Jason Isaacs Admits Why He ‘Lied’ to “White Lotus ”Creator Mike White During His Season 3 Audition (Exclusive)

Jason Isaacs told a little fib before being cast for The White Lotus season 3.

The longtime actor and Harry Potter alum, 61, reveals during a PEOPLE in 10 interview that he ”lied” to the series’ creator Mike White and executive producer David Bernad during his in-person audition for the hit HBO anthology’s third season, which premieres on Sunday, Feb. 16.

“You’re the first person I've ever said this to,” Isaacs prefaces his recollection to PEOPLE. “I lied to Mike and Dave and told them I was a huge fan.”

The Peter Pan and The Patriot star then admitted that he hadn’t actually seen any episodes yet — but he quickly rectified this.

Related: Why Jason Isaacs Says Everyone Would 'Stink' on The White Lotus Season 3 Set — Particularly During 'Intimate Scenes'

“After the audition, I binged season 1 and season 2,” he explains. “The only reason I hadn’t watched it is my family had started without me. They loved it like crazy, and season 2 came on and they said, ‘Watch it,’ and I went, ’I want to see season 1,’ so I just hadn’t caught up.”

“I watched all of them in like a day and a half,” Isaacs adds. “I basically sat and stewed in my own filth, watched it and realized why people had made such a fuss. And then I was a fan, but by then I think I had the job.”

Isaacs then detailed the audition process, which had made him “nervous.”

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“I went to audition and put myself on tape in New York because I was there to launch Archie, a show in which I play Cary Grant,” Isaacs recalls. “And I walked past all these giant billboards in Times Square of my face on it to go into a casting director’s office like I used to in my 20s and put myself on tape, so I certainly couldn’t get too big for my boots.”

“And I was anxious and nervous,” he remembers of The White Lotus audition. “Then I got the job. I obviously didn’t do too appalling of a job.” 

Related: Who’s Playing Who in The White Lotus Season 3? A Guide to the Star-Studded Cast Headed to Thailand — and the Set of Characters They Portray

In season 3, Isaacs plays Timothy Ratliff, a wealthy businessman vacationing with his wife Victoria (played by Parker Posey).

The couple — along with their three children Saxon, Sarah and Sam (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola) — are among the people vacationing at the resort in Thailand.

“The social satire is set at an exclusive Thai resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week,” reads the logline from HBO about the season’s eight new episodes.

Related: Jason Isaacs Shares the Advice Mike White Gave Him to Prepare for Filming The White Lotus in Thailand

This season’s main cast also includes Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Lek Patravadi, Natasha Rothwell, Tayme Thapthimthong and Aimee Lou Wood.

The White Lotus season 3 premieres Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

Read the original article on People