Interview: Jamie Demetriou and his journey to Hollywood
In an interview, Jamie Demetrio discusses working with Greta Gerwig on Barbie, whether Stath Lets Flats will return, and his new movie, Back in Action.
(Credits: Far Out / Michael Shelford)
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Mon 20 January 2025 18:18, UK
Hollywood is deemed an unattainable dream for most and only accessible to the elite, not those raised under the grey skies of Zone 4. Seemingly outside of the realms of possibility, Jamie Demetriou didnât dream that big. The notion of him starring as Glenn Closeâs toyboy lover in a Netflix blockbuster alongside Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx seemed too far-fetched to envisage. In fact, despite being a Bafta winner and wrapping up on Back In Action two years ago, Demetriou still canât quite believe that he deservedly has earned a seat at the top table.
Demetriou emerged onto television screens as the loveable yet hapless titular estate agent in Stath Lets Flats in 2018. Despite being an unknown name, the show quickly achieved cult status, leading to two more series. Channel 4 showed faith in him, and he paid them back handsomely by making Stath Lets Flats one of the great success stories of British comedy in the last decade before Demetriou put the brakes on the project on his own terms in 2021.
In addition to catapulting Demetriou onto the silver screen, Stath Lets Flats also acted as a launching pad for other talents, including his sister Tash Demetriou, the star of What We Do In The Shadows, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who went on to star in Ghosts. They all came together as an ensemble to produce a comedy full of laughs, heart, and, most importantly, stupidity.
Since waving goodbye to Stath, Demetriou starred in the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty and released his debut Netflix comedy special, A Whole Lifetime. He also lent his comedic chops to Greta Gerwigâs Barbie, and his latest role is the naĂŻve yet loveable Nigel in Netflixâs latest big-budget movie, Back in Action. Meanwhile, upcoming projects include Noah Baumbachâs Jay Kelly. Itâs a growing CV that speaks of a huge talent the humble actor would probably prefer we all ignored.
Despite this, Demetriou has become incredibly in-demand, with his quick wit and deadpan delivery as sought after as any British comedian. While the glitz and glamour of Hollywood has a habit of inflating the humblest of heads, he isnât taking any of the ride for granted. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Demtriouâs education in acting was built on a two-pronged assault of sincere devotion to performance and a chance clerical error that landed him a place at Bristol University. âI had absolutely zero expectations for my life. Any moment before I started working in the industry professionally, I would have scoffed at the idea that it would work out for me,â Demetriou candidly admits during our conversation.
(Credits: Far Out / Michael Shelford)Despite his and his sisterâs success, Demetriou doesnât come from an acting dynasty but did have a vague link to musical royalty, adding with a smile, âI didnât know what it looked like for it to work out for me. I didnât know anyone. Iâd never met anyone or had any family friends in the business. My mum was acquainted with Tunde from The Lighthouse Family, but thatâs about as deep as it went.â
The struggle of the creative industry was apparent form the very start. After Stath Lets Flats aired an initial seven-minute short as part of their Comedy Blaps series in 2013, it took several years to become a fully fledged sitcom. When the opportunity came for his own television show, he recognised that the tough battle ahead needed a reliable army and brought those closest to him along for the ride by casting Tash, Ellie White, and Al Roberts, all friends heâd known since his days in Bristol. âI was so just convinced that they were the funniest people in the world at that time. I mean, itâd be stupid to mention a single person because itâs basically the entire cast that I was besotted with,â Demetriou reflects.
Viewing figures for the first episode of Stath Lets Flats were considerably less than Channel 4 typically earned during the timeslot. However, through word-of-mouth buzz and warm reviews, Stath Lets Flats grew a dedicated audience that only enhanced in size with every series. The positive critical reception helped the show succeed, too, with the programme scooping three Baftas in 2020, including âBest Scripted Comedyâ. Demetriou also personally won âBest Male Actor in a Comedyâ, acknowledging his growing place in the spotlight.
The acclaimed third series aired in 2021, with the final episode torching Stathâs world into flames. Due to the definitive nature of the finale, there are no current plans to revive Stath Lets Flats anytime soon, but Demetriou refuses to rule out a future return. âNever shut the door, but it wouldnât be the end of the world if I left it [the series alone]. Itâs about something being worthwhile, and if there is an idea that feels compelling,â he says. âI think thereâs a temptation a lot of the time to revisit these things in a moment of creative despair and wanting to kind of get back to a period of creative satisfaction. Youâve got to make sure thatâs not what youâre doing if you do it.â
(Credits: Far Out / Michael Shelford)Demetriou cites the recent Christmas special of Gavin and Stacey and Alan Partridge as perfect examples of beloved shows returning for the right reasons and entering new territory. Of his show, he says, âThe thing about those characters is Iâm interested in them and what they would be doing now; I think about them all the time.â While his brain âswells with potentialâ ideas whenever he catches up with the cast in a social setting, Demetriou maintains a return for Stath Lets Flats would have âto feel as though itâs growing, as opposed to regurgitating itselfâ.
Plans are also underway for a US development of Stath Lets Flats, which Demetriou describes as an âongoing conversationâ. Although it would likely be a very different kind of show, Demetriou believes the American cultural aspect is precisely what will make it work comedically, explaining, âThe stereotype of what a realtor is in America is unrecognisable from that in the UK, and the game of those flat tours is something that I wish every character comedian could get a chance at doing because theyâre the funniest thing in the world.â
As it was his baby, working on Stath Lets Flats was a considerably more hands-on experience than a typical acting role. However, Demetriou always seeks inspiration and remains committed to learning from others. Whether this was from Phoebe Waller-Bridge on Fleabag, whose relentless work ethic taught him âthereâs no moment to stop thinking about how to make something betterâ, or an upcoming appearance in the brand new Northern Irish sitcom Funboys, which he declared âwas as exciting to me as working with some of these big namesâ.
Names donât get any bigger than Barbie. It grossed over a billion dollars at the box office and, alongside Oppenheimer, placed cinema back at the top of the cultural conversation during the summer of 2023. The success of Barbie wasnât down to luck; it was due to the sheer creative force of director Greta Gerwig and star/producer Margot Robbie. Seeing Gerwig at work was powerful for Demetriou, who holds her in the highest regard. âI feel like she still has the same lust for art making as she did when she was making independent films, and being able to carry that across the kind of threshold with all the pressure and all the budgetary stuff and the bigger audience, I think is really exciting,â he gushes.
âThereâs nothing more exciting to me than the rare stuff that lives in the middle of the Venn diagram between big and good; itâs really, really difficult to strike that balance. The people doing it are the best,â he adds.
(Credits: Far Out / Michael Shelford)Demetriou, who shone in Barbie as a Mattel Executive, reunited with Gerwig on her husband Noah Boambachâs upcoming movie, Jay Kelly. The cast also includes Adam Sandler and George Clooney. While heâs âNDAâd through the teeth,â which prevents him from going into detail, Demetriou says, âSeeing what it is to be dedicated to quality on that level is really impressive.â
For Back In Action, now streaming on Netflix, Demetriou plays Nigel, the much younger lover of Glenn Closeâs Ginny. Notably, the comedy-spy thriller marks Cameron Diazâs first movie in a decade. Her character, Emily, and her husband, Jamie Foxxâs Matt, inadvertently get wrapped back into the world of espionage after 15 years of living a mundane yet peaceful suburban life raising children. While it takes a while for Nigel to be introduced to audiences, itâs worth the wait. Demetriou thrives in the role of the well-meaning idiot, who has a childlike nature similar to that of Stath despite their differences.
Itâs a movie that doesnât take itself too seriously and allows viewers to lose themselves in an entertaining blockbuster for two hours. Demetriou was hand-selected for Nigel and, therefore, wasnât required to audition, further proving his ascent. Yet, still, he felt like a competition winner when surrounded by A-listers, adding, âIt was incredible working with those people and even just for the stories alone that you got from them. I spent a lot of time with Glenn as I play her boyfriend in it, a lot of intimate time, and, the wealth of knowledge and wisdom in the industry is invaluable. Also, just being around that level of talent, seeing Jamie after cut just head straight over to the piano and perform something that I would probably sell something of mine to be able to afford tickets for didnât feel like work.â
When the offer unexpectedly came through, Demetriou admits it was âdefinitely a surprise,â continuing, âYou donât expect to see your name in among those names.â Even though the movie finished shooting two years ago, Demetriou half-jokingly admits that âyou feel like youâve been kind of copied and pasted into itâ whenever he sees a still from Back in Action or a press shot.
Demetriouâs imposter syndrome and disbelief at his success is a healthy problem to have. However, on the flip side, once filming begins, Demetriou treats every project with the same attitude, no matter the star power of his colleagues, stating, âYou donât want that feeling of being smaller than it to be anywhere near you. You want to approach it like you would a film for YouTube. Youâve just got to make sure youâre doing things that you stand by and make choices that you like and you think are funny.â
(Credits: Far Out / Michael Shelford)Fortunately, with Back in Action, director Seth Gordon recruited Demetriou for a reason, and âwas into me fucking about a bit and throwing in some linesâ. It was Nigelâs storyline that made Demetriou take up the offer without hesitation rather than the names that had already signed onto the project, adding, âThe conceit of the character being Glennâs boyfriend who wants to be seen as a granddad to children who are about 15 years younger than him was enough for me.â
Although Demetriouâs recent work has primarily involved him as an actor working for others, he is working on a âvariety of thingsâ himself but doesnât want to rush them forward. The famous difficult second album is a worry that Demetriou is wary of, noting, âIâve seen so many people start questioning themselves after theyâve made the first thing that feels like a truthful representation of what theyâre about.â He adds: âThe irony is you want to do something completely different because thatâs what creative growth is, but in doing that, youâre casting aside something that felt personal.â
Demetriouâs fondness for Stath Letâs Flats radiates from his voice whenever he talks about the show as if itâs his firstborn child. If he hadnât had this intense emotional attachment to the series, heâd likely have continued to make more episodes for as long as Channel 4 obliged, but itâs more sacred to him than a payday. Itâs also set a high bar for whatever follows next, which even Demetriou is unsure of, admitting, âIâm fascinated to see what my next project looks like, and Iâm in the process of trying to work it out.â
Demetriou muses about comedy with the respect it deserves as an art form; for him, itâs all-encompassing. He doesnât do the celebrity panel show circuit, host a podcast, or have a travel documentary with one of his parents. Refreshingly, Demetriou only cares about mastering his craft. Blockbuster projects such as Back In Action and Barbie could have caused him to lose sight of the comedic tendencies that secured him those roles in the first place. Instead, he has been invigorated creatively by learning from the best in the business, which has only fuelled his artistic desires further. Since winning three Baftas in 2020, Demetriouâs life has been a whirlwind, which is only now just starting to gather real pace; if he plays it right, it is the kind of tornado that will rip up his roots and leave him cemented into the fabric of Tinseltown. Weâre not at Stathâs anymore.
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