Jude Law is opening up about playing a controversial figure in his new movie.
In The Wizard of the Kremlin, the 52-year-old actor plays Vladimir Putin. The movie is set in Russia in the 1990s as Putin rises to power.
Despite playing the controversial figure on the screen, Jude says he’s not concerned about any trouble coming from the role. At the 2025 Venice Film Festival premiere of the movie, Jude spoke to Variety about the role.
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“I hope not naively, but I didn’t fear repercussions. I felt confident, in the hands of Olivier and the script, that this story was going to be told intelligently and with nuance and consideration,” Jude told the publication on Sunday (August 31) at the premiere. “We weren’t looking for controversy for controversy’s sake. It’s a character in a broader story. We weren’t trying to define anything about anyone.”
Jude talked about his decision to not speak with a Russian accent in the movie. The actor noted that it was part of the director’s plan to bring the movie to life in a way that fictionalizes the Russian leader.
“Olivier and I discussed this wasn’t to be an interpretation of Putin, and he didn’t want me to hide behind a mask of prosthetics. We worked with an amazing makeup and hair team and had reference of that period in Putin’s life. We tried to find a familiarity on me,” Jude explained.
Check out the photos from the premiere!
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