With each season of The White Lotus, audiences have been captivated by its blend of satire, drama, and shocking twists. But according to actor Jason Isaacs, one of the biggest surprises isn’t just on-screen—it’s the stark contrast between one particular actor and their on-screen persona.

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The Harry Potter franchise wouldn’t look the same without Jason Isaacs…literally.

A person sits on a stool, wearing a casual denim outfit with arms crossed and a smile against a simple background

The actor played Lucius Malfoy across the series, and he even came up with the idea that the Slytherin wizard should have long, blonde hair.

A person with long light hair, holding a decorative cane and wearing a dark, elegant outfit, gazes forward with a serious expression

However, for all his contributions to the franchise, Jason nearly got in trouble on set for stealing the tiniest of props.

A person with long white hair, in a medieval fantasy outfit, holds a crystal sphere, gazing intently at it

In a recent interview, Jason recounted the story to BuzzFeed while promoting Season 3 of The White Lotus. You know, the wildly popular HBO TV show he’s starring in as Timothy Ratliff, a North Carolina businessman who’s hiding a debilitating secret about a legal scandal from his family while on a trip to Thailand.

Person sitting on a stool smiling, holding two puppies, wearing casual denim attire with bracelets

The charming actor was game to discuss everything from revealing which actor is least like their character (Hint: it’s someone in the Ratliff family) to who got the party started when the cast wasn’t filming (Hint: it’s the husband of one of his costars).

Group of five walking outside; three wear casual summer outfits, one in a floral dress with an umbrella, and one in a patterned shirt

He also took some time to chat about Harry Potter, including his ill-fated prop grab. Jason credited his costar, the late Alan Rickman, with blowing the opportunity. Rickman, who played Severus Snape, took the many gold coins that appeared in the Gringotts Wizard Banks scenes for charity auctions.

Person sitting cross-legged on pink backdrop, wearing a casual long-sleeve shirt and jeans, with part of a dog's tail visible

So Jason set his eyes on just one copy of a Daily Prophet, the physical newspaper that appears in the series. A friend visited him on set and asked if he could have one. “Don’t you take it. I’ll take it,” Jason said, noting he later swiped one to put in his bag.

A man sits cross-legged on the floor, interacting with three small dogs against a plain background

Once shooting wrapped for the day, Jason drove out only to be stopped by a security guard. The guard said, “Night, Jason. Give us the Daily Prophet back. Everyone knows. Give me the Daily Prophet back.”

A person sits cross-legged on a pink backdrop with playful puppies around them. They wear a casual button-up shirt and jeans

Jason called it a “deeply humiliating moment” and a factor into why he took nothing from the Harry Potter franchise home.

A person sits cross-legged on the floor holding a penguin toy, with a pet in the foreground on a pink background

The same can’t be said for his current show. “Oh my god, did I take stuff from White Lotus. I’ve got a house full,” he said. “I got the slippers, I got the towels, and I got the bathrobes.”

A man in casual attire sits on the floor, smiling, surrounded by playful puppies

“Everything that wasn’t nailed down when we finished with it on set got stuffed into my bag,” he continued. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with them all.”

A person sitting cross-legged on a studio floor with a small dog in their lap, smiling gently in front of a plain backdrop

And who could blame him, really? The sets and costumes are gorgeous. It’s kind of a signature attribute of the show about rich people vacationing in lavish locations.

Check out Jason’s absolutely adorable Puppy Interview below for more anecdotes about Harry Potter and The White Lotus, including his reaction to learning he’d be filming *that* White Lotus scene.

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