Leo Woodall Recalls ‘the Best Times Ever’ Working on The White Lotus with Meghann Fahy, Theo James and More (Exclusive)

Weeks in Italy, a role on one of television’s most popular shows and the opportunity to work with some incredible industry veterans — what more could Leo Woodall ask for?

The London-born actor, 27, had a career turnaround in the show’s second season white lotus, and tells PEOPLE, “When I got it, it felt like the moment the stars aligned.”

As a cheeky Essex boy Jack, he flirted with a struggling assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), helped his “uncle” Quentin (Tom Hollander) carry out a well-conceived plan to take down Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and found time to shock audiences — Tanya included ! — by his not very appropriate behavior towards the mentioned uncle, with whom, fortunately, he was not biologically related.

“It feels like a world away,” he says of the cast’s weeks in Sicily filming the series in 2022. The days were spent “hanging out as a group,” with Coolidge, Hollander, Richardson and others like Theo James and Aubrey Plaza.

“It was one of those shows where, because there were so many characters and so many stories, there were so many days off. A lot of it was just one big vacation.”

Leo Woodall in Season 2 of HBO’s ‘White Lotus’. HBO ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale: How it ended and who died

He recalls one such day off at a bar near the actor’s hotel with Meghann Fahy — his current girlfriend, though the two are tight-lipped about their off-screen relationship — and F. Murray Abraham.

“We watched what we call – it’s called the Grand National, and it’s a horse race. It is a tradition to bet on a horse. And my horse won, and I was so excited, and Murray thought I’d just won a million pounds,” he shares, calling it a “really funny moment.”

“And when I told him I didn’t put that much money into it, and it was just the fame that I wanted, he said, ‘What the fuck?’ He couldn’t believe I was so happy to only win £10,” says Woodall, using British slang for pounds.

He adds: “I think most people would agree that it was one of the best times ever. It was amazing.”

Leo Woodall and Meghann Fahy attend the 2023 South Bank Sky Arts Awards at The Savoy Hotel on July 2, 2023 in London, England.

Dave Bennett/Getty

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Woodall, who plays another sassy Brit One dayNetflix’s new adaptation of David Nicholls’ 2009 novel, comes from an acting family and studied acting at a drama school in London.

“Once I decided this was what I wanted to do, I was completely in,” he says of his early days as an actor.

“Hollywood was never really in the conversation. It was just a freak accident. But when I told my family I wanted to be an actor, a lot of them weren’t that surprised,” he admits, describing his childhood self as “very theatrical” and “one from the boring ones who just wanted to perform in front of people all the time.”

The cast of White Lotus poses in the press room during the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Having graduated from ArtsEd in London, Woodall had previously spent “three or more years in the big bad world” White lotus came across.

“I’ve done some really cool jobs,” he says, including short visits Vampire Academy and Citadel. “And I’ve done some things that no one has seen.”

He feels “pretty lucky” about his time on the Mike White hit.

“I had a very fun role in the series. And the show — it was so beautiful that so many people watched it and liked it. And I was very proud to be a part of it,” he says, adding, “But I also maintained a level of anonymity, which I really held onto.”

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Seasons 1 and 2 of White lotus can be streamed in its entirety on Max.

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Source: HIS Education