Jason Isaacs Discusses Pay and Experience on The White Lotus

LOS ANGELES, CA — Jason Isaacs confirmed in a recent interview that every cast member of “The White Lotus” Season 3 earned $40,000 per episode, totaling approximately $320,000 for the eight-episode season. Isaacs remarked that this amount is surprisingly low given the show’s success.

“I didn’t know that was public knowledge. That’s absolutely true,” said Isaacs, who played Timothy Ratliff. “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. But the fact is, we would have paid to be in it. We probably would have given a body part.”

The pay scale meant that seasoned actors like Isaacs and Parker Posey received the same compensation as newer actors like Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola. Isaacs expressed indifference about earnings, stating, “Do I mind that I wasn’t paid more than other people? I never work for money. I’ve done all right.”

He went on to share insights with younger co-stars about focusing on the work rather than the outcome, advising them not to “over-invest” in the final product, which he noted was beyond their control. Isaacs learned this lesson after his experience with the 2003 film “Peter Pan,” which did not perform well at the box office.

“It was a big expensive production with multiple studios. We filmed for 14 months. … The film tanked,” Isaacs said. “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?’”

He admitted that the film’s failure affected him deeply, saying, “It was a catastrophe professionally for me, a huge fall from grace. I couldn’t get a walk-on role. … 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.”

Isaacs concluded his advice to the younger actors by emphasizing the importance of not over-investing in their projects, which is a perspective he cherished during his time on “The White Lotus.”

“The White Lotus” Season 3 is now streaming in its entirety on Max.