Leo Woodall, 28, the star from Bridget Jones, has spoken out in defence of the age gap romance featured in the upcoming fourth film, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.
The actor, who captured hearts in the Netflix tearjerker One Day last year, is now set to appear as Renée Zellweger’s, 55, romantic counterpart on the big screen.
Addressing the ‘controversial’ age gap between the love interests during an interview with Stellar Magazine, Leo queried: “When two people find the connection, why shouldn’t they see where it goes without judgment? Both dynamics should be equally normalised. It’s a good thing that we’re getting the reverse.”
He further remarked that age gap relationships are “not uncommon” in reality but seldom depicted in films, reports the Mirror. The One Day star also lauded Renée for her convincing British accent as Bridget, which he finds indistinguishable from the real thing.
“With Renée partly because she’s so good, but also because this character has been a part of her for such a long time nothing about it seemed unnatural in any way,” he commented.
During a chat with Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Renée expressed her affection for London, saying it “felt like home”. Expanding on the ‘age gap controversy’ in a discussion with Marie Claire, Leo added: “I think it’s ever evolving. I hope that this film can be a part of that [change too].
“I think that two people should always be able to have that connection without judgment, regardless of their age or gender. That’s one of the wonderful things about it is not trying to put too much pressure on the age gap itself.”
Since his appearance in Netflix’s One Day, the actor’s life has been turned upside down to the extent that taking the tube has become a thing of the past for him. His career shows no signs of slowing down with yet another major role under his belt.
In an exclusive digital cover interview with ELLE UK, he shared: “I don’t really get the tube anymore.” And revealing an encounter, Woodall said: “[A woman] told me her husband gets really jealous. It was just so uncomfortable.”
Besides One Day, Leo has gained recognition for playing Jack in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus, which debuted in 2022. His character, introduced as the “nephew” of Quentin (played by Tom Hollander), forms a bond with Portia (portrayed by Haley Lu Richardson).
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is in cinemas on Thursday 13 February.