EDGE Rewind: Theo James Strips Down for Season 2 'White Lotus' Opener

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Theo James is no stranger to stripping down on camera. On the recent HBO series "The Time Traveler's Wife," he played a man who would lose his clothing when he time-tripped. He also was seen in the nude on the PBS series "Sanditon." So it's no surprise that the 38-year-old British hunk is turning heads prior to the premiere of the second season of HBO's Emmy-winning "The White Lotus," this season set in a luxury resort in Sicily.

James plays Cameron Babcock in the upcoming season, a well-endowed and wealthy tech bro on vacation with his wife Daphne (played by Meghann Fahy) with his workaholic college bud (Will Sharpe) and his lawyer wife (Aubrey Plaza). 

"'It is in my contract that I'm not allowed to do anything without being completely naked,' James jokes with 'ET' [interviewer] Denny Directo about his onscreen history of being clothing-free, explaining that getting naked in front of the camera 'felt natural.'"

The reason for the early nude scene isn't apparent at first. "It's interesting, [because] at first... we don't know whether it's deliberate or [if] it's accidental. But it reveals itself." 

But that won't be until Episode 5, he explained. "While viewers will have some time to debate Cameron's intentions, James says what ended up onscreen in the final cut of the episode is very different from what they shot originally. 'The initial version we shot was way too much. So, we did a more subtle version,'" he said. "They toned it [down].'"  

But James added that the nudity isn't just him providing eye candy. "Mike [series creator Mike White], as in season 1, his nudity is always very specific. There's a purpose."

White will likely have to go far to top Season 1's iconic rimming scene that featured Murray Bartlett and Lukas Gage caught in the act. But, James said, expect some unexpected nudity on Season 2. "It's funny 'cause we're all kind of naked," James said. "It's a holiday show, really."

The season has a huge cast including Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Meghann Fahy, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Will Sharpe, Haley Lu Richardson, and, of course, Jennifer Coolidge (who won an Emmy for Season 1.

Watch the trailer for "The White Lotus" Season 2 below.