He hated being pitted against other singers.
He was overwhelmed by the unrelenting schedule. He didn’t understand, either, why older male fans kept yelling at him to come out already, or why his own father would tell him about online speculation about his sexuality like it was hot gossip. He didn’t understand why those girls were screaming, let alone why tens of millions of people would vote for him week after week - ultimately catapulting Archuleta to the finale, where he would finish second to David Cook. Instead, one thought kept drumming through his head: “I don’t want to be here anymore.” In that moment, with his father, Jeff, beaming from his seat just feet away, Archuleta knew he should be nothing but grateful for the praise. Randy Jackson told Archuleta he was “born to do exactly what you’re doing.” Paula Abdul gushed that he was “destined for superstardom.” And Simon Cowell proclaimed, “Right now, you’re the one to beat.” 28, 2008, episode with John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The performance - a master class in immaculate pop vocal precision - earned the then-17-year-old wild screams from the tween and teen girls in the studio audience and instant raves from the judges. It was round two of the semifinals on Season 7 of “American Idol,” and David Archuleta had just closed the Feb. He no longer seemed beautiful and invincible. Just like you, I can recite plenty of hit films and/or solid performances to Law’s credit since the 2005 Oscars - The Holiday, Sherlock Holmes, Contagion, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Vox Lux, Captain Marvel, The Young Pope/The New Pope and especially Spy - but after Rock’s monologue, it was over. “It was probably a bubble that needed bursting around myself. Whatever, it could’ve been anyone.” He pauses, maybe worried that he has said too much. It felt like, ‘Fuck, am I that guy that you point fun at?’ Obviously, I’ve realized since that a gag is a gag is a fucking gag. Chris Rock slagging me off at the Oscars was upsetting. He didn’t talk about the incident again until early this year, for Vulture, and it sounded like, more than a decade later, he was still a bit scarred from the experience: It’s very unfortunate that I had five or six films come out at the same time. As a celebrity I know I’m fair game for a lot of things that I don’t like, but Rock crossed the line when he made his point and got his laugh then seemingly wouldn’t stop. I was moved when Sean came to my defense. Then I got angry as his remarks, I felt, became more personal. “At first I laughed, because I didn’t think he knew who I was. In the fall of 2006, he told The New York Times how much it annoyed him: Rock wasn’t talking about talent - he was speaking about something much more precious, star power.īest as I can tell, Law has only twice discussed Rock’s joke. “Jude Law is one of our most talented actors,” Penn stridently declared, which wasn’t the point.
Want to know how severe the mocking was? When the Academy put Rock’s monologue up on YouTube, they left out the Jude Law joke - although they did include Sean Penn’s introductory remarks when he came out later to present Best Actress, awkwardly defending his All the King’s Men costar. But by the show’s tame standards, Rock obliterated Jude Law. Oscar hosts tend not to rip actors too severely - and, even then, it’s very much fun-loving and just-playing-around. You could feel the uncomfortable laughter in the room.
Next year he’s playing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a movie! If you can’t get a star, wait, okay?” He’s gay, he’s straight, he’s American, he’s British. Even the movies he’s not acting in - if you look at the credits, he made cupcakes or something.
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It’s not the same thing, okay? Who is Jude Law? Why is he in every movie I have seen the last four years? He’s in everything. “You want Tom Cruise, and all you can get is Jude Law? Wait. Law was watching the broadcast with a few friends, with no clue that he was about to be the target of Rock’s bit: He wasn’t there, but Chris Rock was, and in his opening monologue as host, he talked about the fact that there’s only really about four movie stars - “the rest are just popular people.” Rock’s examples of real movie stars? Guys like Clint Eastwood and Tom Cruise. You almost feel bad for the guy - does he know? Should we tell him?įor Jude Law, that moment was February 27, 2005, which just so happened to be the biggest annual event in his profession, the Academy Awards. Not that he’s never going to work again, or that he won’t continue to give strong performances - just that, from here on out, we’re probably always going to think about him in a different, less-favorable light. You’re witnessing the moment that signifies that an actor is over.