Rafferty Law On Following In His Father’s Footsteps

As the son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, is Rafferty Law a chip off the old block? asks Felicity Carter

What’s Next For Rafferty Law?

A cheeky charmer with an artistic spirit and an uplifting nature – not to mention a strong work ethic – Rafferty Law is a rising screen talent making a name for himself beyond the shadow of his famous parents, Jude Law and Sadie Frost. He’s dipped his toe into the worlds of fashion and music, but he’s dived right into acting – and with a charismatic screen presence, why not?

He’s known for his roles in Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, alongside Callum Turner and Austin Butler (produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, no less), and Twist, playing the title role in the 2021 film adaptation opposite Michael Caine as Fagin and Rita Ora as the Artful Dodger – and has some big hitters on the slate this year.

To understand Law, we must skip a generation to his grandparents, also thespians, and where it all began. ‘I do always get that comparison, obviously, my dad being such a big, successful actor,’ he says, ‘but I’ve delved into the roots of my family history and speaking with my grandparents, I’ve learned about their backgrounds. They had a theatre company and travelled around Europe putting on these really cool productions.’ This creativity, as well as a drive to carve his own path within the family trade, made its way to Law. ‘I’ve learned as a family we really love storytelling, performing, and connecting with audiences and people.’

Early Family Life

Growing up in an artistic household, he recalls watching his father bring stories and characters to life through acting. ‘I think, naturally, when you see your parents or loved ones passionate about something from a young age, you kind of buy into that passion,’ he says. ‘I was lucky enough to go to the theatre and, growing up in London, it all fed into my love for acting.’ Naturally, he pursued drama and became a film buff in his teens: ‘I just loved watching classic films, modern films, every kind of genre, and I went on my own cinematic journey in that respect.’ He cites Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as a favourite since he was little. ‘It was such a big part of my childhood, as well as the Star Wars films – they’ve been a kind of big, big thing for me.’

Of course, Law was also the perfect age for Harry Potter and later watched his dad play Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts. ‘The Harry Potter books were a big connection between me and my dad. He used to read them to me and then seeing him play Dumbledore was like a crazy full circle – I remember crying when the sixth book came out and Dumbledore was killed, and we just couldn’t believe it. Sorry… spoiler alert!’

Honing his craft led Law to writing and producing, culminating in the acclaimed short The Hat, a project born from lockdown, starring Jude Law and directed by Darren Strowger, with proceeds going to Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. ‘It started as just fun, really,’ he says, while on morning runs in the countryside with his dad. ‘It evolved naturally. We didn’t have a set story or film festival ambitions.’ And how was it working with his dad? Was he given notes? He tells me he welcomes a bit of criticism, ‘You can’t take yourself too seriously and believe that your way is always the right way. I have to be able to take feedback, especially in a performing aspect with my dad.’ A testament to their strong father-son bond, Law says: ‘Shooting something like that on a phone was literally the same as when I was five years old and we’d be playing Lord of the Rings, and I’d be like, “you’re Gandalf and I’m Frodo”, and we’d run off into the fields. It genuinely is such a part of our friendship and our relationship, it didn’t feel like we were working – we were just playing around having fun.’ 

Only in his 20s, Law’s still finding his feet as an actor and enjoys grafting. ‘I am someone who really likes to delve into the script and build the character – everything from the back story that you don’t see, to their thoughts,’ he says. To do this, he taps into his musical side: ‘Putting together playlists – and sometimes it’s not just music, but also sound tones. I find I bring out a lot of emotion through music.’

Upcoming Roles

For Triton, a film he shot over a year ago, Law made his baddy debut and the playlist was suitably dark with distorted violins designed to unnerve. As a method actor, he found elements creeping IRL. ‘Although I wasn’t walking around being psychopathic and evil, my humour became very dry and sarcastic,’ he says. ‘But once I finish a role, I find it easy to shake it off, and I’m someone who likes rituals, so I like to let it go… I mean, you can’t be a psycho the whole time!’

Another upcoming film is Huntington. Directed by John Patton Ford it has a stellar cast, including Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley and Ed Harris, and centres on a man who hatches a murderous plot to inherit his family’s wealth. Law plays an audacious family member. ‘He’s an absolute nut job – like a Wolf of Wall Street or Succession dude,’ he says. A character Law could craft, he had the freedom to add his own lines and quirks, throwing himself into the role. ‘It was really wild – I was jet skiing, jumping into pools of cash. A riot of a few weeks.’ 

With the release set for this year, the wait won’t be long. And what’s next? Law has spent the past few years in the US, marking a rite of passage as an actor – but as a London boy at heart, he thrives on the city’s energy and plans to stay. ‘I’m very open to the future,’ he says, ‘and grateful to be auditioning and working. You have to be – learning from great writers and big productions is a privilege.’ 

Credits

Fashion director: Nicole Smallwood

Photographer: David Reiss