Part 1

Part 2

Biography:

A fresh-faced young British actor with phenomenal talent, Jamie Bell enjoyed critical praise for his debut performance in the delightful "Billy Elliot" (2000). An accomplished tap and ballet dancer since the age of six, Bell’s performance in “Elliot” earned him numerous awards including Britain’s coveted BAFTA award for Best Actor, a category in which he beat out fellow nominees Russell Crowe and Tom Hanks. Bell also appeared in the Charles Dickens adaptation, “Nicholas Nickleby” (2002), Peter Jackson’s blockbuster “King Kong” (2005), and the indie film, “The Chumscrubber” (2005). In 2006, Bell appeared in the Clint Eastwood-directed “Flags of Our Fathers” and was cast as Griffin in Doug Liman’s film adaptation of the book “Jumper” (2007).

Born March 14, 1986 in Billingham, England, Bell was raised in Billingham by his mother, Eileen Bell. Coming from a long line of dancers, Bell began to take dance lessons at the age of six after watching his mother and older sister Kathryn during dance recitals. He attended the Stagecoach Theatre School as a young boy and was also a member of the National Youth Music Theatre group. He later studied dance at London’s Royal School of Ballet. Bell made his theater debut in London’s West End production of “Bugsy Malone” at the age of twelve.

Beating out over 2,000 other young actors, Bell landed the career-breaking lead in the Stephen Daldry film, “Billy Elliot” (2000). After auditioning seven times for the role, it was clear that Bell was born to play the part of Elliot, as it mirrored Bell’s own upbringing. Set against the 1984 miner’s strike in Northern England, “Elliot” told the story of a young boy who became the protégé of a local ballet teacher and was constantly berated for his love of dance – something Bell had experienced in his own life. The youngster’s performance in “Elliot” instantly put the him in Hollywood’s spotlight and earned him numerous awards, including the 2000 British Independent Film Award for Best Newcomer and the 2001 BAFTA Award for Best Actor.

Bell went on to co-star in the 2002 film "Nicholas Nickleby," a feature based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens. Portraying the crippled servant Smike, Bell worked with a choreographer to perfect his character’s limp and crippled movements. Next, the young actor shifted gears to portray a young soldier in the WWI film “Deathwatch” (2002) and went on to master a southern accent in the drama “Undertow” (2004), in which he co-starred with Josh Lucas and Dermot Mulroney.

Continually proving to be a young leading player worth watching, Bell starred in the independent film “The Chumscrubber” in 2005, as well as the Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier collaboration, “Dear Wendy.” Bell also appeared in Peter Jackson’s remake of “King Kong” (2005) as a young seaman, and was featured in the Green Day music video "Wake Me Up When September Ends" opposite Evan Rachel Wood. After meeting Wood during the video shoot, the talented young pair began to date; they made their first public appearance as a couple at the premiere for Bell’s film “King Kong”.

In 2006, Bell filmed the WWII Clint Eastwood-directed drama, “Flags of Our Fathers” – a highly anticipated film which depicted the life stories of the six men who raised the flag at The Battle of Iwo Jima. Bell also filmed the feature “Hallam Foe” (2006) and was cast as Griffin in the film adaptation of Steven Gould’s book, “Jumper” (2007), directed by “The Bourne Identity” director, Doug Liman.

Facts:

Name: Jamie Bell

Height: 5' 7"

Sex: M

Nationality: British

Birth Date: March 14, 1986

Birth Place: Billingham, Stockton on Tees, England, UK

Profession: actor

Education: Stagecoach Theatre School   Royal Ballet School, London, England

Relationship: Evan Rachel Wood (actress; born on September 7, 1987; dated from 2005 through to late 2006)

Father: John Bell (divorced Jamie's mother before he was born)

Mother: Eileen Bell

Sister: Cathryn Bell (born in 1981)

Claim to fame: playing the title character in the film Billy Elliot (2000)