British actor Leo Woodall is returning to Netflix in the erotic thriller Vladimir. Starring opposite Rachel Weisz, Woodall portrays the titular character, Vladimir, a charming young writer and professor, with whom his middle-aged colleague becomes obsessed.
The 29-year-old is no stranger to being cast as the heartthrob. Known for his work in The White Lotus, One Day, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, he is quickly rising to fame thanks to these types of roles, but even so, the actor says it’s a “mixed bag” for him.
In an interview with Radio Times in February 2025, Woodall, who stands at 6 feet, 1 inches tall, revealed that he sometimes feels “objectified” when playing a leading man.
“In some ways it’s part of the gig. But also, there are sides of it that can make you feel quite vulnerable and exposed,” he said. “That side isn’t as fun. When you’re playing a role described like that, you can’t help but look at yourself and go, ‘Am I that guy?’ There’s sometimes pressure in making people buy that!”
But it’s not all romance and love for Woodall. In fact, he recently appeared in the World War II film Nuremberg and the TV conspiracy thriller Prime Target in 2025.
Here’s what else you should know about Leo Woodall.
What Is Woodall’s Family Like?
Born in London in September 1996, Woodall hails from a family of actors. His parents met at drama school, and his father, Andrew Woodall, 62, has appeared in such films as The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
Despite her training, Woodall’s mother, Jane Mary Ashton, decided not to pursue a career in acting, but later remarried Scottish actor Alexander Morton. The 80-year-old is best known for his role in the early 2000s comedy series Monarch of the Glen.
Woodall is also distantly related to the once-prominent silent film actor Maxine Elliott. Despite these connections, he doesn’t consider himself to be a “nepo baby.”
“I would own it if it were true,” he told the UK newspaper The Times in November 2025. “I think I definitely benefited from advice or just having the experiences to share with members of my family, but in terms of opportunities, no disrespect to my family, I didn’t get any extra leg up.”
What Made Woodall Want to Act?
Though Woodall grew up around actors, he didn’t always know he wanted to go into the field. In fact, he originally wanted to be either a PE teacher or a stuntman. It wasn’t until he saw the crime drama series Peaky Blinders as age 19 that he finally caught the acting bug.
“I remember I was watching season one and Cillian Murphy’s performance was wonderful,” Woodall said in a BAFTAs YouTube video in November 2025. “I had a flat cap in the house, and so I would put it on and do Tommy Shelby impressions in front of a mirror.” He went on to attend Arts Education School in London, where graduated with a bachelor’s degree in acting in 2019.
Who Is Woodall Dating?
Woodall is in a longterm relationship with fellow actor Meghann Fahy, who he met while filming Season 2 of The White Lotus in 2022. After months of speculation, the couple effectively confirmed their romance when they were spotted kissing in New York City in November 2023, but didn’t make their relationship Instagram official until February 2024.
Since then, Woodall and Fahy have attended movie premieres and awards shows together but have still managed to keep their relationship under wraps.
“We’re very good at keeping it as private as we can,” he told Elle UK in February 2025. “To me, that’s the only way. You see public relationships all the time slapped over social media and I can’t imagine that’s any fun. [Your relationship] should be a safe space, so I think letting people into it is completely counter-productive.”
What Was Woodall Like As a Kid?
Following his parents’ divorce, Woodall went through a dark period in his early teenage years, during which he spent a lot of time smoking marijuana and getting in “trouble at school.”
“I shaved my head, had notches cut in my eyebrows and I even had a bit of a street name someone gave me,” he told The Times. “I was lost … I mean, every teenager has good and bad moments, don’t they?”
It was around this time that he started going to therapy, which he found helpful and got his mental health back on track.
How Has Woodall Handled Fame?
Woodall’s more recent performances have catapulted him to a level of fame that he’s still not used to. “It did all go a bit nuts for me,” he said to Elle UK. “At first it was like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’ but pretty quickly it just started to feel icky.”
As a result, Woodall enjoys his time away from the spotlight. “Stick some Gavin & Stacey on, watch a horror film, or go and meet some friends,” he added. “I’m definitely someone who likes to live in the moment, which is why I’m so shit on my phone.”
Who Is Woodall’s Role Model?
Woodall’s uneasiness with fame has also affected who he looks up to most in the entertainment industry: actor Bryan Cranston. “Breaking Bad is my ride-or-die show, and I love the way he's navigated his career,” he explained. “Instead of being in the limelight and getting caught up in all that, he has just kept a lid on it and made some really good work.”
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
