Inside all the wild stuff Jason Isaacs said while promoting The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs might be playing a billionaire on The White Lotus season three, but the real drama isn’t just on screen—it’s in his press tour. The actor, who plays morally questionable money man Timothy Ratliff in Mike White’s hit HBO series, has spent the past few weeks doing the rounds and, well… he’s said a lot. Some of it charming, some of it weird, and other moments just pure “why-would-you-say-that?” levels of unfiltered.

Here’s everything you missed:

Filming the show was ‘like Lord of the Flies’

Isaacs, who filmed the show over seven sweltering months at the luxe Four Seasons in Koh Samui, Thailand, described the experience to Vulture as “a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies—but in a gilded cage.” Sounds fun? Well, apparently not for everyone. He admitted that while friendships were formed, others “were lost.”

“Some people got very close,” he said. “All the things you’d imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives… in the intense pressure cooker of the working environment with eye-melting heat and insects and late nights.”

When pushed for details, Isaacs pulled back, saying, “There’s a certain level of discretion required.”

His humble audition for the show was a weird experience

In a slightly chaotic (but endearing?) BuzzFeed interview while playing with puppies, Isaacs shared the surreal experience of having to audition for The White Lotus—even while his face was plastered across Times Square for another show.

Most Read

Lily Phillips reveals how she copes when unattractive men show up to sleep with her

Lily Phillips details harsh truth of her ‘backdoor’ stunt, and the strict rules she had in place

A deep dive into how rich Clint from MAFS Australia 2025 is, plus what his job really is

“I had to walk through Times Square where there were huge billboards of me everywhere… but I was going into a room to go on tape, which makes you feel unsuccessful and humble,” he said. “I was the same stuttering nervous idiot I was when I used to audition decades ago.”

Also, his theory on why he got the role? Because he was “probably cheap.” OK, King of Self-Deprecation.

He didn’t know who Lisa from BLACKPINK was

In the Buzzfeed interview, Isaacs straight-up admitted he had no idea who Lisa from BLACKPINK was when they first met on set. “I just knew she was Lisa, who was great and good fun,” he said. “Turns out a pretty brilliant actress as well.”

Eventually, he found out she was “more famous than Jesus and Elvis”—but said the fact that no one on set treated her like a megastar probably helped her settle in. “She wasn’t famous with us. She was just another actress in the cast, which I think was pretty refreshing for her.”

He then added: “Lisa—not her music—I like her. She’s a pretty great woman and she puts up with a lot.” Honestly? Kinda sweet.

The penis interview. Yes, that one.

Things got more awkward when CBS Mornings host Gayle King brought up the full-frontal nudity in one of his scenes. Instead of simply confirming or denying the prosthetic situation, Isaacs took a sharp left turn and made things weird—fast.

“It’s interesting because the best actress this year is Mikey Madison at the Oscars,” he said. “And I don’t see anybody discussing her vulva.” Sir?

He went on to name-drop Margaret Qualley and talk about how no one would ask her about “her genitalia or nipples.” It was an attempt at pointing out a “double standard,” but it landed… terribly.

via CBS Mornings

After the internet collectively winced, Isaacs issued an apology via Variety. “I said the wrong words in the wrong way,” he admitted. “There is a double standard—women have been monstrously exploited and men haven’t… I absolutely should not have mentioned those two actresses, whom I respect enormously.”

He chalked it up to being tired and over-interviewed. “My point wasn’t that men have had a harder time than women—that would be absurd.”

So yeah, between the drama on set, the puppy interview revelations, the accidental disses, and the anatomy hot takes, Isaacs has managed to turn a straightforward press tour into a chaotic joyride.

And honestly, I am here for it!

For more like this, and the latest pop culture updates, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image via HBO