This article was originally published in Radio Times magazine.
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Acting was something Leo Woodall resisted at first, having come from a family of actors, all the way back to American star Maxine Elliott, who worked in silent films in the 1910s. But he eventually caught the bug and graduated from London’s Arts Educational School in 2019.
It was Woodall’s mum, Jane, who had read One Day and told him all about the character when he was invited to audition. He watched the film and then, when he was called back, started reading the book himself.
“I’m very middle-class,” the 27-year-old west Londoner says, telling the story of how his grandparents came to have lunch with the Queen (his grandfather was a member of the Draper’s Company). “I come from privilege, and privilege definitely plays a part in Dexter’s life.”
Like Mod, he also felt immediate chemistry when the two met, feeling instantly that she was Emma to his Dexter. “We clicked and it worked.”
Leo Woodall as Dexter and Ambika Mod as Emma in One Day. Netflix
When their roles were confirmed, the pair met for a drink to get to know each other. “We knew that what we were about to take on was a big thing and we needed to lean on each other,” he says.
This particularly helped when it came to the love scenes, which they worked on with intimacy coordinators. “When Ambika and I started doing those scenes, we’d already built up a trust and a friendship that made it more comfortable and a safer space.”
During filming, the second series of The White Lotus was released, in which Woodall plays Essex lad Jack, the “nephew” of Tom Hollander’s character, Quentin. “It exceeded everyone’s expectations,” he says. “For me, it opened a lot of doors.”
Have people started approaching him in the street yet? “It happens,” Woodall shrugs. “It’s not really something worth paying too much attention to.”
That may be, but is he prepared for even more attention? “Ambika and I both put so much into the show and cared so deeply about the story and our characters — our only hope is that people respond well to it.”
Laura Rutkowski is the Junior Commissioning Editor at Radio Times magazine, where she looks after a column called "What it's like to…", which spotlights behind-the-scenes roles within the TV and film industry – from stunt coordinators to costume designers. She loves finding out how productions are made and enjoys covering a wide variety of genres. Laura is half-American and half-British and joined Radio Times in 2022. She has a degree in Psychology and a Master's in Magazine Journalism.
