Started dancing when he was six. Dancers have been in his family for ages. His sister, his mother, grandmother and aunt all danced before him.
First decided to act when he was nine.
First acting performance is reported to be part of the London stage production of Bugsy Malone in Christmas 1998.
Was teased by classmates when they found out that Jamie took ballet, and called him "Ballerina Boy".
When he won Best Actor at the 2001 British Academy Awards, not only did he beat the Best Actor Oscar winner of that year, Russell Crowe, but the other three nominees he beat out - Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas and Geoffrey Rush -- also had won the Best Actor Oscar in past years.
Lives in Billingham with his mother Eileen and older sister Cathryn. He has no contact with his father John whom his mother divorced before Jamie was born.
Was chosen out of 2000 boys to play Billy Elliot over a series of seven auditions. Criteria that the casting director was looking for were acting ability, dancing ability and the right Northern English accent.
Only the second actor ever to be awarded Outstanding Performance by a Young Actor from the National Board of Review, USA. The first was fellow Brit Christian Bale in 1987 (titled Outstanding Juvenile Performance then).
Prefers tap dancing over ballet. Has been in many tap-dancing competitions and won many awards.
Was Honorary Jury President of the 2001 Giffoni Film Festival.
A former student at the Stagecoach Theater School.
He became interested in baseball when he visited the United States for the first time, and he began collecting all of the teams jerseys.
Jamie Bell Detailed Biography -
Jamie Bell makes his professional debut in the leading role of Billy in Billy Elliot. Bell is a hot young newcomer whose own story ironically parallels that of his character. He began his dancing career at the age of six and was discovered after a search of over 2,000 children. Now, at the age of 13, he has built a reputation as a talent to watch - but only outside his hometown of Billingham, because like his character Billy, he has successfully hidden his dancing talents from all his classmates.
