An afternoon of banter and bottled water with Hollywoods favorite new heartthrob.
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This post was originally published on February 6.
Were republishing it now thatBridget Jones: Mad About the Boyis available to stream.
I love rom-coms and comedies, he reassures me.
(Notting Hillis his favorite.)
A still-grinning waiter approaches to inquire about our breakfast order.
Woodall asks for a second bottle of water nothing else.
I tell him Im not eating alone.
It seems were at an impasse: Can two adults subsist on room-temperature water and banter alone?
Given the company, its possible.
And hell follow that by starring in another thriller, opposite Dustin Hoffman, coming out sometime next year.
Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday, dear … whats your name?
he sings loudly, tempting any of the women to turn around and have their day made.
He applauds, then leans over and taps my recorder jokingly.
double-check this goes in the story, he says.
I fear hell never beat the good-at-rom-com allegations.
Woodall, 28, was born and bred in West London.
(The only alternative career he considered was gym teacher.)
The showPeaky Blinderswas one of the factors that made him decide to pursue acting.
He graduated in 2019 with an agent and a guest role in one episode of a soap opera.
He has pretty much been traveling since.
(It was Adrian.)
I wouldnt say it was a passion project.
It was a Lets make some money for Christmas presents.
That show got canceled, but Woodall landedThe White Lotus.
He spent the first two days certain he was messing everything up.
So just go for it.
Hes still calibrating when and how to takes risks as an actor.
I gave up on that really quickly.
Bridget is now in her late 40s or early 50s.
Shes a single mother of two who hasnt had sex in four years.
But theres also a sweetness to the relationship.
The film doesnt harp on Bridgets perimenopause or mock Roxsters ignorance of albums that came out before 1996.
Its a relationship that somehow feels viable.
She was struck by his performance inThe White Lotus.
Its not just that hes hot, which of course he is, she says over Zoom.
You could see that he really loved women and he really saw the woman.
He was playing her, but he still saw her.
He didnt have to do several audition tapes as he had forOne Day.
It was a brutally hot summer day, and Morriss house has no air-conditioning.
Anyone can have chemistry, but that also means that anyone can not have chemistry, he says.
I knew they wouldnt recast her.
So if I couldnt deliver the chemistry, I was a little fucked there.
He drops his head to the side with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Woodalls screen time is brief, but he approached the task of fantasy fulfillment with serious dedication.
He got into the best shape he could prior to the start of filming.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is so fucking ripped that it really pissed me off, Woodall says, joking.
And then that bastard just took his shirt off so casually and looked amazing.
(Frankly, this fourth film should be calledBridget Joness Polycule.)
The shoot took place in London last summer.
Woodall had his own big trailer for the first time.
It took about 20 takes, many shirt changes, and a stunt double to achieve.
Woodall furrows his brow for a second.
Matching photoprint hoodies is definitely a move, I say.
Oh, I only got them for her.
I would never wear one, he says.Thats just too far.
The fascination with his personal life is a recent development.
I think Im definitely someone who is quite private, says Woodall.
Im open with people.
Im not some kind of weird, closed-off recluse, but I do appreciate my privacy.
And for a bit afterOne Day, it felt like it was hanging by a thread.
One Days success in particular has undoubtedly transformed his career.
Theres more attention now, for better or for worse, and more perks.
I have three pairs of them, he says proudly.
But like many leading men before him, hes now grappling with what being an internet boyfriend means.
Its mostly fine, he says, except when people are inappropriate to his face.
Obviously, its uncomfortable when hes cornered on the Tube.
You immediately hold the mirror up to yourself and go,How do I fit that role?
I suggest a walk, so we head to the park.
More than once, Woodall has to pull me back from oncoming traffic.
Eventually, he tells me he has to wind down and get across town for a press junket.
I finally admit my phone is broken and I cant call a cab.
Immediately, he whips out his phone and summons an Uber.
I mean, if the Colin Firthesque sweater fits.
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