Jason Isaacs Says 'White Lotus' Cast Went Through 'a Lot of Ups and Downs Together'

Shooting at the fictional White Lotus hotel(s) may seem like paradise, but The White Lotus Season 3 star Jason Isaacs says tensions rose off-cam during the six-month shoot in sun-soaked Thailand in what seemed like drama brewing among costars.

"Some people got very close. There were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost," the Liverpool native told Vulture.

"They say in the show, 'What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand,' but there's an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama. It was like a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies but in a gilded cage."

In a separate chat with Canada’s Etalk, Isaacs laid bare the reality of cast dynamics while filming.

"We went through a lot of ups and downs together. Friendships form and friendships break, and alliances form and cliques form and not everyone can be invited to everything, so all the dynamics of summer camp happen. All the good bits and all the bad bits," he confessed.

But not everything was rainbows and butterflies.

"I became very close to some people and less close to others, but we still all had that experience together and there’s a certain level of discretion required," Isaacs noted while keeping the names under wraps.

As the tropical heat and the far-from-home vibe intensified, Isaacs described the chaotic environment.

"All the things you would imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives on the other side of the world, in the intense pressure cooker of the working environment with eye-melting heat and insects and late nights," he revealed.

Isaacs’ character, North Carolina businessman Timothy Ratliff, grappled with family issues, including his wife Victoria (Parker Posey) and their three children, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola.

"Does the fact that I spent a lot of time particularly with Patrick, Sarah Catherine, and Sam, and became very close to them, make any difference? I don’t know," he pondered.

Though Isaacs may be tight-lipped about any fallout, his Instagram tells another story! He shared glimpses of fun times with his costars during their Thai adventure.

"First week in Thailand. Crickets were eaten, chocolate was melted and mosquitoes loved the bug spray," he wrote in a post, although he ominously added, "Such a long way to go."

Fans were quick to comment on their on-screen family chemistry, with one saying, "The fact this looks like a real dad posting his kids on vacation,” and another adding, "Those look like his real kids," accompanied by a heart emoji.

Fast forward to St. Patrick’s Day, when Isaacs reunited with his on-screen children in NYC! "The Ratliffs hit NY looking for a quiet bar on Paddy’s Day. Duh," he captioned a smiling selfie with the trio, making it clear that despite any behind-the-scenes tensions, the cast has memories to cherish.