Jude Law reveals secret of weight gain for Firebrand

Jude Law has revealed he gorged on "late night ice-cream" as part of his transformation into a bloated Henry VIII for his role in Firebrand.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the Closer actor shared that his metamorphosis for the historical drama was his "most extreme transformation yet".

Starring alongside Alicia Vikander, who plays Henry VIII's sixth - and sole surviving - wife Katherine Parr, Law transformed himself into a miserable king who could barely walk, weighed 180kg (28 stone) and needed nine men to lift him onto his horse.

Talking about how he managed to gain weight for the role, he revealed: 'It was a process. Like Charlie Chaplin or Father Christmas, Henry has a familiar silhouette, so if you get that shape, the brain fills in a lot of the gaps. So I grew a beard. I had bodysuits, clothes, weights on my legs and bits in my shoes to perfect his gait.

"I only had about four months to prep, so couldn't balloon up to full weight, but I did eat loads - late-night pasta and ice cream - so I had a bigger face.

The Talented Mr Ripley star has also shared that he wore a scent that smelled like "blood, fecal matter and sweat" while performing his role.

"I thought it would have a great impact if I smelt awful," he said at the Cannes Film Festival in May.