Actor Leo Woodall is just one of many famed actors in his family and he's opened up about the 'pressure’ that fact put on him ‘to make it’ in the industry.
It was impossible not to fall in love with Leo Woodall when he popped up in HBO's hit show The White Lotus, but his relatively unknown status as an actor left many wondering who he was and where they had seen him, as well as the rest of the White Lotus cast, before. But just weeks after Netflix premiered their latest series One Day in which he plays the lead, he's practically a household name, and a Gen Z heartthrob, already.
But while being a famous actor is, for many of us, a dream job, for Woodall it's not too out of the ordinary. That's because his family is filled to the brim with famous faces.
You might know Leo's father Andrew Woodall, from his roles in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Grantchester, Endeavour, and Channel 4's The Couple Next Door. His mother, Jane Morton, also trained as an actress but ultimately decided against pursuing a career in acting. His step-dad is Alexander Morton who is most well-known for his roles in Luther, Casualty and Monarch of the Glen. And, of course - sorry to break any hearts - Leo's girlfriend is rumoured to be his The White Lotus co-star, Meghann Fahy.
With so much talent in his family, Leo had some great mentors to fall back on when making his own way in the TV industry. But for all the pros, there was one huge drawback to being surrounded by successful actors while also trying to become one.
"I was so nervous about what my family would think of me as an actor. Just, was I any good? I’ve always felt this personal pressure to make it," Leo revealed in an interview with The Guardian. But there was no need to worry. "They’ve always been wonderful and supportive," he said.
“It’s the same with a lot of kids who want to make their family proud, who want to succeed, be good at what they do. It’s definitely an approval thing. It’s nothing to do with how they are. It’s completely self-inflicted. And that’s OK, I suppose. It’s a motivator.”
But while they've been supportive, Leo's dad wasn't always keen on him joining show business. When he was deciding on a career, Leo said his dad would always, jokingly, say "Whatever you do, don’t be an actor.
“They’d known so many actors in their lives, in the family and outside the family, and they knew how hard it could be," he reasoned. “I think they knew I’d probably end up being one.”
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