Jake Lacy Played the Most Convincing Douchebag on ‘The White Lotus’—Here’s How He Did It

Jake Lacy: I can be very stubborn about my taste. When I was younger it was a lot of, “If you think this is cool, you must be an idiot because only an idiot would like those things.” Now I’m like, “It’s not for me, but if it’s for you, just enjoy. Go to town, man.”

Primarily with cultural things, or across the board?

Clothes, films, TV shows. I had a lot of judgment for multi-cam [shows]. I’d be like, “Who would watch that?” But now I’m like, “Who the fuck are you, Jake, to be like, ‘If it’s not The Wire then I don’t know why people watch it’?”

Have you eased up on your own personal taste?

I went down the Bachelor road for a couple of years, but then I was too grossed out and had to walk away. I used to listen to Neil Young all the time. Now I still listen to Neil Young, but I also listen to SZA and Doja Cat. There’s a whole breadth of things where I’m like, “Let’s investigate the rest of the world, Jake. Not just white guys with guitars in the early ’70s.”

Fill in this blank for me. I love when my partner…

Rubs my shoulders. I don’t ask for it because it’s annoying. But impromptu I’m like, “Man, that is so generous and so kind.”

What do you think is the sexiest thing about yourself?

Anyone who’s got an answer for that is immediately out of the running for sexy at all.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever hooked up with somebody?

I hooked up with a girl who was staying with a friend and she forgot the keys to the place. I was leaving town the next day, she was leaving town. So we had sex in…you know how in New York you get buzzed into two doors? [It was in] the first door where all the mailboxes are. Not even into the stairs portion of the apartment. It was out in Bushwick. That was just like, “Well, this is happening here!”

You stop by a convenience store to pick up some things for a party. What are you buying?

Everything from the kids’ aisle. Not because it’s a kid party, but just, like, the spinners that shoot in the air, the bubbles, and probably ice cream. The Snickers ice cream bars; it’s fucked up that they exist.