Jude Law didn’t think Paul McCartney was ever really going to dedicate “Hey Jude” in his honor, the actor told Stephen Colbert.
After strutting out to the Beatles’ hit on “The Late Show” on Thursday, the “Firebrand” actor recalled experiencing the “quite emotional” dedication in front of a crowd of thousands. He further revealed that fashion designer Stella McCartney was the mastermind behind the moment.
After introducing the two backstage at an Australia show last November, the musician said he would dedicate the song to Law due to the name connection.
“That was enough,” the actor said. “I didn’t think he would do it.”
The “Holiday” heartthrob then admitted that he lamented his unique name while growing up as a “pretty boy” in 1970s London. But upon hearing the dedication live, Law said what he “probably would’ve done is just cry” except that he realized he was on the jumbotron.
In a video shared on social media, the star was caught “dad dancing,” as Colbert put it.
McCartney originally wrote the Beatles’ 1968 tune to cheer up John Lennon’s five-year-old son Julian after his parents’ split. The song, then titled “Hey Jules,” was meant to bring some optimism to the young boy as his father went public with artist Yoko Ono. The band eventually renamed the song to “Hey Jude” because it was easier to sing.
Law will next play King Henry VIII in the upcoming film, “Firebrand.” “I believe he was also a romantic. I believe he believed in these marriages until they started to go terribly wrong for him,” he joked.
“Firebrand” is out in theaters nationwide Friday.
