Jason Isaacs has been making the rounds since “The White Lotus” Season 3 wrapped, and his interviews have been nothing short of a treat.
In a recent chat with Vulture, the actor got real about one big question fans have been dying to know—how much he and his co-stars got paid for their time filming in paradise.
‘The White Lotus’ Star Confirms Rumored Cast Salaries
Isaacs, who played Timothy Ratliff in the HBO hit, confirmed reports that every cast member earned $40,000 per episode, totaling $320,000 for the eight-episode season.
“I didn’t know that was public knowledge. That’s absolutely true,” the 62-year-old actor said. “Generally actors don’t talk about pay in public because it’s ridiculously disproportionate to what we do — putting on makeup and funny voices — and just upsets the public.”
Isaacs Says It’s a “Low Price” for a Hit Show
While $40,000 an episode sounds impressive, Isaacs admitted it’s on the low end for a show of “White Lotus” caliber. “But compared to what people normally get paid for big television shows, that’s a very low price,” he said.
“But the fact is, we would have paid to be in it. We probably would have given a body part.”
Isaacs Reveals the Reason He Didn’t Demand More Money
Isaacs pointed out that seasoned actors like himself and Parker Posey earned the same as younger castmates such as Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola.
“Do I mind that I wasn’t paid more than other people? I never work for money,” he said. “I’ve done all right. People will think I have huge stockpiles of money, but sadly, what I’ve done rather immaturely is expand my outgoings to match my incomings and pretty much spent everything I’ve earned over the years.”
Isaacs Has a Valuable Lesson for Younger Co-Stars
On set, Isaacs tried to help his younger co-stars by reminding them not to get too attached to the final cut of the show—something he learned the hard way after a significant setback in his career.
“It’s completely out of their control and for creator Mike White to worry about more than the actors,” he said.
He referenced his 2003 turn as Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” as a cautionary tale. “It was a big expensive production with multiple studios. We filmed for 14 months. … The film tanked,” he recalled. “I think it’s a masterpiece, but people looked at the poster and went, ‘Oh, f–k it. I’ve seen Hook with Robin Williams, and I’ve seen the cartoon. Why do I need to see another one?’”
A Career Low That Almost Made Him Quit
Isaacs didn’t hold back about how much that flop affected him.
“It was a catastrophe professionally for me, a huge fall from grace. I couldn’t get a walk-on role,” he said. “And I changed my agent and I almost changed my job, frankly, because I didn’t think I’d work again.”
Despite the setback, he said not letting the negativity define him made all the difference.“I was really in despair but not as bad as I would have been had I believed any of the bullshit that had been whispered in my ear. I didn’t over-invest in the results of it, which is something I tried to counsel the young actors on The White Lotus not to do.”
You can start streaming ‘The White Lotus’ here.
