Jude Law is known for his hugely successful film career, but many may not know that his acting path began in the theater. After his first Academy Award nomination, Law’s film career really took off, and he stayed busy working with some of the most talented directors in the business. His work continued to garner him critical acclaim and, at some point, he established himself as one of the most talented actors out there.

Law has starred in everything from prestige dramas to blockbusters. Law has recently played a younger version of the iconic character Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts series, starred alongside Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, and played the iconic villain Captain Hook in Peter Pan & Wendy. In addition to his prolific film career, Law has also worked in television, notably in the HBO drama The Young Pope. On top of all that, he has continued to act on the theatre stage throughout the years. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the most essential films he’s been in throughout the years.

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The Talented Mr. Ripley

Jude Law as the lavish Dickie Greenleaf in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'
Paramount Pictures

Law’s film breakthrough came in his supporting role as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, the film follows a young man named Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) who gets lost in a path of stolen identities.

Law was cast after writer and director Anthony Minghella saw his performance in The Wisdom of Crocodiles. Law actually learned how to play the saxophone for his musically talented character. Law’s character had to be the kind of man who was charming and attractive enough to warrant Ripley’s obsession with him, and Law proved to have the looks and charisma for the role. But, more than just being a charming rich guy with a pretty face, Law imbued Dickie with an underlying sense of darkness and cruelty that hinted at much more hiding beneath the surface.

In fact, The Talented Mr. Ripley is full of excellent performances delivered by a cast that are now all huge stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film is nearly universally adored, and with good reason — it’s an excellent psychological thriller that continues to haunt long after viewing.

Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain Nicole Kidman Jude Law
Image via Miramax

Cold Mountain, based on the novel of the same name by author Charles Frazier, features Law alongside an all-star cast, including Nicole Kidman, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Donald Sutherland, and Renée Zellweger, among others. The film follows Law's character Inman, a Confederate soldier in the Civil War who takes great pains to return to the woman he loves amidst the war. The performances were praised across the board, with Zellweger and Law in particular earning critical accolades for their work.

We consider Cold Mountain a Jude Law essential, as this was the second—and most recent—time Law was nominated for an Academy Award, this time in the Best Actor category. Though only Zellweger won an Oscar for this film, this was, for many, the first film that truly gave Law a showcase for his talent on a mainstream stage.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina Jude Law
Image via Focus Features

The next film on our list had Law working with director Joe Wright in his adaptation of the famous romance novel Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. Wright already had a history of success with adapting source material similar to this, as he’d already made Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. This time around, Wright took more visual risks with the film, while maintaining his skilled handling of the period romance genre.

The film is mostly set on a stage, with revolving props that create transitions that make the viewer feel as though they’re watching an elaborate play. Law plays Count Alexei Karenin, the older husband of Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley). Though the two don’t exactly share a passionate or affectionate relationship, their marriage is much more complicated than a simple mismatch. Law and Knightley show their characters having actual hints of respect for one another, despite all the resentment that defines most of their interactions.

Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in 'Sherlock Holmes'
Image via Warner Bros.

Sherlock Holmes is just one of a few franchises Law has been involved in over his career, aside from Harry Potter and the MCU. In this action-packed adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes characters and stories from famed author Arthur Conan Doyle, Law plays Holmes's faithful sidekick Watson.

Law is a high point of the film, which has Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role of Sherlock Holmes himself. The two make a solid team, as Downey Jr.'s performance borders on camp, and Law's grounds the action-packed, highly stylized film. The role of Watson is one of Law's most famous throughout his entire career.

Vox Lux

jude-law-vox-lux
Image via Neon

Law’s latest great work comes in Vox Lux, a film following the life of a young woman named Celeste Montgomery, played by Raffey Cassidy and Natalie Portman. When tragedy inspires Celeste and her sister to begin making music, Celeste is noticed by a man who offers to manage her music career. Law plays the manager in question, a sleazy guy who takes the young girls under his wing and ends up sleeping with Celeste’s sister.

A time jump has Raffey replaced with Portman in the role of Celeste, though Raffey still plays Celeste’s daughter. The time in the spotlight hasn’t been kind to Celeste, as despite her success she has dealt with many struggles, including drug and alcohol addiction that led to very public scandal. Throughout it all, Law’s character has continued to work with Celeste and profit off of her music career. He enables her drug use, and the two are shown to have a sexual relationship that seems to function as an extra limb on their professional one. While many films have tackled the topic of celebrity, no other has done it quite like Vox Lux.