Leo Woodall is one of the rising stars coming straight from The White Lotus’ luxurious universe. He’s one of the many newbies that stole the show with his mysterious and intriguing persona. His role as the charming yet alarming Essex lad left the viewers in shock. His relationship with Portia (played by Haley Lu Richardson) is one of the most turbulent parts of The White Lotus season 2, and fans are here for it.
It’s no wonder Woodall has become the talk of the town ever since the show introduced his character at the beginning of season 2. He was flirty and playful, and Portia wasn’t the only one to fall for his act. Audiences all over the world wanted more of Jack and especially wanted more of the talent behind the role. So here are six facts you didn’t know about Leo Woodall.
1. Leo Woodall Was Born in London
Unlike his character in The White Lotus season 2, Woodall is actually not from Essex. He is British, but he was born and raised in Hammersmith, London. So, how did he do such a convincing job portraying an Essex lad? Well, having a stepsister who is from Essex might have helped. He said in an interview, “I’m from West London. But there’s definitely a lot of people I know from Essex. My stepsister’s from Essex, so it was fun to lean into that. […] I didn’t want to do a straight, stereotypical Essex person you may see on The Only Way Is Essex. Mike [White] allowed me, as with Tom, to make the Englishness come out more if that makes sense.”
2. He Graduated From Arts Educational School
Woodall wanted to go into sports when he was younger, but once he discovered his passion for acting, he enrolled in drama school in his native London. He graduated with an acting degree from Arts Educational School and went on to star in Apple TV+’s Cherry alongside Tom Holland, directed by the Russo brothers. He also played Adrian Ivashkov in the Peacock series Vampire Academy before joining the brilliant cast of The White Lotus in season 2. Other than these roles, he’s had various guest appearances on TV shows and films such as Man Down and Holby City.
3. Talent Runs in His Family
Even though Woodall didn’t always intend to go into acting, some might say it was his calling. One interesting fact about Leo Woodall is that he comes from a talented family of established actors and performers. His father, stepfather, and grandmother all have a knack for acting. His parents even met at drama school. According to Woodall, he is a descendant of Maxine Elliott, an American actress who had her own theater and experimented with silent movies.
4. He Watched Videos of Joey Essex to Prepare for His Role in the White Lotus
Viewers were impressed by Woodall’s performance of a walking red flag Jack in The White Lotus. From his flirty and cheeky attitude to his Essex accent, Jack stole the spotlight and got everyone talking about the actor behind the character. Interestingly enough, Woodall isn’t originally from Essex, so he had to roll up his sleeves to prepare for the role. According to the actor, he watched videos of Joey Essex to master the distinctive Essex accent. He recalls, “I knew that Jack was a fun-loving, dangerous, naughty Essex boy. So before I shot my audition tape for it, I watched some Joey Essex videos, put some sunglasses on my head, made a fake cocktail in a fancy glass, and went to town with it.”
5. He Got Into Acting Because of Peaky Blinders
Woodall wasn’t drawn to the acting career when he was younger, but then he changed his mind and chose to pursue this path when he was 19. As he recalls, it was the show Peaky Blinders that ignited the spark for acting in him. Peaky Blinders is a critically acclaimed period crime drama which starred Cillian Murphy in the lead role.
6. Leo Woodall Is Set to Play the Lead in Netflix’s One Day
Leo Woodall received a lot of praise for his role as Jack in The White Lotus season 2. So it’s no wonder he’s got exciting projects on the horizon. He is set to take on his next major role in the upcoming Netflix movie, One Day. The movie will be an adaptation of the 2009 romance novel of the same name and will see Woodall star opposite This Is Going To Hurt’s breakout star Amika Mob. It appears something beautiful is on the horizon for the British actor as he makes his mark in Hollywood.
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