By Katerina Ralli, First Year, English and Philosophy
As the University of Bristol celebrates 150 years since opening its college doors in 1876, we can look back at some Bristol graduates with notable careers in the Film and Television industry. Aside from Simon Pegg who we all know as a Bristol graduate that went on to work with Edgar Wright and fight zombies, aliens, and a police chief who believes in ‘the greater good’, there are many others who might not immediately come to mind, but who have certainly made their mark in the industry.
Jason Isaacs (Law LLB)
After growing up in Liverpool, Jason Isaacs came to the University of Bristol to study Law. However, his passion turned instead to producing, directing, and appearing in many theatre productions as a student and at the National Student Theatre Festival and the Edinburgh Festival he received several awards. After graduating in 1985, he went on to attend the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Isaacs has had many notable roles, and for many of us he was quite a prominent villain in our childhood entertainment through his dual role of Captain Hook and Mr George Darling in P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan (2003). However, perhaps we best recognise him as the stern, very blond father of Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, whom he played from 2001 to 2011 in Harry Potter.
More recently, he starred in Season 3 of the HBO series, The White Lotus. His role as Timothy Ratliff, the patron of the Ratliff family facing looming financial collapse, earned him both an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination.
Emily Watson (English Literature BA)
Emily Watson was raised in London before attending Bristol to study English Literature and went on to apply for Drama school. She took a position at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992 and began her career doing stage work. Landing her first screen role as Bess McNeill in Breaking the Waves (1996), Watson was shortly after nominated for an Academy Award. She continued gaining success in Britain, but her first popular film in the United States was The Boxer (1997), where she played a love interest alongside Daniel Day-Lewis.
Emily Watson’s status as a leading actress in major productions was established in various roles, but most prominently while playing Lena Leonard in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love (2002). Most recently, she appeared in Hamnet (2025) directed by Chloé Zhao, as William Shakespeare’s mother.
Joe Alwyn (English Literature and Theatre BA)
Born in Kent and raised in London, Joseph Alwyn came to Bristol to Study English and Theatre, acting in two student productions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After graduating in 2012, he went on to study acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
In 2018, he played the supporting role of British nobleman Samuel Masham in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, alongside actors such as Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. The film won best ensemble in both the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards in 2018, and the 2019 Satellite Awards.
Joe Alwyn’s most recent role was as Bartholomew, Agnes’ brother, in Hamnet (2025).
Crystal Calo
Jamie Demetriou (Film, Television and Theatre BA)
Having grown up in North London (a biased choice on my part), Jamie Demetriou was born in Barnet, London, and attended Bristol to study Film, TV and Theatre. His student revue show ‘Bristol Revunions’ received critical acclaim from 2009 to 2011 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Since then, he has appeared in numerous comedy television shows as well as having written for many, including the Channel 4 sitcom Stath Lets Flats, which got him nominated for two BAFTA awards in 2019. The following year, he won a number of BAFTAs, such as Best Writer: Comedy, Male Performance in a Comedy Programme, and Best Scripted Comedy (as producer).
For those who have seen Fleabag (2016-2019), Demetriou is easily recognised as the awkward and humorous ‘Bus Rodent’, and he interestingly also voiced the pie mascot Moriarty in the 2018 animated film Sherlock Gnomes, alongside Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Johnny Depp, and Michael Caine.
Featured Image: Epigram / Sophie Maclaren
Do you know any other successful Bristol graduates in the Film & TV industry?
