Jude Law wore 'blood and faecal matter' perfume on Firebrand set

Jude Law wore a perfume of "blood and faecal matter" to smell like Henry VIII on the set of 'Firebrand'.

The 50-year-old actor portrays the Tudor monarch in the historical drama that centres on Henry's sixth and final wife Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander) and came up with the revolting concoction to capture the odour of the king.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday (22.05.23), Jude said: "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."

The 'Peter Pan and Wendy' star found a perfume specialist to create the disgusting blend of smells so he could authentically recreate the Tudor – who suffered from swollen ankles and leg ulcers in his later years.

Jude explained: "She makes wonderful scents, and she also makes awful scents. She somehow came up with this extraordinary variety of blood, faecal matter and sweat."

The movie's director Karim Ainouz had terrible memories of Jude's stinky fragrance.

The filmmaker recalled: "When Jude walked in on set, it was just horrible."

He added: "Initially. I used it very subtly and thought I'd use it myself. (But then) it became a spray-fest."

Jude revealed that he removed the royal association to help him capture Henry VIII – who was famously married six times and had two of his wives beheaded – in the final years of his life.

The 'Fantastic Beasts' actor said: "I started with him as a man. The physical frailties he was carrying and how he dealt with those – he became not a recognisable, but an empathetic person."