Jude Law warms up to chilly ‘Young Pope’
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HBO’s “The Young Pope” (9 p.m. Sundays and Mondays) feels timely but also may outrage and/or depress some viewers with its depiction of a cold, aloof, deeply conservative, fictional American pope formerly known as Lenny Belardo.
“What truly made our church great: fear or tolerance?” Pope Pius XIII asks. Pretty sure his response is “fear.”
“From this day forward we need to go back to being prohibited and inaccessible,” the pope bellows.
And then there are the parallels to today’s political climate.
“They chose a pope they didn’t know,” Lenny says. “That is their tremendous sin.”
“Young Pope” writer/director Paolo Sorrentino said the inspiration for the series was to tell the story of a pope who could conceivably come after the current Pope Francis.
“The subject is mostly about the solitude of power and the solitude of men and the solitude of the long list of big questions about the existence of God and what God is for us,” Mr. Sorrentino said.
Mr. Law, who is aware of the “Young Pope” memes that have broken out on social media and finds them imaginative, said he had a hard time understanding the character when he thought of it as playing a pope. Instead he had to lean into playing Lenny, an orphan who suffered from a lack of love as a child.
“Lenny constructed a rule book, a list of rules he steered himself in the political world of the church but also privately, and it’s what enabled him to achieve so much so young, but it’s also what alienated him,” Mr. Law said.
But what’s inside the character isn’t what will stand out to most viewers. It’s his brutality and habits, including smoking, which Mr. Law said came from a real pope.
“It was inspired by [the former Pope] Benedict, who apparently liked a cigarette after Mass,” Mr. Law said. “I thought that was a wonderful detail of character.”
Mr. Law said wearing the robes also proved helpful to his performance.
“I think 20-something years ago I underestimated the power of costume as an actor,” he said. “In this role unlike almost any other, the potency of every day putting on — whether it’s the daily white robes or the more formal robes of ritual — it had great impact and was incredibly helpful although at times very uncomfortable. I’m glad I played it in my 40s and not my 70s. I don’t know how those guys carry that stuff when they’re that old.”
As for what “The Young Pope” is trying to say, Mr. Law would only go so far in comparing the events of the series to real-world events such as Brexit or the election of Donald Trump.
“I wouldn’t say we are a direct comment on what happened but to what extent how relevant some of the reactionary voting or the idea of voting in the unknown can lead you ... I guess my answer lies in the work we’ve done rather than what I can possibly comment on today for myself,” Mr. Law said.
He did say his Lenny differs from contemporary politicians in one significant way.
“He’s not a liar,” Mr. Law said of the character. “He’s full of contradictions, which I believe we all are, but he doesn’t lie. He’s a man of conviction from his own standpoint, and he’s trying to understand his heart, his faith. ... He imagines getting the job will give him a direct line to the person who’s guided him and seen him through a lonely existence. That’s God. And the line is busy so he has to work out how to answer these questions for himself.”
In the premiere episode, Lenny says he doesn’t believe in God but quickly follows up that he’s joking. But is he?
“He’s not joking,” Mr. Law said after consulting with Mr. Sorrentino before answering the question.
Channel surfing
Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” will migrate from Crackle to Netflix late this year, and Mr. Seinfeld also will film two new stand-up specials for Netflix. ... The Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton scandal may be the basis for a future season of producer Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story,” which previously tackled the O. J. Simpson trial. ... HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” returns for its 15th season tonight at 10 on HBO.
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