Jason Isaacs is a widely admired English actor who has been doing standout work on stages and screens big and small for some 35 years. But he has never been more at the center of the cultural conversation than he has been over the past few months, during which seemingly everyone has been devouring, dissecting and discussing the third installment of Mike White’s hit HBO drama series The White Lotus, on which he played Timothy Ratliff, a wealthy businessman who is on vacation with his family in Thailand and privately spiraling as his life begins melting down back in North Carolina.

During an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that was recorded just days after the season finale of The White Lotus in front of an audience at the Miami Film Festival — where Isaacs was being recognized with the fest’s Precious Gem Award for “one-of-a-kind artists...