NEWSJason Isaacs Says 'White Lotus' Set Was Like 'Theatre Camp Meets Open Prison'
Jason Isaacs opened up about the behind-the-scenes drama during 'The White Lotus' filming in Thailand.
April 13 2025, Published 7:20 p.m. ET
After comparing the dynamics of his costars to a crossover between "summer camp and Lord of the Flies," The White Lotus star Jason Isaacs once again opened up about the strained dynamics on set, as the season wrapped up.
This time, Isaacs, who played the troubled patriarch Timothy Ratliff, compared it to a "theatre camp" and "to some extent, an open prison camp."
The actor said there were 'alliances that formed and broke' on set.
"There were alliances that formed and broke, romances that formed and broke, friendships that formed and broke," he shared.
This season attracted a star-studded lineup, including Patrick Schwarzenegger, Parker Posey and Michelle Monaghan, not to mention returning favorites like Natasha Rothwell. Isaacs also admitted he got caught in the thick of drama.
Jason Isaacs admitted to being involved in some off-screen drama in 'The White Lotus' set.
Filming took place at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand, where not just the shooting unfolded but cast, crews, families and even series creator Mike White cohabitated — but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
"There are tensions and difficulties. I don’t know if they spilled from on screen to off-screen, or if it would have happened anyway," he explained.
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Jason Isaacs’ wife called some of the cast 'mad.'
"I can’t pretend I wasn’t involved in some off-screen drama," he shared.
He noted that producer Dave Bernad and White had seen it all before, and joked that perhaps the behind-the-scenes chaos only served to enhance the on-screen tension.
He recalled a conversation with his wife, actress Emma Hewitt, who remarked, "Some of these people are f------ mad," to which he quipped back, "No, it’s just a bunch of actors away on location, love. You’ve forgotten what it’s like."
Jason Isaacs previously spoke about the dynamic in another interview.
Isaacs previously echoed these sentiments in a previous interview with Vulture.
"They say in the show, ‘What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand,’ but there’s an offscreen 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," he shared.
While the camaraderie was real, Isaacs made it clear that not everyone clicked. He noted he was "closer" to some cast members than others.
