Jay Lycurgo for Issue 19

Autumn hangs heavy in the air–a season for slowing down and letting things sink in. For native Londoner Jay Lycurgo, it’s a fitting backdrop. He’s at a momentous point in his career, one that invites both reflection and gratitude. Jay is one to choose his words carefully, and while he can't describe himself as "rested," he can certainly describe himself as "grateful," with a wide smile across his face. Our conversation drifts between what’s propelled him forward and what keeps him grounded. Play and instinct are a throughline–a balance that’s shaped not just his choices as an actor, but how he moves through life. You have to “free fall,” he says. Well, trusting his gut has gotten him this far: his face is now plastered on a poster beside Cillian Murphy’s for his breakout role in Steve.

Steve was challenging to make, and at times, even harder to talk about, given its subject matter. But Shy was a role Jay felt he had to take on. It felt personal, almost inevitable. Shy is a struggling student at a reform-unit school run by Cillian Murphy’s character, mirroring Jay’s own father’s workplace. To play him, Jay tapped into memories of his own past struggles and speaks candidly about them. The result: a performance that trades cliché for compassion–one that devastates, disarms, and runs the gamut of emotion and feels deeply, universally human. Jay laughs about being a “bad student” at school, remembering the teachers who scolded him, only to end up shaping him. Maybe being a bad student is how you get noticed, how you start your story, or at least make it a better one. Jay has our attention.

Steve is now streaming on Netflix.

Take in the full 18-page story beyond this teaser. Our brand new Autumn Winter 2025 issue, "To Be Human" is available to buy online.