he’s “immensely proud” of Raff’s love for the craft but fretting over the inevitable comparisons. He spilled the beans: “It’s complicated because I’m aware of how hard it is. When I came into this business, I didn’t have the comparison, but with him, people might always say, ‘Oh, you’re just like your dad.’ Which is nonsense; his career is his career.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk