There are roles that Leo Woodall seems destined to play, like the one he’s currently shooting in New Zealand for the latest “Lord of the Rings” installment.
“I mean, it was the first movie I ever saw, when I was maybe 5 or 6,” he said of the Peter Jackson adaptation. “It’s a literal childhood dream.”
Others are perhaps harder to fathom, like Sal, the oyster shucker, in “Tony,” about the summer of 1975 on Cape Cod that kick-started Anthony Bourdain’s food journey. Now in theaters, the movie was inspired by his 2000 memoir, “Kitchen Confidential.”
If Antonio Banderas, playing Chef, the owner of the chaotic restaurant where Bourdain honed his skills, is the positive influence, Sal is the naughty one, Woodall said. “He’s just always looking for something to feel very alive.”
Bourdain is “a sort of religious figure to some people, but for my generation in the U.K., he’s maybe not as influential,” Woodall said. Still, “I don’t want to spoil anything, but I finished the movie and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually quite emotional.’”
In a video interview, Woodall explained why after-dinner chocolate, his pillow and Oasis made the cut on his list of non-negotiables.
These are edited excerpts from the interview.
Stetson Trucker Hats
Everybody has their safety blankets or their invisible sunglasses. Trucker hats for me. I often can’t bother to put any crap in my hair and make myself look presentable. So I just whack on a trucker hat and go out into the day.
Golf
I could not live without sport — playing it and watching it. Football is my sort of true love, specifically Chelsea Football Club. But golf is a new love. I only discovered it in September last year on my birthday. I was in Toronto, and my friend John Slattery, who was on the show “Vladimir” with me, was going to be in town. And I just thought, “Well, why don’t I go golfing?” It was a beautiful day and it was a beautiful course. I just was like, “I want to do this forever.”
Movies
I fell in love with movies before I even thought about being an actor. Even as a little boy, if I was playing in my room, I would always have a movie on repeat — “The Lion King 1½,” “Kung Fu Hustle,” “Spider-Man” and all of the “Rings,” obviously — while I played with my action figures.
The Beatles and Oasis
The Beatles are very ingrained in my family. My dad and his uncle still have fights over who played the first chord of whatever. But I probably listen to Oasis more. Liam Gallagher is the coolest frontman who’s ever lived.
The Changing Seasons
I’ve spent some time in L.A., where it’s amazing how much you can feel like you’re guaranteed sunshine. I need the weather to change throughout the year. And I love not really being able to predict it and therefore having your plans kind of dictated by it.
Chocolate Immediately After Dinner
Some people think I’m insane for this, but I will have my last bite of dinner and quite literally immediately put some chocolate in my mouth. I just love going from salt to sweet.
Time With My Loved Ones
Some people see their loved ones every day and I don’t get to. I love what I do and I love work and I love the excitement of new places and new jobs and new people. But coming back to my people ultimately is where I’m at my happiest.
A Firm Pillow
Everybody has their perfect pillow. Mine is goose down, quite firm, from John Lewis. I don’t like soft ones. I don’t like thin ones. I like thick ones that my head just sort of gets smothered in that I can kind of bear hug a little bit.
Cooking, With a Good Knife
My nearest and dearest, when they read this, will see cooking and be like, “What the [expletive] are you talking about? You don’t cook.” But during Covid, my mother and I were living together, and I rediscovered my love for cooking. To be honest, I prefer the prep period, which is why having a good knife is really important to me. I find it incredibly therapeutic. It’s when the actual cooking process begins that the kitchen becomes a kind of crash site.
A Sunday Roast
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on the Sunday roast — yet. It’s a British pastime to spend your Sunday either with your family or your mates and go to a pub and have a beer before your roast and then just go into a bit of food coma. If you can do it at home with your family, it’s the time that I cherish most.
