Lukas Gage on ‘You’ Golden Bath Scene, The White Lotus Secret – The Hollywood Reporter

Let something out of the way. There’s a scene from Netflix’s newly released season four Friend where Lukas Gage, he’s the key salad-throwing scene in White Lotus, received a golden shower. The moment isn’t quite as climactic as we’ve seen from Gage and Murray Bartlett, but it’s something the actor knows people will talk about, especially since it’s part of his most famous post-production. that.lotus flower role-playing yet. “I didn’t know I was going to pee in Friend when I joined,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t ask my agent to only send me roles where I’m half-naked.”

IN Friend, Gage plays an arrogant trust funder in London who becomes the arch-enemy of Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg. Next month, he will debut down – a dark comedy he co-wrote Happiness producer and friend Phoebe Fisher — at SXSW, and right after this interview, he’ll be flying to the set Fargo to rotate a recurring role. “I keep track of the people I want to work with in a notebook, and I found a page from three years ago about how I fell in love. soldiers and would like to work with [Fargo creator] Noah Hawley,” he said in awe.

Gage, who grew up in Encinitas, California, is discussing his burgeoning career with a look to the past. We are sitting on flat white shirts in a cafe near his apartment, an item he gave himself permission to buy after breaking into The White Lotus —and, shortly after he went viral for a director’s scathing judgment about his rental (“These poor people live in these tiny apartments”) during a Zoom audition . “Right at the time, I didn’t think it was a deliberate reaction to what had happened,” he said. “But looking back, I really think I felt like I had to wash away that part of my life.” Recently he talked to CHEAP about the next stage in his career.

First, it might be a good idea to ask if you have anything more to share about that golden bath scene.

I would say it was my idea to wear googles. With that scene, and in White Lotus, I don’t do it to be sexy, but for the sake of humor. I don’t think it will be hot for everyone. But I want to go as far as possible. It can’t be a half rim job, or a half yellow shower – although we used yellow food coloring.

Do you have any shyness to overcome, for that matter?

I guess I’m a bit more European in my thoughts about nudity now. I’m not begging to take my clothes off, but I’m comfortable with that. I also wanted to keep it real: If there was a scene where I had sex with my boss, it would be weird if I wore clothes. Anyway, those scenes were very mechanical during their filming. It’s not cool when a director tells you you’re doing something weird.

What is your experience in entering the business?

When I was a kid, I really wanted to act. I sent in close-ups and met a bunch of agents behind my parents’ back when I was 9 years old — I actually did a Google search for ‘baby agents in LA’ – but they all called my mom . They let me do commercials in San Diego until I was old enough to know if I really wanted to do it.

Do you know anyone in Los Angeles?

I don’t have a single friend here, but I do know a little about people who have moved here. Emily Ratajkowski actually attended my high school [in San Diego]. She’s a few grades older than me, but her dad is my drawing teacher. He is the best guy ever, he compliments me a lot even though my paintings are probably horrible. I told him I hoped to pursue acting and he told me that Emily had dropped out of college to do the same so it felt a bit like knowing someone.

Do you always believe that things will happen to you?

I think things are going the way they should, but I can’t always see that. I’m getting better at it every year. The older I get, the more I realize I can’t control anything. It’s like dating – when you’re looking for a partner, you’ll never find one. People may feel that you are trying too hard. I think the best thing to do in this industry is to build a fulfilling life outside of your work and let your work be just a part of that life. Like, this is an accessory to my happiness, not a source of my happiness.

White Lotus And Happiness prestige television on a budget sounds like luxury, but is there anything different about doing a Netflix show?

I filmed in the UK for seven months. What people don’t realize about a lot of filming situations is that you almost get sucked in. I was really struggling to find an apartment in London, and then my friend, Suki Waterhouse, happened to be out of town. But the amount that I was supposed to be enough to cover living in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, was difficult. I had to use my own money to cover such things in the past.

Who do you think had a better experience: the first actor of White Lotus in Hawaii or the second cast in Sicily?

All very luxurious. I really had to join both sets. I think maybe the Four Seasons in Taormina is cooler: It’s Italy, but I was only there for about a week. We’ve lived in Hawaii for so long that you get used to it.

…Have you been to the set in Sicily?

Fred [Hechinger] and I did a scene for season two. When Jennifer [Coolidge’s character] was staying with gay men in Palermo, she initially opened a door in the villa and saw me getting high on drugs, which turned out to be an illusion. It got cut because it didn’t fit the show, but I didn’t care because I got a free trip to the Four Seasons. And now for season three, I’m literally writing Mike [White] every day like, hey, remember me!

There seems to be a vast network of former HBO cast and crew that continue to work together; How did you come to collaborate on your upcoming film?

I was in assassination countrydirected by Sam Levinson, and met Phoebe [Fisher], who served as his writer’s assistant. And then we work together on Happiness and I was like another actor trying to be a writer. But she agreed to read my stuff and told me I was really good, that I had a good voice but just needed to learn the structure. That I did, and then we wrote a few movies together.

you will describe down such a good first scripting experience so far?

I probably shouldn’t say this because I don’t want it to be misinterpreted, but we wrote the first iteration of the script in just one weekend. When it got out of hand, I didn’t have the most creative control over the project, but I think that’s normal the first time around. The story and dialogue are still mine, and it’s the best thing in the world to hear the people I love — Zachary Quinto and Simon Rex are my co-stars — say my words.

Are there still things that you feel really yearning for at this stage of your career or are you feeling quite satisfied?

I’m really grateful for my post, to be honest. With acting, there are many reasons why you cannot get a job. I feel good about making things happen for myself. I would love to be a director, but only if people want me to be a director. I have to earn my badge, make more balls. I want to produce. Like Sydney [Sweeney, Gage’s Euphoria co-star], she works very hard. I think it’s inspirational. I don’t know if I can work that hard – I keep wanting to run away to Europe for a month and turn off my phone.

Do you feel fit for fame or does being in the spotlight embarrass you?

Well, in what way?

Like, thirsty traps who haunt you…

Who is haunting me?

I don’t know, people on the internet.

Oh, the internet. I will take it. I cannot give this away. (Laughter.) But seriously, I take what I can get. I try not to take anything for granted.

Have you considered how your astrological sign might fit into this? Do you know it?

I am a Gemini. A Gemini trio.

I’ve never met one of them before.

We are one of the craziest combinations of people. But I’m really connected to being a Gemini.

So I guess we’ll get back to the point: Do you like being famous?

I love doing interviews. I love conversations like this. But what became difficult as I became more of a public figure was navigating public and private life. I never want to feel like I’m hiding or trying to cover anything up, but I have to keep some things to myself.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in the February 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to sign up.