Jason Isaacs is an actor probably best known for portraying Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. You may have also seen the English actor in films such as The Patriot, The End of the Affair, Armageddon, Peter Pan and John Wick, in addition to TV shows like Brotherhood and The West Wing. Issacs is also an accomplished theater actor who appeared in performances of Angels in America and The Dumb Waiter. Currently, he stars alongside Anne Heche in USA Network’s Dig, which airs Thursday nights at 10 p.m. EST.
Jason was nice enough to take a few minutes out of his busy schedule recently to answer a few questions from us.
1. You walk into a bar. What do you order from the bartender?
Can I plug my phone in? Do you have any chips? Is it okay if you turn the TV over to the tennis?
2. Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
Albert Brooks. Funny as f*ck and very sparing. One a day is an outpouring.
3. What’s currently waiting for you on your DVR/TiVo?
A lot. I’ve been travelling the world for eight months shooting Dig. Luckily, I can program it remotely. I know I’ve got these: All of Louie because he’s a genius and given total discretion by FX to tell his stories his way, all of Backstrom because it was the funniest, best pilot I read last year, and every match played on the Tennis Channel because I’m not well in the head.
4. It’s your last meal – what are you going out with?
Ribs. Dry-rubbed, dripping in sauce, honey-covered, Chinese, Texan, buffalo, even vegan for god’s sake. Maybe I could eat myself to death and avoid whatever apocalypse awaits. I quite fancy that. Save the salad for the afterlife.
5. What websites do you visit on a regular basis?
News aggregators. Huffington Post. IMDB. The Guardian. Wired. Ted. Twitter. Trip Advisor. YouTube. Err… Uproxx, naturally.
6. What’s the most frequently played song on your mobile device?
Sam Cooke “Change Gonna Come,” Ray Charles and Diana Krall “You Don’t Know Me,” The Dan Band “Total Eclipse of the Heart” – the obscene version.
7. The first face that comes to mind when you think “punchable?”
Nigel Farage. Head of UKIP, the anti-immigration party in the UK.
8. What’s the last thing you Googled?
How to spell Farage.
9. Dogs or cats?
Dogs. No contest. You injure yourself, your dog will find you water, food, sit by you until you both die. A cat? Waits till you close your eyes and chews your face off.
10. Best concert of your life was…?
The Police. Wembley Arena. Late ’70s. Late teens. Mood enhancers.
11. What book are you most likely to give as a gift?
Something large and heavy for a coffee table. That will either sit for effect or be re-gifted. Measured by weight and square footage.
12. What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Have sex with me. Marry me. Have my kids. In that order.
13. South Park or Family Guy?
South Park. Or Family Guy. Definitely.
14. You have an entire day to do whatever you want. What would you do?
Hang with my kids doing something relatively life-threatening but fun. Exhaust and dump them. Play tennis until I can’t stand. Eat Chinese until I can’t breathe. Retire to the bedroom with my wife and discuss Tibetan agricultural policy.
15. What movie can you not resist watching if it’s on?
The Godfather, Spinal Tap, Airplane.
16. The sports team or teams you’re most passionate about?
Liverpool. I grew up there when they were — no exaggeration — the greatest football team the world had ever seen. I left, and it’s all gone downhill. Just saying.
17. Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
‘The Paul’ in Copenhagen. I was publicizing Harry Potter in Denmark, and my wife and I were sent to a place where Paul (yep, that’s why it’s called The Paul!) had a long chat with us, then created a bunch of courses to taste of the things we loved, the places we’d been and the memories we cherished. And chatted to us in between each course so that we were in the right frame of mind. Perfect.
18. The last movie you saw in a theater?
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I hope they make ten. Laughed, cried, leaked a little.
19. Who was your first celebrity crush?
Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days. And all the Bond girls.
20. What would you cook if Nicolas Cage was coming to your house for dinner?
Meth.
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