Men's Lifestyle August 18, 2026 0 Comments

Alexander Ludwig Reveals Surprising Secrets Behind His Role in The White Lotus and How He’s Redefining Dad Style While Raising Future Champions

Ever wonder how someone can juggle the chaos of dad life with the glitz of Hollywood—and still look like they’ve got it all together? Meet Alexander Ludwig: bright-eyed, genuinely hype, and running on the fuel of toddler bedtime, late-night Zooms, and filming one of TV’s hottest gigs, The White Lotus. It’s 9 p.m. in Paris, he’s just put two little rascals to sleep, and yet, here he is—grinning like he’s about to spill some serious life wisdom. Balancing dad mode with red carpet moments is no joke, but Ludwig makes it seem almost effortless—even if the reality involves a sweaty sprint back from ice cream runs and a wardrobe that’s basically “workout survival gear.” There’s style beneath the sweat, though, as Perry Ellis recently saw when they tapped him to front their “Return to the City” campaign, celebrating 50 years of sharp, accessible men’s fashion rooted in NYC grit and energy. But beyond the clothes and the camera flashes, Ludwig shares something deeper—about chasing your own version of success, keeping it real amid the highlight reels, and gearing up for what might just be his career’s wildest ride yet. Ready to dive into the man behind the moments? Let’s go. LEARN MORE

6 min read

When I hop on a Zoom with Alexander Ludwig, I’m taken aback. He’s bright eyed, gives me a giant smile, and is genuinely excited to chat. And that might not seem all that strange to you, but given the fact that it’s 9:00 p.m. in Paris, he’s just put two toddlers to bed, and he’s coming off of a day of filming the new season of The White Lotus, I was impressed.

Ludwig makes balancing dad life with shooting one of the hottest shows on TV—not to mention the catalyst for our conversation, starring in a Perry Ellis campaign—look easy. But it’s not. “When you’re a dad, every day is training day,” he laughs. “You have to train to be able to keep up with them. I was taking the kids to get ice cream, and I ended up carrying them back, hoping that I could make it in time for our call, and now I’m fucking sweating. Like, this is what I wear every day.”

The actor stands up and shows me his fit: performance tee and shorts, ball cap, sneakers. “I just wear workout stuff all the time. Then, when I have a business meeting or something or I’m meeting with studio heads or pitching a show, that’s where Perry Ellis comes in. I get to go out on the town, but when I’m in Dad Mode, it’s survival. There’s nothing stylish about it.”

Courtesy of Perry Ellis

“When I’m in Dad Mode, it’s survival. There’s nothing stylish about it.”

But there is something stylish about Ludwig, and that’s why Perry Ellis tapped him to be the face of its “Return to the City” campaign, which celebrates 50 years of the brand by paying tribute to its New York City roots. “For me, it’s a funny one because I feel like I always have a part of my heart that is in the mountains and the country,” Ludwig says. “But if I spend too much time there, I miss the hustle and bustle and energy that being in a city gives. Especially New York; whenever I’m there, I feel this insane sense of inspiration.”

Ludwig had a lot more to say, so he turned off the sound machine that had been playing for his sleeping children and we dove in.

Some Advice for His Kids—and Everyone Else

I have an email account for both of my kids, and every New Year’s, I write them an email of what’s happened this year. Last year, I wrote them a list of all the things that I’ve learned in my life up until my age today. There’s a lot there, a lot to unpack. But if I had to choose one piece of advice to give, it’s that true success is living the life you designed for yourself, not what the world has designed for you or what people think you should want.

I think so often that people get trapped in the craziness, and they forget how strong and powerful they are, and that they can have any life that they want. So live a life that you want and that’s true to you. My dad always used to tell me that the three most important things in life are integrity, credibility, and honor, and I believe in that, too. Always be kind, show up, and just do you.

Courtesy of Perry Ellis

Behind the scenes of Ludwig’s Perry Ellis campaign.

Keeping It Real

I was watching this great docuseries on Netflix about the beginnings of America—I love history; I’m fascinated by it—and this thought overcame me: “It’s the most brutal life ever. I can’t imagine what these people were going through. But man, that must have been so nice to be around your family, your community, or your friends at night to just, like, talk. And tell stories.”

It’s not the same anymore. It’s ironic, for my saying this, because I’m in the entertainment business, right? But if you’re in the public eye and you’re honest about your life, then I think you could do a lot of good in that way—just reminding people that all they’re seeing on social media is the highlight reel. Like, “Listen, I’m on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’ve waited my whole life for, and this is incredible and we’re having the best time, and I really miss home.”

Courtesy of Perry Ellis

“True success is living the life you designed for yourself, not what the world has designed for you or what people think you should want.”

A Perry Stylish Moment

One thing that I just love about the brand is that it’s accessible to a lot of people. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to look great and to feel great—nor should you have to. Perry Ellis is something that men all over would feel good in and can look good in, especially when they’re in a city that inspires them.

I’m a firm believer that you fit your kids into your life, not the other way around. I really subscribe to that. If my wife and I want to go on that trip, we’re going on that trip. We’re bringing the kids, and we’re gonna figure it out. And Perry Ellis is the perfect brand for being able to go anywhere and look great anywhere.

Courtesy of Perry Ellis

“You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to look great and to feel great—nor should you have to.”

On The White Lotus, Obviously

I’ve never in my entire career—and that’s including The Hunger Games—experienced the kind of response that I received when AJ Michalka and I were announced as part of The White Lotus cast. It really hit home, just how big this show is. I’m such a fan of this show, and I got so lucky with this season. It’s exploring the things about the world that we live in that I’ve always wanted to explore, and I’m playing a character that I’ve always dreamed of playing. I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. It’s obviously set in the South of France, and this season’s theme is fame. Exploring that is a really fun and sexy thing to be a part of.

These are some of the best scripts I’ve ever read in my life. I’ve never laughed harder then been hit harder at the same time. Mike White is such a genius with how he threads that needle. We’re halfway through production right now, and it’s been just spectacular. This entire cast is already family, and there’s not a bad egg here. It’s truly been a dream.

I actually had a crazy week when this was all coming together, where I had to turn down the potential—and to caveat this, it wasn’t an offer in my hand—but I had to turn down the potential of starring in a massive franchise that I loved so much because they were both shooting at the same time. But to me, just getting to be a part of Mike’s world and Mike’s writing and explore with these other actors is so special because it’s such a big thing, but it’s so much about humans and their flaws. I’m so fucking pumped for everybody to see this show. There is shit that’s going to happen on this that you will have never seen on TV before. That’s how insane this season is.

Courtesy of Perry Ellis

“I’m so fucking pumped for everybody to see this show. There is shit that’s going to happen on this that you will have never seen on TV before. That’s how insane this season is.”

So, Is He Ready for It?

Nothing has hit the cultural zeitgeist the way this show has. Everybody wants to be on this show. It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be here, and I’m constantly counting my blessings. So am I ready for it? The cool answer is to say, “No, we’ll see what happens.” But the truth is, I’ve waited my whole life to get to a place—and I’ve been very lucky over the last ten years or so to already have a version of this—but my dream as an actor has always been to reach a level where I can have control over the stories that I tell. It’s not coming from a place of ego; it has nothing to do with that.

For me, as an artist, I want to be a part of the best stuff with the best people. And one great opportunity leads to another, which leads to another. I don’t know if I could say that I’m prepared. I talked to Leslie Bibb before I came here because we just did a film together, so I knocked on her trailer and was like, “Leslie, tell me everything.” And she said, “You need to understand, Alexander, there is nothing like this. Like nothing. Just hold onto your seatbelt.” I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that it’s a dream come true.