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Talk about school spirit.
Though “The White Lotus” Season 3 has wrapped up, Jason Isaacs, 61, vows to honor his character Timothy Ratliff’s alma mater, Duke — despite the university issuing a complaint about its merchandise appearing in the series.
In a new interview on SiriusXM’s “Literally! With Rob Lowe” podcast, the British actor addressed the backlash following episode 5, when his character — a wealthy finance man involved in a money-laundering scheme — wore a Duke tee in scene where he contemplated suicide during a dream.
Isaacs shared a recent story involving the Duke apparel that he wore to the “White Lotus” Season 3 finale party, seeming to troll the school. “Hilariously, I was stuck at Charlotte Airport the other day, and my suitcases hadn’t arrived where I was going,” he said. “So I bought a t-shirt at the airport with a devil on it, not realizing it was a Duke T-shirt.”
He also shared that fans gave him Duke merchandise while he was at a convention in Virginia.
“So I now have a selection of Duke t-shirts. I didn’t wear one today. If I’d known [that Lowe’s son is a Duke alum,] I’d have it on now, but I am intending to wear them whenever there’s a camera around.”
Isaacs joked, “So, sorry, Duke, there goes my honorary degree.”
The character notably is an alum of the University, as is elder son Saxon, with younger son Lachlan wavering between the Blue Devils and UNC Chapel Hill. While viewers were left wondering where Lachlan will choose, the school played a small role in the lore of the HBO series.
“I was talking to Alex, the wonderful Emmy-winning costume designer. I said maybe he wears a Duke T-shirt to sleep in,” Isaacs said on the podcast.
“He’s probably president of something and a fundraiser and all the rest of it.”
The “Harry Potter” alum continued, “So we got a Duke T-shirt for me to wear when I’m sleeping in it, and I’m pretty sure they got it cleared because, as you know, you don’t ever go on television without getting all the logos cleared.”
Isaacs brought up controversy around the shirt’s cameo in the series, which reportedly used its logo without permission. “Someone at Duke decided that was really untoward and was not happy with the association,” he explained.
According to the New York Times, Frank Tramble, the vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs at Duke, said in a statement, “Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling. But characters’ prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists.”
In the interview, Isaacs told Lowe, “Other people online were pointing out that there are real-life alumni of Duke to be far more worried about than a fictional alumni.”
