• Aimee Lou Wood discussed filming "The White Lotus" season 3 in Thailand.
• Wood said the cast "accidentally' melded with their on-screen characters.
• Costar Jason Isaacs said there was "drama" among the cast in a separate interview.

The line between fiction and reality blurred for "The White Lotus" cast this season.

Actor Aimee Lou Wood discussed the dizzying situation in an interview with The Sunday Times ahead of the season three finale, which premieres tonight on HBO and HBO Max.

This season of "The White Lotus" was filmed in Thailand, where the star-studded cast lived by themselves at the Four Seasons in Koh Samui for seven months.

The cast includes Walton Goggins, Natasha Rothwell, Lalisa Manobal, and Wood, who plays Chelsea.

"The thing that I craved the most was a kitchen," Wood told The Sunday Times. "I wanted to be able to walk to the shops and buy groceries and make food. My self-esteem wasn't great because I wasn't being a normal person. I wasn't doing my own washing, folding my clothes. I started to feel like I was in The Sims."

Wood said the unique filming conditions caused the cast to slip too far into their characters. The outlet said the cast would hang out together outside filming and realize they'd regurgitated a character's speech.

"There was a bit of leakage. We were all accidentally Method," Wood said, referring to Method acting. "It has happened every season. Everyone has lost their marbles a little bit."

Wood also spoke about the accidental Method acting during a recent podcast episode of "The Run-Through with Vogue."

"I think I was accidentally Method, 'cause Mia, who was doing my hair, halfway through was like, 'Baby, you need to go home, 'cause I dunno if I'm talking to Chelsea or Aimee,'" Wood said. "And I was like, 'I don't know who I am.' And there was a lot of personal mirroring going on [with Walton]. We've not had the same lives as them, but everyone's essence is pretty similar to their character — apart from Patrick [Schwarzenegger]. He's nothing like Saxon."

Representatives for Wood did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Jason Isaacs, who plays Timothy Ratliff, told Vulture there was some "drama" behind the scenes.

"It was like a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies but in a gilded cage. It wasn't a holiday," he said in March. " Some people got very close, there were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost. All the things you would imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives on the other side of the world, in the intense pressure cooker of the working environment with eye-melting heat and insects and late nights."

"What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand, but there's an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama," Isaacs added.

• Anthony Mackie said actors need to behave like investors and diversify their portfolios.
• The "Captain America" star warned it's risky to rely solely on acting income as it could dry up.
• Mackie said he keeps his four sons "humble" and they've "never had a pair of Jordans."

Actors should think like investors and make sure to spread their bets, Anthony Mackie says.

The "Captain America: Brave New World" star recently told "The Pivot" podcast he's seen many of his peers get "hot" and land a bunch of leading roles, only for their careers to flatline a few years later.

"It's like, yo, you have no staying power," Mackie said, "because you're not diversifying your portfolio. If all you're investing in is Walmart, and Walmart has a bad week, you're fucked. So you've got to be able to do all the other shit, and that's what I always tell young actors."

Investors typically buy multiple assets to avoid betting the farm on a single horse. They might offset the risk of holding stocks by owning bonds too, and within a stock portfolio, they might balance the higher volatility of a growth stock like Tesla with the stability of a more staid name like Walmart.

Mackie repeated his point when asked how to achieve longevity in an entertainment career. "By diversifying your portfolio," he said, adding that now he's in his mid-40s, he's eager to do more producing and curate his own experiences for moviegoers.

"Tyler Perry has shown us the mold," Mackie said, adding that the billionaire filmmaker behind the "Madea" franchise has "created the wheel, so it don't make sense for me to get a chisel and try to make another one."

Perry's income streams include his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, along with other investments.

Mackie — known for portraying the superhero Falcon in past Marvel movies and his roles in "The Hurt Locker" and "8 Mile" — said athletes have been parlaying their fame into owning car dealerships, barbecue joints, and other businesses for decades.

George Foreman, who died earlier this month, made way more money from his grills than from his boxing career.

Mackie also echoed Warren Buffett's famous advice to find a job you're passionate about. The legendary investor has often said he enjoys being Berkshire Hathaway's CEO so much that he tap dances to work.

Similarly, Mackie said that "if you love it, you never work a day in your life."

The actor also spoke about ensuring his four sons remain grounded despite his success. "I keep my boys humble," he said, adding they've "never had a pair of Jordans."

Mackie said they "don't do all that internet fly shit," and the message he sends them is: "I could be the biggest star in the world, do not let me catch you being stupid."

Ben Affleck, another actor who's played multiple superheroes, recently said that he frequently gives his teenage son a reality check.

"There's always some grift why I need to be buying," the "Daredevil" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" star said about his son's taste for luxury goods. "I'm like, bruh, you do not need $1,000 shoes. He's like, 'We have the money.' I'm like, 'I have the money — you're broke.'"

• Cameron Diaz has said her decadelong retirement from acting was "the best 10 years" of her life.
• Diaz stopped acting in 2014 but recently returned to star in "Back In Action" with Jamie Foxx.
• Diaz isn't the only celebrity to have walked back on the decision to retire.

Cameron Diaz has said the decade she spent in retirement from acting was "the best 10 years" of her life, but she thinks she is now ready to get back into the industry.

Appearing on "The Graham Norton Show," the 52-year-old actor reflected on her decision to take an extended hiatus from her career.

"Oh my God, I loved it. It was the best 10 years of my life," Diaz said. "I was just free to just say, 'I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I'm living my life.'"

She said that stepping back from acting "made sense for my family," and after a while, "people stopped asking" her to take on roles.

"It was so lovely," she added.

However, Diaz, who stars in the new Netflix movie "Back in Action" alongside Jamie Foxx, said she realized that getting to entertain people for a living is a "priviledge" which ultimately led her to unretire.

"I just said to myself, if I just let this go, all of this goodwill, all of this which I got to build over so much time, the passion that I have for entertaining people and making movies, if I don't engage in that again be grateful for it, I would be a fool."

As for whether her return to acting is permanent, Diaz said: "This is maybe the beginning, maybe I'll tiptoe in, maybe I'll go gung-ho, we'll see. It's here and I'm really grateful for it."

Per her IMDb page, she has two upcoming projects: She will return to voice Princess Fiona in "Shrek 5" and will also star in a new Jonah Hill-helmed film titled "Outcome."

A representative for Diaz did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular working hours.

Diaz isn't the first actor to have walked back on the decision to retire.

Jim Carrey, 63, announced in 2022 that he was retiring from acting after "Sonic the Hedgehog 2." But he returned to work last year, reprising his role in the third film.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Carrey said: "I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And I just, I bought a lot of stuff, and I need the money, frankly."

Diaz became one of Hollywood's biggest stars after making her debut opposite Carrey in the superhero comedy film "The Mask."

The film went on to become one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 1994, making more than $350 million at the worldwide box office.

Over the next few years, Diaz landed more and more roles, starring in the likes of "There's Something About Mary," "Charlie's Angels," and "The Holiday."

Discussing how she spent the time since her last starring role in 2014's "Annie" remake, Diaz told the "Still Watching Netflix" YouTube channel that she had focused on raising her kids.

"That was what I was putting most of my focus on if I was doing anything other than just sort of being a mom and living my day-to-day," Diaz said. "And that was pretty much it. I'm just trying to stay alive, just like every other mother. I'm just trying to keep it going."

Diaz married Benji Madden of the rock band Good Charlotte in 2015. They welcomed their daughter, Raddix, in 2019 and their son, Cardinal, in 2024.

• Zendaya is an awards favorite this year for her role as Tashi Duncan in "Challengers."
• Her career began as a teenager, on Disney Channel titles like "Shake It Up" and "Frenemies."
• Zendaya has a "complicated relationship" with child acting but wouldn't change her career path.

"Challengers" star Zendaya says that she wouldn't change her career — but she does have a "complicated relationship" with child stardom.

The actor, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in "Challengers," joined fellow awards season contenders for The Hollywood Reporter's annual drama actress roundtable. The group, which also included Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldaña, Tilda Swinton, and Angelina Jolie, spoke with each other about their iconic 2024 roles and careers.

Zendaya, 28, has been working since her teenage years, starring in Disney Channel shows and movies like "Shake It Up" and "Frenemies." Now, she says that she's working to cultivate hobbies — in her case, pottery and baking — outside of acting.

"I have a complicated relationship with the idea of child acting because I've seen it be detrimental to people," the actor told THR. "I'm so grateful that this is how it turned out. I wouldn't change it, but there are things that I wish I lived out privately, you know? Because you're figuring out who you are in front of the world."

Zendaya has previously spoken about growing up in the spotlight, telling Vogue Australia in 2020 that she navigated her transition into adulthood by maintaining a "clear vision" of her goals as well as a "very good sense of self."

"Challengers," which was directed by Luca Guadagnino and costars Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist, also gave Zendaya the opportunity to play an adult character in Tashi Duncan. Though not exclusively, many of her previous highly acclaimed roles in series like "Euphoria" or films like the "Spider-Man" franchise have featured her as a teenager, even well into adulthood.

"For so long I was playing a teenager, way past when I was one," she told THR. "Being able to play Rue [on HBO's 'Euphoria'] has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. But there comes a time when you've got to start playing your age and beyond. And it was a scary thing."

• "The Cosby Show" star Geoffrey Owens said that he's still struggling to make money as a middle-class actor.
• Photos of Owens working at Trader Joe's went viral in 2018 and briefly led to more opportunities.
• Owens said he's still finding it difficult to "make my ends meet."

Geoffrey Owens rose to prominence playing Elvin Tibideaux on the hit sitcom "The Cosby Show." But six years after going viral for working at Trader Joe's, he's still struggling to make a living as a middle-class actor.

"I struggle every day to make my ends meet," Owens said during a recent interview with the Atlanta radio station V-103.

In August 2018, photos of Owens working at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey went viral, sparking conversations about the financial hardships of the average working actor.

Owens said that he was aware of some of job shaming comments from people, but he primarily received support and encouragement.

The actor said that for about two weeks after going viral, he gained lots of attention and recognition in his day-to-day life. It even led to job opportunities, like a role on the Tyler Perry series "The Haves and the Have Nots."

Additionally, Nicki Minaj donated $25,000 to Owens, but he told the radio station that he gave the money to charity instead of pocketing it because he wanted to earn his keep, rather than being gifted it.

Owens also said that he quit his supermarket job before the news hit in order to protect his privacy.

The actor explained that someone had already taken photos of him working at Trader Joe's and he wasn't comfortable worrying about that happening again.

"It wasn't like I quit knowing I would be making a lot of money soon or anything," Owens said. "I just felt like I wasn't going to be able to handle that kind of scrutiny and attack on my privacy."

Owens said that people have a difficult time understanding why an actor who's starred in movies and TV shows would need to work a normal job. He also said that residuals from "The Cosby Show" haven't benefitted him as much as people would assume.

"They don't understand the specifics of how my industry works," he said. "They don't understand the salaries, the pay scales."

In the years since going vial, Owens has guest starred on shows like "Power," "Power Book II: Ghost," and "The Rookie." Most recently, he appeared on the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" and currently stars as Mr. Santa in the holiday film "Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza."

Owens said that Trader Joe's was a "wonderful" place to be employed, and he's since gone back to work some hours.

"People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry," he said. "So that's what drove me to work at Trader Joe's to begin with. But honestly, I'm not much better off now than I was then."

A rep for Owens didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• Auli'i Cravahlo told "Podcrushed" about deferring a Columbia University place in favor of her career.
• She said she was wary of halting her acting journey because she was the "breadwinner" for her family.
• Actors including Glen Powell and Anne Hathaway have also paused their education for their careers.

Auli'i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, said she decided to pause her education aspiration over fears her acting career would lose steam.

Cravalho began her acting career at 14, debuting as Disney's first Polynesian princess in 2016's "Moana." The film was nominated for two Oscars and grossed $643 million worldwide.

Since then, Cravalho has voice-acted in several TV shows and video games, starred in films including 2024's "Mean Girls," and appeared in multiple stage shows.

Still, Moana is her most popular role as she prepares to return the character in "Moana 2," which is out next week.

Appearing on the "Podcrushed" podcast to promote the movie, Cravalho spoke about being accepted to Columbia University in 2021 to study environmental science.

The actor told Scary Mommy last year she'd deferred her place because she was "so scared that the industry would just move on and forget about me."

"There is a sense of the train is moving and do I bring it to a halt because I know for a fact that I'm not able to focus on those two things at once," Cravalho said in this week's interview. "I know I would have to pause one or give less of myself to the other, which doesn't feel fair."

Cravalho told Scary Mommy and The Cut last year she now has to reapply to Columbia because she deferred her place too many times.

Many actors and musicians have paused or dropped out of college to pursue careers. Celebrities like Glen Powell, Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Timothée Chalamet have been successful in doing so.

Powell is finishing his degree at the University of Texas this year after becoming one of Hollywood's brightest new stars.

Cravalho said she still wants to return to her degree and would be the first in her immediate family to go to college.

"I'm also the breadwinner for my family," she said. "I'm a smidge worried about taking a break and doing all four years. I've budgeted it all out. I'd make it, but it would be close. I look forward to doing that in the next decade when I feel more secure."

The number of people enrolling for undergraduate degrees fell from 18 million to 15.4 million between 2010 and 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Although the center said enrollment rose last year for the first time since the pandemic, higher education appears to be losing its appeal for some young people.

In May, Deloitte published a survey of 14,468 Gen Z and 8,373 millennials across 44 countries about their attitudes toward the world and their financial conditions.

It found that a third of respondents had chosen to skip higher education, citing financial barriers as the prime reason.

In 2023, Business Insider, in collaboration with YouGov, surveyed more than 1,800 Americans across five generations, including more than 600 Gen Z respondents above the age of 18, and found that 46% of Gen Z respondents didn't think college was worth the cost.

That poses a challenge for colleges and universities.

Joseph Fuller, a professor at Harvard Business School and co-lead of its "Managing the Future of Work" initiative, told BI last year: "They're going to have to work to demonstrate to potential students that graduates of their programs can enjoy success and a lifestyle that will support income level and support a household with a decent lifestyle."