Jason Isaacs: White Lotus role forces British actor to step into the limelight

He has worked in the industry for more than three decades and appeared in blockbuster films, but for a long time Jason Isaacs has avoided the limelight.

- Nadia Khomami

He has worked in the industry for more than three decades and appeared in blockbuster films, but for a long time Jason Isaacs has avoided the limelight. Then came The White Lotus, and suddenly the 61-year-old Liverpudlian was an internet sensation. He presented an award at the Brits, and was part of ITV's Oscar coverage last month, bemusing viewers with his refreshing honesty. "Whoever at ITV decided to get Jason Isaacs as part of their coverage is a genius," one fan commented.

The intensity of the spotlight has surprised Isaacs, who called it "completely bizarre". With each of his comments comes a new headline: "Jason Isaacs reveals lost friendships among White Lotus cast"; "Jason Isaacs calls out double standard for men after prosthetic penis debate"; and, shortly after, "Jason Isaacs is sorry about those vulva comments." "I made a joke about Meryl Streep playing me in a TV series and suddenly it's been picked up by 100,000 websites as if it was a genuine suggestion!" the actor said recently.

Isaacs plays the southern US patriarch Timothy Ratliff in the third season of The White Lotus, Mike White's Emmy-winning drama about the psychosocial dysfunctions of guests and staff at a luxury hotel chain.

Holidaying in Thailand with his maladjusted family, Ratliff discovers the FBI has raided his office because of his shady business dealings. Cue an agonising breakdown as he pops his wife's lorazepam and fantasises about killing himself with a stolen gun.

Despite his fears that he would be "the most boring person" that's ever been on the show, Isaacs has been praised for his "rich, dryly comic performance".