British acting is witnessing a shift, and Jay Lycurgo is standing right at the center of it. You’ve likely seen him. Maybe it was the Robin cape, or maybe it was the blood-soaked chaos of a magical UK underworld. He’s become a fixture in Gen Z cinema, popping up on Netflix and HBO Max with a consistency that feels inevitable.
But Lycurgo isn’t just another drama school grad who walked into an agent’s office and got lucky. His path is a weird, winding mix of missed football penalties, teenage arrogance, and a detention session that accidentally kickstarted his entire career. He’s the son of a pro footballer who decided the pitch wasn’t enough stage for him. He’s stood toe-to-toe with Cillian Murphy and Robert Pattinson, holding his ground when most would shrink.
This isn’t a standard resume run-down. This is the story of a Croydon boy who traded studs for scripts. It’s about how a bag of prawn cocktail crisps changed his life, and why his take on Tim Drake did something DC Comics had never seen before.
Also Read: Edmund Donovan and Miles Caton
Key Takeaways
- From Pitch to Stage: Jay is the son of former pro footballer David Johnson; he quit sports at 17 to chase acting.
- Historic Casting: He made history as the first actor of mixed heritage to play Tim Drake (Robin) in live-action.
- Viral Moments: His accidental “Drake’s House” selfie almost spoiled his Titans casting before it was announced.
- Resilience: Bounced back from the harsh cancellation of The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself to land roles in Steve and the Peaky Blinders movie.
- A-List Approval: Earned praise for his work alongside heavyweights like Robert Pattinson and Cillian Murphy.
Was Jay Lycurgo Always Destined for Hollywood?
People assume charisma like Jay’s is factory-installed. It wasn’t. He was actually built to run.
Born February 6, 1998, in Croydon, London, Jay grew up in a house where sport was religion. His dad is David Johnson, the former pro striker who played for clubs like Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest. Growing up the youngest of four, Jay watched his dad command stadiums. Naturally, he wanted a piece of that action.
The plan was locked in early: play football, get signed, become a legend. Standard dream. But around 17, the cracks started showing. He had the feet for it, but not the head. Jay admits now that he spent half his time on the pitch faking injuries. He wasn’t trying to draw a foul; he just liked the drama of it. He loved the performance of pain more than the actual game. That was the first clue. He wasn’t a footballer. He was an actor pretending to be one.
How Did Prawn Cocktail Crisps Launch His Career?
The pivot from athlete to actor wasn’t graceful. It was messy. He aimed high immediately, auditioning for the BRIT School—the place that churned out Adele and Tom Holland. They rejected him.
That stung. He shifted focus to Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd), but the pressure was mounting. Then came the day that should have been a low point but turned into the start of everything. Jay was stuck in detention at his sixth form. His offense? Eating prawn cocktail crisps in the common room.
He’s sitting there, silent, furious, staring at the wall. Then his phone buzzes in his pocket. It’s his mum. She isn’t whispering; she’s screaming. “Oh my God! You got in!”
ArtsEd had accepted him.
Jay recalls standing up in the middle of that silent room and thinking, I don’t care anymore, I’m out of here. It was his personal Breakfast Club exit. A packet of crisps got him detention, but that phone call got him a future. He walked out and never looked back.
Why Was His Drama School Experience So Rocky at First?
Getting in was one thing. actually doing the work was another. Jay didn’t turn into a serious thespian overnight.
First year at ArtsEd? A disaster, mostly. While the other students were obsessing over Chekhov and Stanislavski, Jay was obsessing over his FIFA stats. He treated drama school like a hobby. He’d sneak out during lunch—sometimes even cutting class—just to go home, make peanut butter and ham sandwiches, and play video games.
He didn’t get it. He didn’t understand the discipline. To him, acting was still just “playtime.”
The wake-up call hit in his second year. He got cast in a Shakespeare production, and suddenly, the “winging it” strategy didn’t work. You can’t bluff Shakespeare. He realized acting required craft, vulnerability, and showing up. The midday FIFA sessions stopped. He started doing the work. That switch is the only reason he graduated in 2019 as a professional ready for hire, rather than just another kid who peaked in drama class.
What Was the “Arrogant” Audition Mistake He Made?
Before he learned that discipline, he had to unlearn some ego. Jay loves telling the story of his audition for Little Shop of Horrors when he was 15.
He walked into that room dripping with teenage arrogance. The directors asked for a bit of improv. Simple request. It’s Acting 101.
Jay wasn’t having it. He looked the panel in the eye and basically said, “Actually, I’ve prepared ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ from The Wizard of Oz, and I’d really love to do that instead.” He flat-out refused to improv.
He didn’t get the part. Obviously. It was a brutal, necessary check on his ego. Talent is great, but if you can’t take direction, you’re useless. He learned that the hard way.
How Did He Go From “The Batman” to “Titans”?
Jay’s entry into the DC Universe is a masterclass in weird timing. Most people know him as Tim Drake from Titans, but he actually made his Gotham debut on the gritty streets of Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022).
Picture the scene: a gang of thugs with half-painted faces surrounds a citizen. Robert Pattinson’s Batman steps out of the shadows and beats them senseless. Jay isn’t the guy getting his bones broken. He’s the one in the back, watching with wide, terrified eyes.
He barely speaks, but the camera lingers on him. He played the hesitation perfectly—the kid who got caught up in something too big, the one who wasn’t really a villain.
Here’s the kicker: Jay filmed that role a full year before he even auditioned for Titans. When The Batman trailer dropped, eagle-eyed fans spotted him. By the time Titans season 3 aired, Jay had pulled off a rare DC double. He existed in the Reeves-verse and the Titans-verse simultaneously. Two different Gothams, same face.
Is Jay Lycurgo the Most Important Robin Yet?
Casting Jay as Tim Drake in Titans wasn’t just a job; it was a shift. He became the first actor of mixed heritage to play the role in live-action.
It changed the texture of the character. Tim Drake is usually the “smart” Robin, the detective who figures out Batman’s identity. Jay kept that intellect but added a street-smart, relatable edge that clicked with Gen Z. He wasn’t a stiff sidekick; he was a kid trying to figure it out.
But he almost blew the reveal before HBO could announce it.
Filming in Toronto, Jay got bored. He went to the CN Tower, took a selfie, and posted it to Instagram with the caption “Drake’s House.” He was referencing Drake, the rapper. Canadian icon.
The internet lost its mind. Fans thought he was dropping a coded message that he was playing Tim Drake. Jay panicked. He hadn’t even realized the double meaning. He spent the next few hours sweating, convinced he’d breached his NDA and lost the role of a lifetime over a terrible dad joke. HBO, thankfully, let it slide. The accidental tease just made the hype louder.
How Did He Handle the Cancellation of “The Bastard Son”?
If Titans was the breakout, Netflix’s The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself should have been the empire builder. Jay played the lead, Nathan Byrne.
The show was good. Really good. It was gritty, bloody, and featured a queer romance that fans actually rallied behind. Jay’s performance was raw—a mix of rage and tenderness that proved he could carry a series on his back.
Then Netflix killed it. One season.
That crushes young actors. Jay has been open about the hurt. He spent six months freezing in the British countryside, covered in fake blood and syrup, pouring everything into Nathan Byrne. To have it cut short is a grief you don’t get over instantly.
But he handled it with class. He didn’t go bitter online. He engaged with the “witch army” fanbase, acknowledged the loss, and moved on. It was a harsh lesson in the volatility of streaming, but he walked away with his reputation intact.
What Was It Like Working with Cillian Murphy in “Steve”?
Cut to late 2024. Jay is in the big leagues now. He’s starring in the Netflix film Steve alongside Cillian Murphy.
Jay plays a troubled young man, a role demanding serious emotional weight. Working opposite the guy who just won an Oscar for Oppenheimer is intimidating, but Jay found a weird, funny connection.
He’s gushed in interviews about Murphy’s intensity, specifically those eyes. He described a workshop moment where he looked into Murphy’s eyes and felt like he was under a spell. “Ocean eyes, man. For real,” he told reporters.
Jokes aside, Murphy became a protector on set. The film deals with heavy mental health themes. Murphy and director Tim Mielants made sure Jay felt safe enough to go to those dark places without getting lost. It was a mentorship that proved Jay belongs in that tier of talent.
Why Do Directors Keep Casting Him as “The Vulnerable Rebel”?
There’s a thread running through Jay’s work. Tim Drake, the gang member in The Batman, Nathan in The Bastard Son—they’re all tough on the outside, screaming on the inside.
Directors love his face. It’s expressive. He has an ability to convey a lifetime of damage with a single look. Jay credits this to his willingness to actually feel it. He isn’t afraid to look weak.
- Vulnerability is Strength: Jay thinks real masculinity in acting is showing the cracks, not just the muscle.
- The “Face” Factor: He jokes about his “baby face.” It lets him play teenagers even as he pushes into his late 20s, giving him the emotional maturity of an adult with the look of a kid.
What Are His “Variety 10 Actors to Watch” Ambitions?
In 2025, Variety put him on their “10 Actors to Watch” list. That’s the list Timothée Chalamet and Lupita Nyong’o were on. It’s the industry saying, “Pay attention.”
Jay isn’t coasting. He wants it all. He’s learning guitar, writing songs, and looking into producing. He’s got a role in the Peaky Blinders movie, which cements his status with that creative team. He is moving from “rising star” to “established talent” faster than most.
How Does Jay Lycurgo Stay Grounded?
Despite the red carpets, Jay is surprisingly normal. He still calls his mum his “heart.” He talks about his dad’s football days with pride, not jealousy.
He’s also loud about mental health. He talks openly about the anxiety of the job—the waiting, the imposter syndrome, the fear that the phone will stop ringing. By voicing that, he makes himself relatable to every young creative freaking out about their future.
He’ll wear the designer suit, but you get the sense he’d still rather be eating a peanut butter sandwich and playing FIFA with his mates.
What is Next for the Boy from Croydon?
Looking at the rest of 2025, the schedule is full. With I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning coming up, he’s tackling grittier, independent cinema. He’s dodged the trap of being “just” a superhero actor. He’s done the capes, done the magic, and now he’s doing the human stuff.
Jay Lycurgo’s story isn’t a straight line. It’s a zigzag from football pitches to detention halls, from failed auditions to global franchises. He’s proof that sometimes, getting rejected from your dream school—or realizing you’re a fake footballer—is the best thing that can happen to you.
The boy who just wanted to play ball is now one of the most exciting players in Hollywood. And he’s only just kicking off.
Read more about Jay Lycurgo’s rise in this Variety feature.
FAQs – Jay Lycurgo
Why did Jay Lycurgo face challenges during his drama school years, and how did he overcome them?
Jay struggled with discipline and understanding the craft during his first year at ArtsEd, treating acting like a hobby and neglecting the seriousness required. The turning point was his involvement in a Shakespeare play in his second year, which taught him the importance of craft and vulnerability. He then committed to doing the work, ultimately graduating in 2019 as a polished actor ready for professional roles.
How did Jay Lycurgo’s prawn cocktail crisps incident influence his career?
The incident where Jay was caught eating prawn cocktail crisps in detention became a turning point because it led to the call informing him he was accepted into ArtsEd. This moment transformed from a minor misstep into the start of his acting journey, emphasizing how unexpected events can redirect life toward new opportunities.
What is significant about Jay Lycurgo’s casting as Tim Drake in ‘Titans’?
Jay Lycurgo’s casting as Tim Drake was historic because he is the first actor of mixed heritage to portray the character in live-action. His portrayal brought a relatable, street-smart edge to the classic detective Robin, resonating with Gen Z audiences and adding depth to the character.
What are Jay Lycurgo’s future ambitions in the entertainment industry?
Jay Lycurgo aims to continue expanding his acting portfolio, aiming for a mix of mainstream and independent films. He’s also exploring musical interests like guitar and songwriting, and looking into producing work. Recognized as a rising star on Variety’s ’10 Actors to Watch’ list, he is determined to evolve from a rising talent to an established actor with a diverse career.
