Jude Law reveals unexpected take away from ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’

Jude Law opened up about his experience of playing the iconic role of Russian President Vladimir Putin in upcoming film The Wizard of Kremlin.

Ahead of the film's premiere at the Venice Film Festival, The Holiday star opened up about the optimistic side of playing the role.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, when asked by a reporter if there were any positives he could draw from Putin's persona, law said, "Well, I learned judo, so I took my own positive from that."

The Young Pope actor also revealed that he and the film's director Olivier Assayas spoke on their goal about Putin's portrayal.

"Olivier and I discussed that this wasn’t to be an impersonation of Putin and he didn’t want me to hide behind a mask of prosthetics," he said.

In the movie, Law spoke in his natural voice and not in Russian accent. However, his appearance was altered with the help of hair and makeup.

"We worked with an amazing makeup and hair team and had references of that period in Putin’s life. We tried to find a familiarity on me,"  he explained. Before adding: "It’s amazing what a great wig can do."

The film is a fictionalized account of Putin’s rise to power in the 1990s, adapted from the novel of the same name by Italian author Giuliano da Empoli.

The Wizard of Kremlin is set to release on January 21, 2026.