Jude Law Recalls Spending Time with Robert Redford: ‘Beautiful, Brilliant Man’ (Exclusive)

Jude Law and his producing partner Ben Jackson hit the red carpet of their new crime thriller “Back Rabbit.”

“Extra” spoke with Jude, who reacted to the sad news of Robert Redford’s passing, recalling an afternoon with the Hollywood legend.

Jude said, “I had the great privilege of spending an afternoon with him and like many, many other people, I grew up just enamored and inspired by him, and it’s a very sad time when you lose someone like that… His legacy at the Sundance Film Festival will live on and on and on and he’s [got] all those extraordinary performances. What a beautiful, brilliant man and what a career.”

Law emphasized, “I just feel very lucky to have been in his orbit for a small period of time.”

Turning to the show, Jude and Ben shared how everything came together with Jason Batman directing and co-starring alongside Jude.

Referencing the writer Zach Baylin, Ben shared, “We were doing a film with Zach and he pitched this idea to me and I thought it might be interesting to Jude and I showed it to Jude and he thought the same and we developed it with Jack a little bit, and then we went to Jason to direct it.”

Jude revealed that he got to know Jason “during the writing process,” which was about two years.

They also spoke about wanting to make New York City a character unto itself in the show.

Law noted, “It was really important to us that New York City was a character in this and that people that you meet at The Rabbit are plausible New Yorkers from every area, every corner of the great state and city.”

Jude drew from his own experiences in the city, saying, “I came here as a young adult in the ’90s and I have such fond memories of this place.”

Jude plays a restaurateur — but can he cook for real? 

He answered, “Simple, fair.”