Leo Woodall on Prime Target, Bridget Jones, and playing the heartthrob

Meanwhile, in the new Bridget Jones movie, Mad about the Boy, he plays Bridget’s new scandalously young love interest.

Your last TV series, One Day, was a big hit — did it change your life?

I don’t like using the word "catapulted", but in terms of my career, it did have that effect. But one of the good sides about being a bit more recognisable now is that people come up and say hello and tell me how much it meant to them. It was really gratifying to see how it touched so many people.

Before that, you starred in the second series of The White Lotus, which involved a sex scene with Tom Hollander. Did you think twice about taking the part?

Absolutely not! I didn’t see that as a risk in any way. Anyone who gets to be a part of that series is lucky. I didn’t actually know where the story would go until I was offered the role – but I knew that it would be fun!

It was only 2019 that you were in Holby City. Is it hard to keep your feet on the ground when your career goes off like a rocket?

It’s terrifying in a lot of ways. Because it was a relatively quick turnaround, suddenly I was on these big sets and then doing photoshoots and events and interviews. The filming, I’m getting more comfortable with and it’s becoming my safe haven. The press side feels a lot more exposing. That’s the thing that scares me the most. But my nearest and dearest have kept me grounded.

You come from a family of actors, but you've become more successful than all your relatives. Is that a strange feeling?

It is, yeah. Then again, we all just have a laugh about it. My dad [actor Andrew Woodall] and stepdad [Monarch of the Glen’s Alexander Morton] poke fun at me. And I welcome it. It’s much easier to go through this strange life by having a giggle about it.

In Prime Target you play a maths genius — are you any good at maths or was there a mathematics coordinator?

There was! I definitely didn’t think of myself as very good at maths, but I did get a B at GCSE – I took that into my audition! It was definitely still a big leap to play a maths genius, though.

Everyone in the show seems uncontrollably attracted to Edward. How did you go about playing that mix of intellectual/sexual/ indispensable-espionage-asset appeal?

I mean, if I’d had those adjectives going into it, I probably would have done a better job! A lot of it was very much about the opposite – he is so focused on his work that he overlooks relationships.

Also coming up, you have Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Did Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant give you welcoming advice?

I still haven’t met Hugh, sadly. Everyone’s very disappointed when they hear that! Renée is a very humble person, and I don’t think she felt it was appropriate to tell me how to navigate the Bridget life, but she was just generally very welcoming and kind.

There's been a trend of films involving a younger man and an older female lover [Babygirl, The Idea of You] — why do you think it's en vogue?

It’s a dynamic that has always existed in the real world. And for reasons I’m not sure of, it’s now being portrayed on screen. That’s important, because that’s what film-making is best at: portraying all walks of life. But this particular Bridget isn’t about that. A lot of it is her grieving and her motherhood. And thankfully my character comes in and puts a smile on her face.

So was it fun exploring the toy-boy-type role?

I didn’t go into it thinking I wanted to explore that. I thought the script was beautiful and wanted to be a part of it. I’ve always loved the films. There’s only so many chances you’ll get to be a part of something as special as Bridget Jones.

A common denominator with all your roles is your characters' heart-throb status. Do you ever feel uncomfortable being objectified?

Yeah, it’s a mixed bag. In some ways it’s part of the gig. But also, there are sides of it that can make you feel quite vulnerable and exposed. That side isn’t as fun. When you’re playing a role described like that, you can’t help but look at yourself and go, "Am I that guy?" There’s sometimes pressure in making people buy that!

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