Jason Isaacs disclosed that one of his “global icon” co-stars was the “worst bully ever.” He recounted an incident where a leading actor deliberately pushed him out of a shot during filming, describing the behavior as worse than previously known.

Isaacs, 62, explained that the unnamed actor “did all the old tricks of doing a completely different performance off-camera than on,” which he found very disappointing.

“Yeah, it sucked. I’d never seen anything like it,” Isaacs said. “I used to revere this person, and now I see their true colors.”

He emphasized that he judges actors primarily on their behavior, noting selfishness, cruelty, bullying, or unprofessional conduct like leaving early, doing drugs, or calling “prostitutes to their trailer.”

He added, “There’s a certain charisma in madness; it’s fascinating but also dangerous.”

He insisted that exposing such behavior serves little purpose, as revealing the truth can be destructive rather than helpful, concluding, “There’s no value, other than masochism and sabotage, in telling people the truth.”

He revealed that he prefers to judge colleagues based on their professionalism and conduct rather than their reputation or talent alone.

He shared, “I often come across challenging personalities, but I keep focus on behavior behind the scenes.”

Despite the negativity, Isaacs admitted he’d still gladly work with many cast members, noting, “We would have paid to be in it—probably a body part or two.”

He explained that actors typically don’t discuss pay publicly because it’s disproportionate to their effort and can upset audiences. Yet, he acknowledged that their compensation for Season 3 of “The White Lotus”—around $40,000 per episode—was quite low given the show’s success.

“Acting isn’t about money—it’s about passion,” he said. “But still, it’s a surprisingly low rate for such a popular show.”

He concluded, “We would have paid to be in it—probably a body part or two. That’s what passion for acting looks like.”