For Leo Woodall, playing an onscreen heartthrob has its ups and downs.
The actor, who caught audiences’ attention for his roles in The White Lotus and One Day, recently shared with the U.K. magazine RadioTimes if he ever feels “objectified” playing the leading man.
“Yeah, it’s a mixed bag. In some ways it’s part of the gig,” he responded.
“But also, there are sides of it that can make you feel quite vulnerable and exposed,” Woodall continued. “That side isn’t as fun. When you’re playing a role described like that, you can’t help but look at yourself and go, ‘Am I that guy?’ There’s sometimes pressure in making people buy that!”
In season two of The White Lotus, he plays bad boy Jack, and in One Day, he plays lovable playboy Dexter. Now, he stars as Renée Zellweger’s much younger love interest, Roxster McDuff, in the new Bridget Jones sequel Mad About the Boy.
Elsewhere during the interview, Woodall also shared his thoughts on the recent trend in films and TV shows highlighting age-gap romantic relationships, such as in Babygirl, May-December and The Idea of You.
“It’s a dynamic that has always existed in the real world. And for reasons I’m not sure of, it’s now being portrayed on screen. That’s important, because that’s what filmmaking is best at: portraying all walks of life,” the Prime Target actor explained. “But this particular Bridget isn’t about that. A lot of it is her grieving and her motherhood. And thankfully my character comes in and puts a smile on her face.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy premieres on Peacock Feb. 13.
