The May 10 Edition

There’s something about Murray. Bartlett, that is – the Perth-born actor whose award-winning turn as the wickedly edgy hotel manager in the first season of The White Lotus propelled him to international fame. Since that break-out role – and that oh-so-icky scene he’ll be long remembered for – Bartlett has appeared in a slew of other shows, including an exquisitely sensitive performance as a gay man in an episode of the The Last of Us and a darkly comic role in the new season of Nine Perfect Strangers, airing later this month. What the 54-year-old seems to have perfected – on the small screen as well as in life – is the ability to win over people without any phoney attempt to do so. As our writer Amanda Hooton found when she interviewed him recently, no one has a bad word to say about Bartlett. He’s chatty, generous with his time, looks you in the eye, has deeply loyal friends and is great with animals, even – as Hooton witnessed for herself – a pigeon in distress in a Bondi cafe. – Greg Callaghan, acting editor.