Jason Isaacs: White Lotus star fears anti-Trump stance could cost future acting jobs
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Jason Issacs, one of the stars of season three of The White Lotus, and an active Labour Party campaigner, tells The News Agents about filming the hit show, his ongoing trust for the government, and how Donald Trump’s second presidency could cause major upset to the arts in America.
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In brief…
- Jason Isaacs tells Emily Maitls and Jon Sopel how he was once asked to record a campaign video for the Labour Party, despite research showing celebrity endorsements could alienate voters.
- The actor discusses criticism of the current season of The White Lotus, saying it is more “ambitious” than previous installments, and questions why viewers want the show to remain the same as it grows.
- He also speaks about his fears for the future of the acting profession in America, as well as the impact of streaming services and AI on the creative industries.
*Warning: This article includes spoilers for The White Lotus and references to suicide.*
TV viewers will recognise Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliffe from The White Lotus, Harry Potter fans will know him as Lucius Malfoy.
But for the UK’s Labour Party, he’s also been considered a secret weapon.
"I campaigned for the Labour Party," Isaacs tells The News Agents.
"There was a point at which they asked me to make a video about local elections or something.
"I asked if they were sure that having actors and celebrities endorsements gets a vote, and the person I was talking to at the time said they had commissioned a report which showed it doesn't make any difference at all, and it might even have a negative affect – but asked me to make the video anyway."
Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently announced a new wave of benefit cuts in the UK, which have been criticised by many, including Labour MPs.
And while Isaacs is among those critical, he says it's important to trust the government in its plans to repair the UK economy with its controversial new plans.
"Any cuts to people who are anything other than enormously wealthy and privileged sting, and it feels awful that a Labour Government, particularly, should go in and [make it so] working people should or people at the lower end of the income spectrum should suffer in any way," he tells Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel.
"But I also trust them not to be selfish and destructive and cover things up the way the Conservatives did, and lie about where things are going financially.
"So I have to trust that they know what they're doing, because otherwise I feel foolish for having put that trust in them in the first place."
Jason Issacs on his 'clear dislike' of Donald Trump
But the issues within the Labour Party, and the UK are not a concern for Timothy Ratcliffe, a financier from Durham, North Carolina, whose storyline focuses on the prospect of losing his wealth – and facing jail – while holidaying at The White Lotus in Thailand.
Isaacs describes the cast of rich, troubled characters as "rich people who go to rent spiritual enlightenment – as long as it sits comfortably on their Burberry shoulders."
During Ratcliffe's visit with his wife and three children, dodgy business deals are uncovered, leading the character to become addicted to his wife's Lorazepam prescription (a powerful drug used to treat insomnia and anxiety), and become increasingly suicidal as the third series progresses.
"It's been a fun challenge to try and let the audience into all the catastrophic thinking that's going on behind the eyes with virtually no words," Isaacs says, having consulted his psychiatrist brother for advice on how someone would act while sedated on the drug.
But while the viewers are treated to scenes of the ultra-rich holidaying in what seems like paradise (albeit one where everyone harbours a secret and not everyone is likely to make it out alive), it was anything but bliss for the actors, who were shooting in extreme conditions for seven months.
"It was insanely hot. Too hot, even for a holiday, and we weren't having a holiday," Isaacs says.
"We're also not jumping in the ocean or getting a tan because we can't get browner, and because we're working inside a room with TV lights on with a bunch of crew for 12/13 hours.
"It gets deeply uncomfortable."
The show was filmed across a variety of locations and five-star hotels, and Isaacs says it was the first shoot he's been part of where his wife, Emma Hewitt, wanted to visit him on set.
As the show has grown in popularity and viewers, there has been criticism for taking a slower, more restrained approach to its storytelling in season three – and lack of fan-favourite character Tanya Quaid, who was killed off at the end of season two.
"People are expecting Mike White to repeat himself," Isaacs says.
"People on the internet are saying, 'why isn't it as funny, or why isn't Jennifer Coolidge in it?'
“He's grown and set himself new targets and become more ambitious. With the success of the show, I think he's been empowered to go deeper, further and wider."
'I know stars who've been asked to run for the Democrats'
The series was filmed before Trump won the 2024 election, and while most of the holidaying cast are portrayed as right-leaning individuals, the storyline for one character (played by Leslie Bibb) involves coming out to her friends as a Republican voter.
Isaacs has spoken out against Donald Trump, a man he describes as "spectacularly thin skinned and over sensitive", and says he has some concerns his views could make landing US acting roles more complicated during the next four years.
"I don't know whether my clear dislike for the current president of America will affect me in future, whether I'm allowed to work there at all," he says, adding that actors with strong views or who have "stuck their flag somewhere on a hill" for a certain cause may see directors "strike you off".
But if he hears people complain that actors are becoming too political, Isaacs simply points out that there is now "a reality star in The White House".
He describes Trump as having "hit the ground running" and having devastated "the very existing pillars of democracy and undermined the foundations of American government."
"In 2016 they were taking the knee. Now they're bending the knee – and it's very striking."
But while his main concerns for the acting industry is the influence of streaming services and the rapid growth of AI, he has fears that a lack of funding from the Trump administration could hit Hollywood – and other creative fields – hard.
"This time, I fear for there being any kind of subsidy for any arts anywhere in America, because the atmosphere has changed so completely," Isaacs says.
"The first time, he didn't quite know what he was doing.
"This time, he had a long time to prepare, and came in with people who are unskilled in almost every department, except for their declarations of loyalty and their dedication to Project 2025. It's very depressing."
Jason Isaacs: 'I trust Labour not to be selfish and destructive'
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