IN CONVERSATION WITH JAY LYCURGO

interview by JANA LETONJA

British actor Jay Lycurgo most recently starred in Ben Wheatley’s series ‘Generation Z’ and comedy horror gilm ‘The Radleys’ Next up, he will star in opposite Cillian Murphy in drama film ‘Steve’, based on Max Porter’s Sunday Times best-selling novel ‘Shy’, and romantic comedy ‘Eternal Return’.

full look DERRICK x RICHARD JAMES
boots MANOLO BLAHNIK

We’ve recently been able to watch you in Ben Wheatley’s series ‘Generation Z’. What particularly drew you to this project?

Well, I guess it starts like any other project and that's with the self-tape. I didn't really get much information from the project, it was actually just Kelly and Charlie in the party scene in Episode 1. So, you could imagine that for the self-tape, there wasn't really anything given away and I hadn't seen any scripts. But the great thing was that I heard that it was being directed by Ben Wheatley. All I had to do was watch ‘Sightseers’, and I knew that I wanted to do the project. It was pretty simple really. 

And with the character aspect, it was a fantasy world that has a raw truth to it. When you're playing a character that has stemmed from a broken family, and it is grounded in British culture, I can see the potential of depth there, so that always gets me excited. 

How was the experience working with Ben Wheatley, and what resonated the most with you about this series

What resonated most about the series was that the zombies could talk. I thought that was just such a different component to add to a zombie genre. I always wanted to be in a zombie show as well, so it was fun to have this opportunity and be in zombieland. And I did really enjoy how Ben was able to, in a pretty great way as well, add some sort of empathy to the zombies. Because how many times do you get to the background of a zombie? One of my favourite scenes is when Paul Bentall, who plays Frank and I call him Zombie Daddy, goes back to his family home and he's got this huge conflict of being a zombie and a person at the same time. I think it was just quite a refreshing take on how a zombie should be. 

full look DUNHILL
ring BUNNEY

You also just starred in the comedy horror film ‘The Radleys’. What is your favourite thing about this project, and your favourite memory from set?

I think my favourite thing about this project when I look back and what I appreciate so much was the relationship I had with Euros Lyn, the director. I think he's brilliant in his own way and so authentic. He’s great at giving direction and a very great collaborator. I really enjoyed the world and the relationship that I had with Shaun Parkes as well, he was great. I still chat to him on the phone, checking in. You've got to check in on your screen dads. 

My favourite memory was the scene between Evan and his father. As an actor, sometimes you have all this anxiety and this anticipation to perform in certain scenes. I mean this scene, this two-hander that you see between Evan and his dad, is the scene I had auditioned with. There's a lot of anxiety and anticipation when Evan confronts his dad about stealing his phone, there's a huge distrust from his dad, and I think Evan’s just had enough and just wants a better life for his family. I really wanted to do this well and I spoke to Euros, and I remember that day being very successful. By the end of it, I just feel like I really accomplished something and when everyone's really happy and you're being inspired by your scene partner like Shaun Parkes, then it's a good day and a great memory. 

You’ve recently been named the Screen Star of Tomorrow for 2024. How did you react to the news, and what does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?

I remember nothing was really going on for me. I had just finished ‘Generation Z’. I don’t believe I had Steve at this point. And I got a call from my team and they shared the news. I had always wanted to be a Screen Star. I remember in drama school, it was something that I knew what it meant to be a Screen Star of Tomorrow. It's just a beautiful recognition and a lot of the actors that I've seen, who I find aspirational, have gone on to have incredible careers. So I guess to answer your question, it just felt like I was going in the right direction. It was my first bit of recognition that I'm pretty alright at what I do. So yeah, it was a great moment. I was very happy. 

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full look GUCCI

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coat EMPORIO ARMANI
suit KYLE HO
shoes MANOLO BLAHNIK

Looking back on your journey so far, what do you think has been the most pivotal moment in your career?

That's such a good question. ‘The Batman’ was incredible. It’s amazing to be a small role in something so massive but still get recognition about your role. To this day, some people just come up to me and they don't know any of my other projects, and they'll say “You’re the guy from The Batman.” I'm like, “OK, these guys really pay attention,” which is incredible. I remember the trailer for that was so exciting and I was there for three seconds and people went crazy. It was definitely a step in the right direction. 

But you know, I've been very fortunate. I feel like every year there's a new pivotal moment. I could talk about a few besides ‘The Batman’. ‘Titans’ was a really big deal. After that, getting my first lead role in ‘The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself’ was huge at the time. And then this year, being able to work with Cillian Murphy and do ‘Steve’ and get a role in ‘Peaky Blinders. It's just moments you can't even think of, you kind of just got to go with the momentum and try and enjoy every second of it. 

What inspired you to pursue acting, and how did your journey into the entertainment industry begin?

I was acting in school. I was messing around in improv classes and just trying to make people laugh. And then I guess, at one point I was reading ‘The Women in Black’, and I was just getting into it. It was in front of the whole class and I started fake crying, but for the monologue and it needed it. And there was this girl that came up to me, and was like “Oh my God, I honestly felt like you were crying”. And I feel like that was one of the moments where I was like “I might be OK at this”. From there, it was just teachers and mentors telling me to go in the right direction, go to drama school and pursue it and luckily it's done alright. My first job was then ‘Doctors’ when I was still in drama school. I was 21 and I worked with Carolina Giammetta, and she gave me my first ever professional job. 

Your projects this year span multiple genres—horror, romance, and emotional dramas. How do you adapt to such diverse roles, and do you have a favorite genre to work in?

It's pretty incredible actually, to have the opportunities that I've had. When I think about the different genres that I've been able to adapt to, one of the things that I noticed is that I've been able to go and trial different genres. It's something that you just can't overthink, all those characters. Julian in ‘Eternal Return’is very much in love and he has a dream to pursue. He is very romantic, very positive and optimistic. But then I’ve also played characters with hidden traumas, that have had traumatic events in their life that keep them very grounded but a bit lost. I think there's something in my characters that feels very vulnerable. The genres can be different, but at the same time, you can find little things in each character that are so similar and that you connect with, and so I just went with that. And I don’t have a favourite genre. It can always depend on the mood, to be honest.

One of the next projects we’ll be seeing you in is Drama film ‘Steve’ opposite Cillian Murphy, based on the best-selling novel ‘Shy’. How did you find the balance between staying true to the novel and bringing your unique interpretation to the character? 

I’m very excited to talk about ‘Steve’. I can't really go into too much depth, but if people haven't read ‘Shy’ by Max Porter, read it as it's incredible. In the book, you look at the POV of Shy and all the experiences of a teenage boy. It's brilliant. With the novel and the film, I kept the staying true to the novel 100% because I read the book every day. 

What can you share with us about your upcoming romantic comedy ‘Eternal Return’, without giving too much away? 

Not much, but it's a romance film with Naomi Scott and Kit Harrington. It's about a woman in pursuit to find new love. A nice little classic story of romance.

Tell us more about yourself and your other passions outside of acting. What are the thing you enjoy the most in life?

I love baths. I play a lot of guitar these days, and I love music. It gets me through the day, it stimulates me, it's something that I need. It's the thing that I bring around me at all times. I have my speaker, annoyingly, in the trailers all the time. The makeup teams love it, I think. I’m also really into fantasy football. I'm fifth in the league, I'm trying to win. So those are the three main things that are my passions. 

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full look PRADA

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full look DOLCE&GABBANA
hat LOCK & CO
rings BUNNEY

INTERVIEW

TEAM CREDITS:
talent JAY LYCURGO
photography LEE MALONE
styling BENEDICT BROWNE
grooming LAURAINE BAILEY
location special thanks to MC & SONS
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA