Alexander Ludwig says The White Lotus call topped The Hunger Games
Alexander Ludwig says being cast in The White Lotus changed his life more than The Hunger Games ever did.
The actor, whose breakout role came in 2012's The Hunger Games, described the casting announcement as bigger than that early franchise moment, he told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on 25 September. He said he had felt frustrated by the lack of good projects coming his way before the call came.
Ludwig is cast in season four of HBO's The White Lotus, the anthology series from creator Mike White in which each season tells a new story with a new cast. He and AJ Michalka were the first confirmed cast members for the new run, according to TV Insider, which is set in France.
Ludwig spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in July while filming the season in France. He had based himself there with his wife and two children for the shoot.
The job arrived while he was behind the camera on another project. Ludwig completed a three-scene audition with White while directing Billings, his directorial debut.
Billings is a small, independently financed healthcare drama, as reported by Deadline. Ludwig also stars in the lead role. His mother, Sharlene Ludwig, is his producing partner on the film. The cast includes Carla Gugino, Taylor Hickson, James Jordan and Ludwig himself, with Grace Beedie also joining, according to Cinema Express.
Viewers may know Ludwig from Vikings, from the wrestling drama Heels and from Bad Boys. Next he appears in Unabomber for Netflix, a film retelling of the Unabomber case.
What makes this stand out is the timing. Ludwig realised one project as a director while auditioning for another as an actor. Now both are moving toward screens at once.
