Jason Isaacs: The Charismatic Star of ‘The White Lotus’
“What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand,” Jason Isaacs quips, a knowing smile playing on his lips. Currently captivating audiences in Mike White’s critically acclaimed series The White Lotus, an anthology that transports viewers to a different branch of the luxurious hotel each season, Isaacs portrays Timothy Ratliff, a commanding patriarch with a rich North Carolina accent. Beneath his imposing exterior lies a tangled web of secrets and anxieties, as the deceit surrounding his immense wealth threatens to unravel.
Upon receiving the role, Isaacs quickly declared that The White Lotus was “my favorite show and a work of utter brilliance.” After binge-watching the first two seasons, he realized he had hit the nail on the head—it’s a masterfully crafted series. The gripping mystery serves as the hook (“It’s a whodunnit and who-they-dunnit-to,” he explains), but the true allure lies in the nuanced empathy that White extends to his characters, regardless of their extravagant privilege.
Isaacs challenges the notion that The White Lotus thrives solely on the schadenfreude of witnessing the misfortunes of the wealthy. “Mike isn’t a class warrior. While there is a temptation to relish seeing the rich brought low, the reality is that everyone grapples with similar human struggles. Those dynamics remain unchanged, whether you arrive on a private jet or a bus,” he states. “The characters are stripped of everything they believe defines them and must confront who they genuinely are.”
Though the characters spend just a week in Thailand, Isaacs and the cast endured an intense seven-month shoot filled with “eye-meltingly hot” days. According to Isaacs, the experience of filming the show could easily serve as a gripping drama in its own right.
- “We were in each other’s pockets all day, every day,” he reflects. “It was quite an experience—a pressure cooker scenario with extreme heat, far from home, mixed with alcohol and whatever else was available in Thailand. Friendships were formed, alliances shifted, romances blossomed, and, inevitably, some friendships ended. There’s an off-screen White Lotus as much as there is an on-screen one.”
Isaacs is currently at his London home, having just wrapped up a whirlwind promotional tour across three continents. Although he admits to feeling “a bit f*ked up” from jet lag, his energy remains infectious. He may not exhibit the flamboyance of his General Zhukov from The Death of Stalin or the imperiousness of Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter films, but he possesses an undeniable charisma. His conversation is a rapid-fire mix of jokes, anecdotes, impressions, and bold opinions, ranging from Malfoy’s representation of fascism to the implications of proportional representation on today’s political landscape.
At the time of our discussion, the world is grappling with the unsettling aftermath of Donald Trump’s latest controversial moves concerning Ukraine. “It’s overshadowed everything else happening globally,” Isaacs observes, alarmed. “Discussing a television show while America alters the balance of world power with just a few statements is deeply unsettling. It’s hard not to feel a sense of impending doom.”
During Trump’s first term, many actors and directors openly criticized the president, yet even staunch critics like Robert De Niro seem to have softened their rhetoric. Isaacs refrains from speculating on Hollywood’s newfound caution but notes, “Everyone is paying homage to the new king. Corporations are dismantling DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] departments. Self-censorship is more pervasive than outright censorship. We’re living in a time reminiscent of Stalin’s regime. The pressing question is what stories we want to tell and whether they will find financing; only time will tell.”
At 61, Isaacs exudes a sense of self-assurance that many might envy, but it took him years to cultivate. Born in Liverpool as the third son of a Jewish jeweler, he moved to London at age 11, quickly shedding his accent. He was so adept at concealing his insecurities that he was surprised to read his old friend Mark Kermode’s memoir, which painted him as a “very confident-slash-obnoxious young man.” “That wasn’t my experience at all. I was tremendously insecure; perhaps I overcompensated by being overly loud,” he admits.
While studying law at Bristol University, he once again adapted to fit in with his more privileged peers. “I didn’t know who I was or how I was supposed to be,” he recalls. But everything changed when he drunkenly stumbled into an audition for a student play. “I found my people. All the baggage I carried into the room evaporated the moment I started pretending to be someone else. I fell in love with acting—I couldn’t get enough of it.”
It’s noteworthy that two of his most notable TV roles—Cary Grant in 2023’s Archie and Harry H Corbett in 2008’s The Curse of Steptoe—feature iconic figures plagued by insecurities. “They were both broken people,” he acknowledges. “There’s nothing an actor enjoys more than a secret—the tension of thinking one thing, saying another, and being driven by an unrecognized third force.”
Isaacs’ own secret involved a battle with addiction to alcohol and drugs. He achieved sobriety at 35 and kept it private until 2020 when he shared his story on Instagram to inspire others facing similar struggles. “Well, everyone who knew me was aware I was always under the influence. It was impossible to conceal. But would they have known how dark and lonely it became? No, of course not. I was functioning; I was successfully working as an actor. The extent of my paranoia and the smallness of my life were hidden from everyone except my then-girlfriend, now wife—documentary filmmaker Emma Hewitt—who knew she was with someone whose ideal state was coma. I managed to maintain a façade until I shut the door behind me, and she saw the remnants of who I had become.”
Now, Isaacs shares that he has “replaced drugs with tennis.” He also embraces adrenaline-fueled adventures. “I jump out of planes, race down mountains, and dive off cliffs. Given the chance, I always perform my own stunts, though I’ve had my fair share of mishaps.” Ironically, he sustained an injury on the set of The White Lotus, not during any stunt but by crashing headfirst into an over-polished glass door on a superyacht. “When fellow actors were asked what the funniest incident on set was, they all pointed to the time Jason cracked his head open,” he laughs.
Isaacs seems to embody the idea that today’s disaster can become tomorrow’s anecdote. While navigating sobriety in 1998, he also endured a decade-long ordeal with a stalker. “It drove me mad,” he admits. “I should have written a film about it. Baby Reindeer might be slightly more dramatic, but not by much. I was terrified that my house would be set ablaze or that I’d be attacked. Unfortunately, because the stalker was a young woman, the police didn’t take my situation seriously for a long time.”
He recalls one night when his stalker was arrested outside his residence, only to be released and show up banging on his front door shortly thereafter. “The police suggested I change my name and occupation. That’s an insane suggestion!” he exclaims. Another officer advised him to “just knock her out.” “The police were essentially useless,” he sighs, “insisting that I must have had an affair with her when I had never even met her.”
Reflecting on his impressive portfolio of around 200 acting roles, Isaacs identifies only a handful that truly feel like the essence of storytelling. One standout was the first London stage production of Angels in America in 1993, where he starred alongside Daniel Craig and Stephen Dillane. “It encapsulated everything,” he states. “It was funny, sad, profound, and had something significant to convey. It felt like all the ley lines of storytelling converged.”
What’s Next for Jason Isaacs?
He can also identify the occasional disaster (after the 2003 failure of Peter Pan, he thought his film career was over) and a few roles he should never have accepted, although he politely declines to name them. “It’s easy to be lured in by a nice location, lucrative pay, or enjoyable company, but once they shout ‘Action!’, it becomes impossible to deliver a good performance with poor scripts,” he cringes. “You feel the shame of not doing it justice, the embarrassment of everyone watching, and the further humiliation of having to promote something you know is subpar.”
Since filming The White Lotus, Isaacs has found it challenging to secure roles that measure up, jokingly texting Mike, “You’ve ruined my career!” However, he does have some compelling projects on the horizon. In Words of War, he portrays the husband of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was assassinated for her fearless coverage of Putin’s actions in Chechnya. In The Salt Path, he plays Moth Winn, a man battling a rare neurodegenerative disease. Despite the odds, Winn remains alive 12 years post-diagnosis, offering a hopeful note to conclude our conversation. “He’s one of the most joyful individuals I’ve ever encountered,” Isaacs remarks warmly. “He’s like Santa Claus, only slimmer. I hope people learn from him that finding reasons to be grateful far outweighs seeking out anger.”
The White Lotus continues on Monday at 2am and 9pm on Sky Atlantic. It is also available for streaming on Now.
