Jason Isaacs dubs Duke conflict "fanciful and ridiculous"

But Isaacs, who’s been a bit of a loose cannon this entire press tour, couldn’t help but “cause a bit of mischief.” Earlier this month, the actor wore a shirt bearing the Blue Devil, Duke’s mascot, to a finale screening event, pouring a bit more salt in the wound. To hear him tell it on a recent episode of the Prestige Junkie podcast, the shirt was actually one of his only options. Apparently, he bought it at a kiosk at the Charlotte airport after his airline lost his luggage because “it fit and I do love blue.” Celebs—they’re just like us!

“I didn’t even know that the devil… I didn’t know it was their team. It was the only thing that didn’t say Duke on it,” he claimed. “But once I found out I thought it would be a fun thing to wear for the photographs.”

All in all, while Isaacs “[doesn’t] like anyone getting upset about anything,” he found the whole kerfuffle “faintly amusing.” “Clearly, it was just someone fancying seeing their name online and, in some department, wanting to go viral,” the actor surmised. “[Duke’s] real-life alumni are such a rogue’s gallery, many of them, that the notion that this rather spiritually enlightened character on television caused them any trouble is fanciful and ridiculous.” If Mike White wants to go really meta, there has to be a fancy hotel somewhere near Durham, NC where he could film. He’s already got the conflict and “rogue’s gallery” of eccentric millionaires sorted. Isaacs just needs to watch his back and try not to drink any mysterious protein shakes on or around campus.

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