The White Lotus star Jason Isaacs clarifies 'double standard' remark about male nudity post backlash: ‘Used wrong words'
Jason Isaacs has clarified statements about his nude scene in The White Lotus season 3 after facing backlash.
The White Lotus star Jason Isaacs recently found himself at the centre of controversy after his comments about his nude scene in Season 3 and whether he used prosthetics, sparked backlash online. Many criticised the actor for what they perceived as a 'tone-deaf' remark. In response to the criticism, Isaacs addressed the issue in an interview with Variety, clarifying his statements and expressing regret for mentioning Anora's Mikey Madison and The Substance star Margaret Qualley in his comments.
(Also Read: Jason Isaacs recalls seeing 'massive wealth gap' in India: 'A country where people live with massive disparity')
Jason Isaacs backtracks on his comments
Jason admitted that he used “the wrong words in the wrong way” and specifically regretted mentioning Mickey and Margaret's names. “I used the phrase ‘double standard,’ which I didn’t mean at all. There is a [different] double standard — women have been monstrously exploited and men haven’t. It came out wrong, and I was tired — I’d done so many interviews. I absolutely should not have mentioned those two actresses, whom I respect enormously. Mikey Madison I’m a massive fan of. My point wasn’t that men have had a harder time than women — that would be absurd. Women have had a monstrous time on camera forever, and I hope to God that is changing. Women have been exploited forever in cinema and made to be gratuitously naked and asked totally inappropriate questions," he said.
Jason Isaacs calls questions about his nude scene "weird and obsessive"
However, Jason stood by his belief that journalists asking whether his character’s penis was real was “embarrassing and inappropriate.” He said, “I had been asked so many times in the same day by journalists, ‘Are you wearing a prosthetic?’ Which means, ‘Have I seen your actual penis? It’s very important for me to know if I’ve seen your penis.’ It just strikes me as a bit weird and slightly obsessive. I thought I could have fun batting it off, but I batted it off very poorly.”
What Jason Isaacs said
In an attempt to dodge questions about his nude scenes and whether he was wearing prosthetics in The White Lotus Season 3, Jason said in an interview with Fox 5, “Let me ask you this, if you had a woman here, would you be very keen on talking about her downstairs equipment? Would you ever talk to an actress about that? I don't think you would. I think it is a terrible double standard.”
When the journalist insisted she would, Jason further gave examples of Mikey Madison (who played a sex worker in Anora) and Margaret Qualley (who starred in The Substance), stating that they were not asked about their body parts in interviews. He pointed out that such personal questions are rarely, if ever, directed at them.
About The White Lotus Season 3
The third season of the American satirical comedy-drama anthology series, created, written, and directed by Mike White, premiered on HBO on February 16, 2025. Apart from Jason, the show also stars Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Jon Gries, Sarah Catherine Hook, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Aimee Lou Wood, among others, in key roles. The series is available to watch in India on Jio Hotstar.
