Nathan Stewart-Jarrett: ‘When you’re Black and queer, you hope to move the needle just by being there’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett has a knack for inhabiting worlds that are at once stirring, complex, and completely captivating.

In Down Cemetery Road, the Apple TV thriller adapted from Mick Herron’s 2003 novel, he plays Downey, a man cloaked in secrecy and survival, navigating a suburban community shattered by a house explosion and the disappearance of a young child.

Starring alongside Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, the celebrated actor brings a quiet intensity to a character whose hidden depths slowly unravel across eight episodes. Though he’d already been cast before reading the book, the story left a lingering impression that made Downey feel both elusive and deeply personal.

Away from the small screen, he’s currently lighting up the West End stage as Jack Worthing in a vibrantly queer revival of The Importance of Being Earnest at the Noël Coward Theatre. Directed by Max Webster, Stewart-Jarrett describes stepping into the iconic role as both an honour and a chance to unlock the play’s long-hidden queer subtext in this interview with Attitude.

You play Downey in Down Cemetery Road. Can you talk to me about what exactly drew you to him as a character?

I think I’m probably always drawn to characters with these sequences – I’m always hiding something. There was something about that complexity and the huge depth of character, but with a real tragedy in the background, which as an actor you kind of relish carrying. I read the book while I was on holiday, and it just kept pounding in my head – I was like, “Oh my God, this is amazing.” And I’ve become a bit of an action nut in the last few years, so I got to run around, do stunts, and basically play. I was totally up for that.

When you read the book, was that before or after you’d been offered the role?

Unfortunately it wasn’t that much of a coincidence – I’d already been offered the part. I got the scripts for the first block, but there was nothing revealed about the character. Sometimes you want to be a naughty actor and just read the script, but I was like, “No, I have to read the book.”

You were a naughty actor?

No! Because it’s only in episode three or four that we really start to delve into him. I really needed to ground myself in those first two episodes where I didn’t have much to say, but I needed to know my full story. It was actually lovely – a kind of soft landing. I had a couple of months of discovery of this person without anyone putting a microscope on it.

You must have had so much FOMO in those first few episodes – not being able to speak, seeing everyone bonding…

It’s funny you say that because I didn’t get to know anyone for a little while. The crew is fixated on the scene, and I was always outside of it – literally 100 metres away, lurking. People were just like, “Okay.” If I didn’t need a prop, no one gave me anything. I’d just stand there out of focus for a few months. It was lonely and funny. I’d hear laughter and just have to stand there.

Did that bring any challenges, or was it actually a good thing that you grew into the role gradually?

I think it was a good thing. Downey’s life at that point is on the periphery, so it was probably really useful that I was slightly outside of things. He wants to be outside of things – that’s his form of survival. And when you’re playing a character like that, being the guy saying, “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Nathan,” isn’t actually helpful.

There are so many incredible actors in this series. Did you learn anything from any of them?

You’re constantly learning from different actors. I spent a lot of time with Ruth Wilson. She’s an amazing actress with this deft touch for comedy – the tone of the whole piece really lives in her performance. Watching her find levity with a look or a line was incredible. It’s that pendulum swing between the serious and the absurd. Ruth was key. We called it a sort of Bonnie and Clyde thing – just us on this arc.

How did you navigate Downey’s complex relationship with Ruth’s character Sarah?

For me, it felt like siblings – a love-hate thing that grew. They were protective of each other, teased each other, but shared this bond over something… which I can’t really say. But they both loved this one thing that’s very precious, and that gave them respect and trust.

You read the book before filming. How did you approach the material knowing the audience might already be familiar with it?

With any adaptation, you throw out what’s not useful and keep what is. You can’t feel the pressure of comparison – you have to believe in your version. This is our take, our adaptation. I’ve learned that from theatre too – you can’t carry the weight of what came before. The book helped me here, so I used it.

Were there any scenes that pushed you out of your comfort zone emotionally?

I always prepare for emotional scenes slowly – a few weeks of gradual build so I don’t peak too early. One of my favourite sequences was actually an action scene we filmed over Christmas – knocking out security guards to “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in my head. But with emotion, sometimes the smallest thing hits you on the day – a sigh, a word, another actor’s look. It’s not always about preparation.

British TV is still shaping how people see queer and Black stories. How do you feel your work contributes to that?

I think everywhere is still shaping, not just Britain. But British TV and theatre are doing really well. When you’re Black and queer, you hope to move the needle just by being there. Inclusivity moves things forward. These characters and stories do that simply by existing. I think of it like female directors being called “female directors” – I’m just doing the work, and that changes something innately.

What do you hope audiences take away from Down Cemetery Road?

Honestly, I’ve been bucking against that question! I just want people to be entertained. There are always things you hope people think about, but mostly I want them to sit down, escape, forget the electricity bill, and enjoy it. Escapism is the answer. Life can change in a second – this show explores that – but right now I think people need joy and distraction.

You’re now playing Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest. How does it feel stepping into such a sacred role?

Honestly, it felt scary. So many people have played Jack. There have only been two Black Jacks in professional English theatre history – one in the early 80s by Talawa Theatre Company, and me. Seeing that in perspective almost takes it out of yourself – it’s not about me. I just have to do it justice. It’s an honour, and it’s a really fun part.

Oscar Wilde wrote Earnest at a time when being gay could destroy a man’s life. Do you feel a connection to that history when performing it?

I think you always hold responsibility when performing a famous playwright’s work. We’re unlocking the queer-coded stuff and bringing it to the fore. The play was first performed five years before Wilde died, and he died in Paris – which is mentioned in the play. There’s something aligning there. I used to call our version “remixed”, but now I say “uncorked” because the queerness was always in there. We’re just letting it out. It’s about turning responsibility into celebration.

It’s been described as “outrageously camp, flamboyantly queer, ludicrously entertaining”. How does that tone influence your interpretation of Jack?

Max Webster, our director, never led us toward a straightforward reading. I probably wouldn’t know how to play it straight now! He’s really into physicality – I’m bounding around the stage, completely uncorked. It’s about giving ourselves licence to go far, be silly, and find joy.

How has it been working with such a queer, talented cast?

Amazing. They’re gorgeous people – funny, inventive, and open. It’s nice to be in something with meaning and message, but that’s also just really fun. We get to make mistakes, try new things, and keep it alive. If you see the show twice, it shouldn’t be the same both times. That’s what theatre should be.

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Episodes 1-4 of Down Cemetery Road are available to stream on Apple TV now.

The Importance of Being Earnest is playing at London’s Noël Coward Theatre until 10 January 2026.