The Life and Many Romances of Jude Law

In 2015, he appeared in Spy, the Melissa McCarthy action comedy that turned spy-movie glamour into a joke. Law’s role allowed him to play with his polished leading-man image, using the confidence people associated with him while letting the comedy undercut it.

The film showed that he could be funny without needing to carry the whole story himself. After years of serious dramas, franchise roles, and public scrutiny, Law was proving that he could loosen up onscreen, just before another major fantasy world came calling.