Jason Isaacs, the British actor known for his prolific career alongside Hollywood’s biggest names, got candid about the troubling ‘bad behavior’ he’s witnessed on set throughout his decades in Tinseltown.
At 62, Isaacs boasts an impressive resume, having starred in major films such as Armageddon with Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis, The Patriot with Mel Gibson, Black Hawk Down with Josh Hartnett, 2014’s Fury with Brad Pitt, and, perhaps most famously, the Harry Potter franchise alongside a host of A-list stars.
Isaacs shared stories about some of the wild antics and difficult experiences he’s had with co-stars, including one prominent actor who once pushed him out of a shot, in a revealing interview with Vulture.
‘Oh Jesus. Did worse than that. Was the worst bully ever and a global icon,’ Isaacs said.
He continued. ‘Did all the old tricks of doing a completely different performance off-camera than on.
‘Yeah, it sucked. I’d never seen anything like it. Before, I would’ve licked the ground that this person walked on.’
Jason Isaacs, the British actor known for his prolific career alongside Hollywood’s biggest names, got candid about the troubling ‘bad behavior’ he’s witnessed on set throughout his decades in Tinseltown; (pictured June 10)
The White Lotus star shared stories about some of the wild antics and difficult experiences he’s had with co-stars, including one prominent actor who once pushed him out of a shot, in a revealing interview with Vulture; (Isaacs starred in 2014’s Fury with Brad Pitt, pictured)
He didn’t stop there, describing other examples of toxic behavior on set.
‘Mostly, what I judge on set is bad behavior,’ he continued. ‘It’s selfishness, cruelty, bullying, or people complaining to the person who’s getting them dressed, who doesn’t get in a year what they earn in a day to pick their filthy underwear off the floor.
‘That, or not turning up, or going home early, or thinking they know better than the director, or being on crack and calling prostitutes to their trailer.
‘I come across all that stuff.’
When asked why he didn’t name any of the offenders, Isaacs explained, ‘I’m not so stupid as to even give hints or clues about who those people are.’
He added, ‘Because I have stories. I know where all the bodies are buried.
‘I often fantasize about doing a junket and telling the truth, and when I win the lottery, possibly that will be the case.’
However, Isaacs emphasized that exposing the truth about colleagues or on-set experiences serves little purpose beyond self-sabotage, noting, ‘Acting is all about secrets.’
‘Oh Jesus. Did worse than that. Was the worst bully ever and a global icon,’ Isaacs said, though he didn’t name the actor; (Steve Buschemi, Will Patton, Bruce Willis, Michael Duncan, Ben aAffleck and Owen Wilson in Armageddon)
Isaacs starred with Mel Gibson in 2000’s The Patriot
Isaacs continued: ‘Did all the old tricks of doing a completely different performance off-camera than on. Yeah, it sucked. I’d never seen anything like it. Before, I would’ve licked the ground that this person walked on,’ (Isaacs starred in Black Hawk Down with Josh Hartnett)
‘Mostly, what I judge on set is bad behavior,’ he continued; (Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Domnhall Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Matt Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen Mccrory, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Natalia Tena, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright of the Cast and crew attend the ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2)
In the same interview, Isaacs, who appears in the third season of the hit HBO series Whire Lotus as wealthy businessman Timothy Ratliff, revealed just how much he and his castmates were paid per episode.
‘That’s absolutely true,’ he told the outlet, confirming that they earned $40,000 per episode.
He added, ‘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
‘But compared to what people normally get paid for big television shows, that’s a very low price.’
Still, Isaacs admitted he was just as excited as fellow cast members—like Patrick Schwarzenegger and Parker Posey—to join the buzz-worthy series.
In the same interview, Isaacs, who appears in the third season of the hit HBO series Whire Lotus as wealthy businessman Timothy Ratliff, revealed just how much he and his castmates were paid per episode
‘But the fact is, we would have paid to be in it. We probably would have given a body part.’
Isaacs was asked whether, given his long resume, he had any complicated feelings about earning the same as less-experienced actors like Schwarzenegger.
He replied, ‘Do I mind that I wasn’t paid more than other people? I never work for money. I mean, 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.’
