It was the first time I felt I was making a script I believed in, and that I`d see something onscreen close to what I`d hoped, rather than this vaguely confusing wilderness my jobs had been to this point. It was my first project with quality minds behind it, Jersey Films, Andrew Niccol, and Ethan Hawke, who was a joy to work with. I felt we had a real meeting of the minds. (On making Gattaca)

It was cold, very, very cold. I don`t remember a lot of daylight, just endless hours of being buried in rubble, interrupted by lots of raising collective spirits by singing Russian folk songs. Can our genuine physical suffering be seen on film? I bloody hope so. (On filming Enemy at the Gate)

(2004 quote) I`ve spent most of my free time the past 10 years traveling in Southeast Asia. It started with a trip to Vietnam, because we were told it could be a wonderful place to visit. I loved it and have been to Cambodia, China, Malaysia and Bali. Now I`m intrigued to see places like South America or Africa. I like the idea of constantly discovering.

I just want to say I am deeply ashamed and upset that I`ve hurt Sienna and the people most close to us.

As a culture, the West has found itself in a strange, not battle of the genders, but battle in one`s own gender. There`s been so much equalizing that we`ve all kind of lost a little sense of who and what we`re about, and a certain amount of definitions of who and what being a woman and being a man is about. It`s almost like a murky middle ground that sometimes diffuses the definition and out of that has indeed spawned, in certain areas, misogynism.

"It`s not ideal for me that they come out all one after the other in four or five months. I did them all because I found them very different different kinds of films, different kinds of parts. And I hope people recognize the variety rather than the onslaught". [On Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Alfie (2004), Closer (2004/I) and The Aviator (2004) coming out within 6 months of each other. He actually did them in the last two years.]

"Face it, I didn`t become famous until I took my clothes off" - (People Magazine 3/26/01)

There were two instances where the police were called for whatever reason to my old house and they sold the story, telling lies. The police were responding to phone calls that happened, but they were then coming out and creating an atmosphere, a drama, when actually nothing had happened; there were no charges pressed. But that`s the High Court and then the police selling stories, so how are you going to live in a country and feel safe?

I never thought I had to forge a family, but it felt the most natural thing that ever happened to me - meeting someone and becoming a father.

I only want to do the kind of work that I would like to go and see, that`s going to teach me something new, that involves working with people I can learn something from and I can give something to.

The only film I ever made for money was something called Music From Another Room, which I really didn`t like.

I`ve always liked what Thomas More said in Utopia, which is that in Utopia every person is allowed their own lifestyle and religion but no one is allowed to stand on a soapbox and tell others that theirs is right. I thought that was brilliant. Brilliant.

The truth is, one can work for another ten years and be playing parts, pushing yourself as hard as you can, and you are still accused of that. You`re still tainted with that brush. I`m not called Jude Law, I have three names; I`m called `Hunk Jude Law` or `Heartthrob Jude Law`. In England anyway, that`s my full name. That`s the cheap language that`s thrown around, that sums you up in one little bracket. It doesn`t look at your life. But if one looks beyond, there is actually a little bit more.

Well, I had to do a nude scene [in the play Indiscretions], and you`re on stage naked but you get over it, you do whatever you have to do. But the first night, my character is just getting out of the bath, and the rest of the crew had poured in freezing cold water.

Bosie [from the movie Wilde] was the first part I was ever offered, which I suppose is sort of an insult because he`s just the nastiest bastard!

(about the paparazzi) "I throw root vegetables at them."

(about how he got the role of Gigolo Joe) "Through one of those fantastical phone calls when your agent calls you and says `Stephen Spielberg is on the phone, he wants to speak to you about his next film.` And once you`ve peeled yourself of the ceiling you go, *clears throat* Yeah, great."

(About his injury during Dickie`s death scene in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)) "Matt [Damon] broke my rib! But I think I strained his neck, we got a little bit carried away".

{About working on Enemy at the Gates (2001)) "Yeah, I got blown up, cut up...I remember actually, when I had to go the Ripley premiere which was happening at that time, I arrived with this huge gash in my head. Very cool, really".

On his role in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) - "I told Anthony that if I play Dickie Greenleaf, I want to eat in the best restaurants and drink the best wines every night because he would".

I think it`s a bigger risk following a part that plays up your looks than it is to try and carve out a career as an actor.

I have no problem with nudity. My friend Ewan and I are starkers in most of our films.

Success, and even life itself, wouldn`t be worth anything if I didn`t have my wife and children by my side. They mean everything to me.

I don`t want to do anything that I`m not passionate about.

I honestly have no interest in celebrity whatsoever. If anything, I always cringe at it because it takes away from what I am, which is an actor who wants to be better and do better things.

I`ve always thought Prince Charming in Cinderella was the most boring role; I`d rather be the Wicked Witch.

[...] you go to the National with your parents and think: `I`d love to be here.` And then suddenly you are. It`s a dream come true.

I would never know how to sell myself as a sex symbol. That`s not how I`m programmed.

My only obligation is to keep myself and other people guessing.