Jason Isaacs ‘split head open’ while filming The White Lotus yacht scene in Thailand

Actor Jason Isaacs injured himself so badly while filming the award-winning series in Thailand that blood was “haemorrhaging everywhere”.

In HBO‘s official preview for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 4 ‘Hide or Seek’, we can see that the Ratliff family make their way onto a yacht with the motley crew of Greg (Jon Gries), Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), Rick (Walton Goggins), Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), and more rich and powerful party people.

What could be more fun for an actor than shooting an episode of The White Lotus on a literal yacht? Well, a lot.

When White Lotus star Jason Isaacs stopped by Dedcider HQ recently, he divulged that not only was the Episode 4 shoot “insanely hot,” but that he also “split” his head slamming into a glass door on the boat, forcing production to CGI out his scar on all future scenes.

Jason Isaacs “split” his head open while filming The White Lotus in Thailand. Picture: Binge

Blood was “haemorrhaging Everywhere” when Isaacs banged his head on a glass door of this yacht. Picture: Binge

The White Lotus Season 3 takes place in Thailand and introduces a new group of wealthy resort guests hurtling towards an inevitably violent conclusion.

The Ratliff family are essentially North Carolinian royalty and patriarch Tim (Isaacs) has secretly blown up the family’s entire existence.

His wife Victoria (Parker Posey) and kids have no clue he’s being investigated stateside for his involvement in a money laundering scheme. Tim has hidden everyone’s phones and is currently swallowing Victoria’s lorazepam to cope with the stress.

Stream The White Lotus Season 3 on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

Isaacs’ on-screen family is played by (from left to right): Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola. Picture: Binge

Based on the official HBO teaser for tonight’s The White Lotus episode, we know the Ratliffs will be joining the boat ride Chloe mentioned over dinner in last week’s episode. While Chloe hypes it as “a lot of fun,” Isaacs detailed to Decider how the nightmarishly hot conditions led to his head injury.

“We’re out there under the blazing sun. There was one little airconditioned room that we all ran in between the takes,” Isaacs said, setting the scene.

“You’re in clothes and makeup and hair and lacquer and, like, you can’t just jump in the sea and cool down.”

Isaacs revealed that while the boat was overtaken with film crew, the actual yacht’s crew had little to do besides polish the ship.

“The little room we had AC in had these clear glass doors and they were always polishing them. So they’re absolutely invisible,” Isaacs said.

Disaster struck Isaacs when he was called on set.

“They were like, ‘Jason! Needed now!’” he said. “I just went boom into the door, split my head open.”

“Blood’s haemorrhaging everywhere. I knocked myself out. I was caught by the Second AD. I came to and I went, ‘Sorry, I got to go.’”

The injury was so bad, the cast and crew “could see the bone”. Picture: Binge

Because Isaacs couldn’t see how bad his injury was, he went straight to set, where everyone naturally stared and pointed out the cut.

“I go, ‘Oh, yeah. No, it’s fine. I’ll just play the scene like that,’” he said.

“They went, ‘No, no, no, your head’s exploded. We could see the bone. It’s kind of this Y split.’”

Isaacs, “slightly hysterical with adrenaline,” suggested he just wear a hat to get through the scene, but the entire crew shut him down.

Isaacs at The White Lotus Season 3 premiere in Bangkok on February 15. Picture: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images for HBO

Isaacs said that eventually everything he shot for that scene and after had to be fixed in post with visual effects.

“I think they CGI-ed out the scar,” he said. “That was a big split.”

It wasn’t all bad, though, Isaacs said. “The boat was gorgeous, but you have to remember, we were there for seven months. So it looks like we’re on holiday. We’re not on holiday. We were working.”

“So it wasn’t terrible. I mean, been in worse places.”

The White Lotus Season 3 is now streaming on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

This article originally appeared in Decider and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Jason Isaacs ‘split head open’ while filming The White Lotus yacht scene in Thailand