Do bad boys always finish first?
Leo Woodall’s Jack can make anyone giggle like an idiot. Let’s be real–Haley Lu Richardson’s Portia didn’t stand a chance. It has to be fun to play a character who doesn’t even know what his next move is going to be, but Woodall breathes bro bravado into someone that could’ve easily been one-note. The White Lotus‘ second season is absolutely stacked, but Jack is the truest charmer of them all thanks to Woodall’s ease and cockiness.
The first time that Jack sees Portia, he is taking a casual dip while she is alone at the pool. They make eyes at one another when the other isn’t looking, but they are interrupted by Adam DiMarco’s Albie’s eagerness. When they eventually connect, we quickly witness how she relaxes around this freewheeling, impulsive bad boy. They can clearly get something out of one another, and the chemistry between Woodall and Richardson is off the charts.
Knowing what happens at the end of Lotus‘ second season and how Jack is involved makes Woodall’s performance all the more impressive. Woodall admits that Jack isn’t a planner, but playing someone who is that quick on their feet is much more difficult to pull off than one might think. There is no baggage or worry on Woodall’s face, and then he hides everything with that devilish, adorable grin. He might be fucking “his uncle,” but you almost forgive him by the way Jack brushes off any serious airs.
Woodall had an effect on it every time he was on screen. Jack unlocked something in Portia, but he also wormed his way into that precarious part of ourselves when we meet someone that we know is bad for us. A little bad never felt so good.
The White Lotus is now streaming on Max.
