Jason Flemyng: local hero

Lock, Stock star – and south-west London enthusiast – Jason Flemyng tells  Vicky Smith why he’s backing a campaign to vote for the capital’s best pub

Above: Jason Flemyng at The Duchess

Actor Jason Flemyng’s feet are firmly on south London soil. Born and raised in Putney, he now lives in Clapham and part-owns The Duchess pub in Battersea. Having invested in the former Duchess of York – a run down pub with no punters and a breathtaking view of Battersea Power Station – with friends Josh Mills and Rachael Deacon, the trio have worked hard over the past year to help maintain the renamed, and revamped, Duchess’ status as a ‘proper local’.  So it’s
no great surprise that it was chosen as the launch venue for the Stella Artois Love
Your Local campaign: a competition to crown London’s best-loved local pub,
with Flemyng at the helm.
“The aim of the campaign is to make your local the pillar of the community,”
says Flemyng, who has played a key part in
 The Duchess’ popularity by running the weekly quiz and even serving behind the bar. Unfortunately, current commitments mean that he’s recently had to take more of a back seat: “At the moment I’m in the middle of filming for [ITV series] Primeval, meaning I’m working from 6am-8pm, which doesn’t leave much time for the pub!”
Aside from filming, Flemyng recently
tied the knot with long-term love Elly at an intimate ceremony in Italy earlier this year. The couple are blissfully happy and plan to continue to reside south of the river, where Flemyng has been all his life: “I was born in Putney and when I left home my mum got the compass out and drew a two-mile radius around our house on a map. I’ve stayed within it ever since!” And as for his favourite local pubs? “Places like [Battersea cocktail bar] Be At One used to be a Mecca for me, but I enjoy local pubs much more nowadays. The Eagle on Chatham Road is great – I like the owner, Dave – and I’m a fan of The Northcote and the Holy Drinker [on Northcote Road], too.”
But it is of course The Duchess that is closest to Flemyng’s heart, and he is ‘secretly’ hoping it will win. “It’s got everything you need in a local pub. It was never going to become a yuppie wine bar, and without the loyal locals, we’d never be where we are now. The Duchess’ feet are most firmly in the community.” Which is, he hopes, exactly where they will stay: “I think there’s a need for people to be able to knock next door and see if they’re neighbours are ok, and the local pub should be part of that community spirit.”
On the other side of the bar, Flemyng has a host of projects in the pipeline, both on and off screen. He runs a production company – Coracle – with fellow actor Dexter Fletcher, which he is keen to develop: “I feel the future lies in producing, as you’re never going to be in control as a foot soldier.” There’s also a trip to Moscow (filming) coming up, and latest movies Solomon Kane and fantasy drama
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
are out soon.
Then there’s the judging process, which takes place later in the year. The final ten pubs will be voted for by the public, before being scrutinised by the panel of judges, and Flemyng will be taking the challenge very seriously: “The campaign is about community and family, how well the pub is integrated into the local neighbourhood and how it can make a difference… anywhere with an entrance policy is in trouble!” We’ll drink to that…

The Duchess, 101 Battersea Park Road SW8 4DS