TV Article Jason Isaacs juggles two new roles The ''Patriot'' scene-stealer left Mike Figgis' ''Hotel'' to join Ridley Scott's ''Black Hawk Down'' By Clarissa Cruz Clarissa Cruz Clarissa Cruz is an Executive Editor at Entertainment Weekly and co-host of The Awardist podcast. She has also appeared as an entertainment expert on the Today show, The CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, E! and Access Hollywood. EW's editorial guidelines Published on August 15, 2001 04:00AM EDT Photo: Jason Isaacs: Steve Granitz/Retna Another case of art imitating life. Actor Jason Isaacs, best known as Mel Gibson’s nasty nemesis in ”The Patriot,” was all packed in February, ready to head to Venice, Italy, to star in friend Mike Figgis’ indie flick ”Hotel.” Then director Ridley Scott called and offered the dashing Brit a part in the higher-profile, bigger-budgeted ”Black Hawk Down,” a military thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett. Not wanting to disappoint his buddy, Isaacs said he could work on ”Hotel,” but only for a week, since he had to leave for ”Down”’s Morocco shoot. Inspired, Figgis decided to have Isaacs play an actor dropping out of a friend’s film because he got a better offer. ”[Figgis] told me to imagine taking calls from Ridley Scott,” says Isaacs, ”which I was actually doing in between takes.”