Why Dexter From Netflix's One Day Looks So Familiar
"One Day," Netflix's miniseries leaving viewers in tears, has audiences buzzing — and one of its two lead performers, Leo Woodall, has been in a handful of buzzy projects in the past.
Based on the novel of the same name by David Nicholls — which was previously adapted into a movie with Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway in the main roles — "One Day" tells the story of Woodall's Dexter Mayhew and his decades-long relationship with fellow university student Emma Morley, played by Ambika Mod. Though Dexter doesn't feel an immediate romantic interest in Emma — during a graduation ball, the two spend an entire night together on a completely platonic level — they become close friends and stay in touch for years through the ups and downs of their lives.
So why does Woodall look so familiar? The British actor might be young, but he's already racked up several impressive on-screen credits. Here's where you've seen Leo Woodall from "One Day" before.
The White Lotus (2022)
Beyond "One Day," there's no question that Leo Woodall's most high-profile role to date is Jack in "The White Lotus" Season 2. Mike White's incisive, critically beloved anthology series changes locations and its main cast each season; in Season 2, Woodall joined Haley Lu Richardson, Tom Hollander, Jennifer Coolidge, and several other huge names in Sicily to shoot in the stunning town of Taormina. Woodall's Jack is a pretty mysterious figure, ostensibly visiting the titular luxury hotel with his "uncle" Quentin (Hollander). But when Coolidge's Tanya spots Jack and Quentin in a compromising situation, it seems clear that the two aren't related (one would hope, at least). Complicating matters is that Jack is involved with Tanya's assistant, Portia (Richardson) ... although it turns out that Jack's pursuit of her is strategic, leaving Tanya alone, available, and vulnerable to Quentin.
It seems like Jack is meant to "dispose" of Portia — particularly when he drives her far away from Tanya as Quentin traps the wealthy woman on a boat, where Tanya ultimately falls off and dies. However, Jack lets Portia go and vanishes into the night. Woodall delivers a pitch-perfect performance as a man who is much more intelligent and conniving than he seems, and his role in "The White Lotus" definitely put him on the map.
Citadel (2023)
Amazon Prime's original series "Citadel" features a pretty stacked cast, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, Stanley Tucci, and Lesley Manville — and after appearing alongside megawatt stars like Michael Imperioli, Jennifer Coolidge, and Aubrey Plaza in "The White Lotus," Leo Woodall was ready to join that illustrious group. "Citadel" opens with the apparent deaths of superspies Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra Jonas), only for it to reveal that they both survived the attempts on their life and had their memories wiped. As they try to find their way back to each other, their enemies attempt to stop them at every turn. (If you loved Season 1, you'll be happy to hear "Citadel" is already renewed for Season 2.)
Woodall is on "Citadel" for only two episodes as a character named Duke who's viewed in flashbacks. Duke works alongside the Citadel spy agency's director Grace Helgoff (Nikki Amuka-Bird) — so, while he's not vital to the main storyline, Woodall still plays an important role. Plus, it's his second time working with Joe and Anthony Russo; he also made his feature film debut in their thriller "Cherry," which stars Tom Holland in the most challenging role of his career.