Though Robert Downey Jr. is sure to be the stand out star of next week's "Sherlock Holmes," word on the street is Jude Law, who plays the title character's sidekick Watson, gives him a run for his money. The Academy Award nominated actor will also be appearing in Christmas' limited release, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."
Click on the photo below to see Jude through the years, then read on to find out the past that made him the critically acclaimed actor he is today.
Born on December 29, 1972 in Lewisham, South London, England to teachers Peter Law and Margaret Heyworth, Jude got his start in acting in 1987 with the National Youth Music Theater. After two years on the stage, Jude got his first role on British television in a movie based on "The Tailor of Gloucester." During his time on British television, he got his first taste of Sherlock Holmes in the episode he acted in of "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes" in 1991.
It was also during his time filming television that he met his future wife, Sadie Frost. The two went on to have three children before they divorced in 2002.
Jude continued participating in theater and television until 1997, when he had his breakout film role in the Oscar Wilde bio-pic "Wilde." The same year, he had roles in the sci-fi thriller "Gattaca" and Clint Eastwood's crime drama, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
It wasn't until 1999 when Jude got a role opposite Matt Damon in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" that he started earning attention in Hollywood. He went on to star in "Enemy at the Gates," "Artificial Intelligence: AI" in 2001 and "Road to Perdition" opposite Tom Hanks in 2002. It was Jude's 2003 role in "Cold Mountain" that earned him his first and only Oscar nomination.
The following year was a good for Jude, as he had his most high-profile starring roles, and also met and became involved with Sienna Miller. They starred together in "Alfie" and dated for two years, before breaking off their engagement. Jude also starred in "I Heart Huckabees," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" — the first major film to be filmed entirely against a green screen — "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," "Closer," and "The Aviator."
After 2004, Jude went on to appear in smaller films like "All The King's Men" in 2006 and "My Blueberry Nights" in 2007. His largest film was as Cameron Diaz's love interest in 2006's "The Holiday."
Jude returned to the stage in May 2009 to play the title role in "Hamlet." The show had its first run in London, and in September travelled across the Atlantic to New York. In September, it was also announced that Jude and his girlfriend, model Samantha Burke, had their first child, Sophia.
After Heath Ledger's death in 2008, Jude was one of three actors chosen to film Heath's unfinished role in Terry Gilliam's newest film, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." In addition to his role in "Sherlock Holmes," this is Jude's best year since 2004. He is slated to appear in 2010's "Repo Men" opposite Live Schreiber and Forest Whittaker.
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