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Jude Law has cemented himself as a versatile character actor in his latest film, The Order, which saw him immerse himself so much in his role that he hunted co-star Nicholas Hoult off-camera.
The true-crime drama, which premiered to a nearly 10-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, is based on the book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt. It chronicles the chilling story of a neo-Nazi militia's rise in early 1980s America and the FBI's desperate efforts to stop them.
Law plays Terry Husk, a damaged FBI agent doggedly investigating a string of increasingly violent bank robberies and armored car heists in the Pacific Northwest. Convinced that these crimes are the work of domestic terrorists funding a violent uprising, Husk and his team plunge into the dark underworld of white supremacist extremism. Based on a true story, Husk faces off against Bob Mathews, a ruthless white supremacist played by Hoult.
Directed by Justin Kurzel (Nitram, Snowtown and Assassin's Creed), during a conversation with Newsweek, Law explained the various directions Kurzel had for the actors to follow so they could get into the minds of their characters.
"One of them was, when I got to Calgary to make this, we were there for a few weeks. He suggested that I just feel what it would be like to kill someone, to follow Nick, and he wanted me to build this obsession with Nick, and an understanding of who it was that I was hunting," the actor shared.
"So I don't know that it helped, it was a challenge, it's very hard to do. I went training, it's very tricky."
That wasn't the full extent of Law engrossing himself in the role. At one point, both he and Hoult started leaving voicemail messages for Kurzel while in character.
"We were—I didn't realize Nick was doing it too—but we were leaving phone messages in character for Justin. So you know, Nick was leaving them about plans for a robbery and I was leaving them pretending Justin was my wife, begging her to come back. So you know, little things like that," he shared.
The critically acclaimed actor explained that Kurzel has a "natural understanding" and a curiosity about the actor's process.
He continued: "He really recognizes the potential that an actor can draw out of material. He's careful with actors and he wants to be a part of the preparation process and is really considerate—and also provocative—on the day.
"He starts by handing over curated manifestos for your character and they're not demands, they're just suggestions. You know, 'If it helps, eat your lunch like Terry Husk,' or, 'If it helps, go to bed like Terry and wake up like Terry,' 'If it helps, what does Terry wear?' All these little personal details that just provoke a little question or give you an answer—and they got kind of bigger and bigger."
When Law appears on screen, it's easy to forget you're watching an actor at all. While his captivating performance is the driving force behind this transformation, the physical details—his mustache and American accent—add an extra layer of authenticity.
Law wasn't aiming to "disappear" entirely into the role of Husk. Instead, he focused on crafting a fully realized backstory for the character. Not only does Law star in The Order, but he also played a key role behind the scenes as a producer, contributing significantly to the development of the script.
Collaborating closely with Kurzel and writer Zach Baylin, Law helped flesh out Husk's personality and history. The deeper they delved into the character, the more distinct Husk became from Law's own identity.
"Husk felt a long way from me and it wasn't my intention to sort of disappear," he explained. "But the more we got into his backstory, his physicality, his temperament, you know, it felt more and more distant from, certainly, the person I am.
"The three of us sort of wanted to evolve this character. It wasn't enough for him just to be the cop, you know, the agent. We wanted to sort of break him down. We wanted to add a vulnerability to him. To me, I was intrigued by the idea of this weary guy whose success in his career has cost him. And, almost, for an audience to doubt whether he's physically capable of seeing this through or even, you know, stable enough to see this thing through—that the threat, therefore, is enhanced."
Law explained that layering all of these details in the script early on is what helped deeply bed Husk into him—and in fine detail. The award-winning actor also told Newsweek that he had underestimated playing a man from that time period.
"It was a different time. It was a sort of more misogynistic, you know, man-led kind of time, where a guy was a guy, and they're kind of smoking and they're drinking and all of that," he said. "[It's] not acceptable, but was part of the sort of DNA of that kind of a male. And so, sort of embodying that, I guess, is what maybe you saw in what took over from me."
The Talented Mr. Ripley star explained that while filming The Order didn't take long, as he was starring in the movie as well as producing it, he was incredibly involved. Luckily for Law, he has a supportive family who understood his need to be dedicated to the project.
"I don't really remember coming up for air much during that time," he explained. "I'm fortunate enough to have a very understanding family who bring me out of it when I need to and try to let me get on with it when I'm on the job. And once we were finished, we felt so good about what we had filmed that we were all kind of able, I think, to walk away exhausted and pleased with a job done."
"And I had quite a lot of downtime thereafter and I just remember, you know, sleeping a lot," he added, with a laugh.
What attracted Law to this role was the fact that even though it was about an event that transpired in the '80s, he felt the story had great relevance to the social and political climate of today.
"There's something challenging but ultimately fruitful in telling stories, looking back to tell stories, about now," he explained.
"And then how Justin really embraced the genre aspect of the piece, that it's this true-crime historical piece, but it's somehow folded into a thriller genre, a kind of cat and mouse drama. And so I also thought, 'Well this could be oddly thrilling, entertaining almost.' And what a way to deliver that message."
The Order opens in theaters on Friday, December 6.
