The Londoner: Sadie Frost takes Law in her own hands

Actor Sadie Frost is in “talks” with a young, up-and-coming actor to star in her next film. And who is the lucky leading man in the making? Her son, Rafferty.

Frost, who starred in Shopping, The Krays and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, started a career in film production in 2013, launching Blonde to Black Pictures with friend Emma Comley.

Their company’s latest film, Two For Joy, stars Samantha Morton and Billie Piper and received critical acclaim. Now Frost is planning her next steps.

“It felt empowering to let the whole thing go and to figure out what’s next”, she says of the film.

“I am thinking about featuring him [Rafferty] in one of the films I’m working on,” Frost tells The Londoner.

“We’re currently having talks with him about it.”

Rafferty, 22, is Frost’s son with actor and ex-husband Jude Law.

He has no professional acting experience. He has, however, worked as a model, taking to the catwalk for a DKNY show and appearing in high-profile campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana and Timberland.

He also sings: he debuted a single, State Your Name, at the start of this month with his new band, London-based indie group Outer Stella Overdrive and previously released a solo single, Support Network, under the name Raff Law.

His 18-year-old sister, Iris Law, is pursuing modelling and has starred in campaigns for Burberry. Rafferty, though, may need some guidance from his famous parents, having once described his talent in the acting department as slightly lacking.

“I did feel a bit of pressure when I joined my first boarding school [Bedales in Hampshire].

In my drama lesson, I think everyone thought: ‘Oh God, he’s going to be so brilliant.’” he recalls.

“Then they realised that I wasn’t that good, so they just let me get on with it.”

Risk management

Jacob Rees-Mogg has told an Australian media company that there is a risk of “an accidental departure from the European Union without any agreement having been made”.

The comments were published yesterday, on the same day that the Conservative MP for North East Somerset was writing in The Mail on Sunday, arguing for a “No Deal Plus”.

This plan will cost money, he wrote, but “finally dispel the ‘crash out’ Project Fear nightmare scenarios”. Nightmare scenarios such as accidentally departing from the EU without an agreement, for example?

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Reporters Without Borders brought its press freedom awards to London for the first time last week. Channel 4’s Lindsey Hilsum, hosting, introduced the BBC’s Lyse Doucet as her “journalism twin”. “Fact check,” Doucet responded drily. “Lindsey is, in fact, four months older than me.”

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Chiwetel Ejiofor lives between London and the US, so has been keeping an eye on the mid-term elections. “It’s sad times in America but the mid-term elections were exciting”, the Twelve Years a Slave star tells us. “It was great to see the numbers go up so high, and it really broke the mould with the electing of more black women and a Muslim woman. The tide is changing.”

Rupert's past in another country

Rupert Everett has been enjoying a new round of success of late, starring in and directing Oscar Wilde biopic The Happy Prince. But the film world hasn’t always been so kind. While making Spanish film Finding Altamira in 2016, the only way to get him out to the set in Santander was the daily Ryanair flight. “Darling,” he told apologetic producers. “I know I once counted for something in the world. But spending one’s morning in the Stansted Wetherspoons has convinced me otherwise.”

Actor Haley Bennett and British director Joe Wright, whose divorce from sitar player Anoushka Shankar was finalised in May, celebrated their forthcoming bundle of joy this weekend. Bennett shared a photo of their “celebration of divine creation and the wonder-filled flow into motherhood”. AKA: a baby shower.

Dita dresses up for a dual celebration at the Connaught

The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair made for an old-school Hollywood-themed backdrop last night for a dual celebration.

Fashion designer Jenny Packham was marking her line’s 30th anniversary while partygoers were also welcoming the arrival of burlesque star Dita Von Teese’s Art of the Teese revue in London as part of its European tour.

The show, which is coming to the London Palladium this week, displays Von Teese in various states of elegant undress but last night she wore a plunging blue gown, specially made by Packham.

The designer is a hit with the aristocracy, both real and imagined. Packham, whose clothes are a particular favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, was joined at the dinner by Michelle Dockery. The Downton Abbey actor has just finished filming for the feature film of the period drama.

Also in attendance at last night’s dinner was the designer’s brother, Autumnwatch presenter Chris Packham, as well as actor Olivia Grant and comedian Harry Hill.

SW1A

Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from a Nicaraguan citizens group for being “deafeningly silent” on the anti-government crisis that has engulfed the Central American country since April SOSNicaragua has written an open letter pointing out that the Labour leader has mentioned the country in Parliament 210 times but has failed to “take a position”.

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Corbyn was also criticised for wearing a casual raincoat at the Cenotaph yesterday. He once turned up to a GQ shoot similarly attired. Sighed editor Dylan Jones: “(His people) didn’t really seem to understand that he couldn’t just turn up in his anorak.”

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“You should never be without a plectrum”, Education Secretary Damian Hinds tells Nick Robinson. Hinds once saw a rock star decline to play a song for a fan because no one had a guitar pick. Which one? Either “the guy from Green Day or Noel Gallagher”.

Quote of the Day

"Brexit can be stopped" -- Keir Starmer​ contradicts his party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who last week said Brexit “can’t be stopped”