Andrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He rose to prominence for his debut role in Billy Elliot (2000), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming one of the youngest winners of the award. He is also known for his leading roles as Tintin in The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and as Ben Grimm / Thing in Fantastic Four (2015).
Bell at the 2019 Berlinale
Billy Elliot is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy who discovers a passion for ballet. His father objects, based on negative stereotypes of male ballet dancers. The film stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, Gary Lewis as his father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher.
US theatrical release poster
Terraced homes on Avon Street, Easington Colliery, were used for filming, where Andrew and Alnwick Streets once stood.
Jamie Bell (pictured in 2015) received acclaim for his performance as Billy.
Advertisement for the Billy Elliot musical on a lorry in London