EMERGING from the shadow of a wild and mega-famous dad cannot be easy.
Some repeat their parent’s debauchery, others grab on to the coat-tails of
their success.
Duncan Jones — the son of David Bowie, one of the most influential rock stars
in history — might just be the coolest of them all.
Duncan, 39, initially known as Zowie Bowie, was so scared of fame he initially
wanted to be a philosophy teacher.
It was only later in life he turned to film and is now one of Hollywood’s
hottest directors.
This weekend his latest movie Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, opened to
rave reviews.
Last year he won the Outstanding Debut Bafta for his critically acclaimed
sci-fi drama Moon.
Down-to-earth Duncan said: “It took me a very long time to work out who I was
and what I wanted to do with my life.
“I kind of fought my own creative nature for a long time, hoping if I stuck
with university long enough I would come to terms with becoming a philosophy
teacher.
“I was two-and-a-half years into my PhD when I realised I couldn’t hack it any
more. I didn’t finish it.” He was terrified about going into the
entertainment industry because he had seen the pitfalls.
Dad David caused outrage in the Seventies with his fondness for sex, drugs
and rock’n’roll.
Bowie famously declared himself bisexual and had more than one period of heavy
drug use, particularly cocaine, while living in Los Angeles, Berlin and New
York. He also used to smoke up to 80 cigarettes a day.
The glam rocker met Duncan’s mum Angie in 1969 because they were sleeping with
the same man. Angie — who Duncan no longer has a relationship with — also
went on to develop drug problems.
Duncan said: “What people choose to do in their formative years is none of my
business and it doesn’t change the father I know.
“I just remember a lovely, smart man who tried to introduce me to the things
he was interested in. I had a personal lesson in being able to see what my
father had to go through with fame. It’s not all great, having people
constantly follow you about.
“I thought the safe option was to stay in academia.”
Although Duncan has never used drugs, he did become a big boozer when he
worked in advertising after studying philosophy.
He said: “I never got into drugs but I drank. Advertising culture was
alcohol-led, rolling in the gutter. I stopped drinking five years ago. I got
fed up with the hangovers.”
Ironically, it is now Bowie junior who is more in the public eye.
In recent years David has retired from the spotlight after suffering heart
problems which resulted in emergency surgery in 2004.
The illness brought him and Duncan closer together.
Duncan said: “He’s always been so virile and healthy, it was a shocker.
“We both made the important decision to shape up a bit. I think we took our
relationship for granted and it brought us closer.”
The common thread between Duncan’s two films is a confusion over identity,
which clearly intrigues him. And there has been confusion about Duncan’s own
identity. Is he Duncan or Zowie, or even Joe, as he called himself in school?
Unravelling his various titles, Duncan said: “Bowie was a stage name for my
dad, it was never my name.
“No one in my family ever called me Zowie — Zowie was a middle name, Jones was
my last name and Duncan was always my first name.”
He credits his dad with getting him interested in movies.
David acted in several films, including The Man Who Fell To Earth and
Labyrinth.
Duncan said: “It was always there when I was growing up. I had the chance to
go on amazing film sets.”
After dropping out of his philosophy course at Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, US, Duncan went to the London Film School and started making
low-budget music videos.
Later he worked in ad campaigns for products such as French Connection and
McCain’s Oven Chips.
But Duncan was never tempted to create a music video for his father.
He wanted to make his own way, saying: “No, no. I was trying to find a way to
build a career based on the work I was doing.
“I am proud of the work I have done so far but I feel I have a long way to
go with what I have to offer.”