Jamie Bell
Jamie Bell
Andrew James Matfin Bell is an English actor and dancer who rose to prominence for his debut role in Billy Elliotfor which he won the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He is also known for his roles in the films King Kong, Jumper, The Adventures of Tintin, and Snowpiercer, as well as starring as Abraham Woodhull in the TV series, Turn: Washington's Spies. He portrayed The Thing in the 2015 film Fantastic Four...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth14 March 1986
CityBillingham, England
It's hard to define somebody by one movie. I mean, unfortunately, my entire life was basically made by Billy Elliot. It was kind of created by that one catalytic moment.
I think a mantra I always told myself is, "No matter how many times somebody pitches the ball at you, if you swing every time, eventually one of them is going to connect." Being yourself and persistence are two things that became my daily mantras, I suppose.
Saying "muff" to someone and trying to be romantic is incredibly difficult.
The reason I do small, independent movies is because I want to keep my soul intact and maintain some kind of integrity within this industry.
Any time you can completely immerse yourself in something it's fun.
I love anything that kind of removes me from myself and employs something else. So, I love accents and I love pretending.
New York is great for people watching and there's a bunch of amazing rooftops.
I have a problem with heights in general - and climbing!
It's weird how an actor can read a script and think 'it's really good, it's really funny, that's going to be really dramatic...' and then you get there and say: "Oh, I have to get in it? I have to get in the water?! Are you kidding?"
I never realised that the Edinburgh skyline was so interesting - it's gothic and very urban and there's a lot of church spires and old brownstone buildings.
That's just a much more enjoyable and motivating experience for me, when I can see people who are just as obsessed with the idea as I am.
I think I have much more appreciation for directing and movies overall versus a performance or an actor. Their body of work is more interesting.
Sometimes great things come from doing things quickly and not over-thinking stuff.
Let's say that you commit a crime, you get caught, you might get sent to prison. It's going to be bad. But if you get caught spying, you're literally hanged the next morning.