For Whom The Bell Tolls

Little Billy Elliot is all grown up. Now 25, Jamie Bell not only sports the thick-framed glasses and artfully dishevelled ‘do of an unapologetic hipster – he also has the self-possessed air of a seasoned thesp. And he’s earned it. Landing his first starring role at age 13, Bell has now been acting for half his lifetime, and boasts a filmography that actors twice his age would be jealous of. Having worked with directors such as Clint Eastwood and Peter Jackson, one would think the young actor is beyond intimidation. But speaking of his leading role in Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures Of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn, Bell has the awe-struck air of a little boy whose dreams have come true.

“There are very few adjectives left to describe what it’s like working with Steven Spielberg,” he gushes. “He’s a great visual auteur. What I love about Steven is that he has a direct link to nostalgia, the idea of nostalgia – he just blows the door wide open to the enjoyment of youth, the exuberance of youth. I’m majorly nostalgic about Tintin and those kinds of things. The chance to get to work with him on this was great. Not to mention the fruition of one of my own childhood dreams – I was eight when I saw Jurassic Park and I remember seeing Steven’s name at the end. I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to remember that name, because he’s done something to me here, something very important.’ And now I’m working with him. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
Though the old adage that states you should never meet your idols doesn’t seem to have been a problem for Bell, he admits that taking on the role of such an iconic character was a daunting prospect. However he’s aware that the character’s history is not exactly without blemish. Artist Herge’s work has been widely criticised for its racial stereotyping and colonialist leanings. Bell is refreshingly balanced on the subject, acknowledging the issue without preaching about political correctness.
“We have to be aware of the times and the societal structure and that. It’s unfortunate that there was an uneducated ignorance which we kind of have to forgive, because of the era. I’m not saying it’s right, that certain people were portrayed like that, at all... I think we do have to acknowledge that, and in doing so it’s a good sign that we’ve progressed.”
Personal progression is also on Bell’s mind. His desire to connect to his character’s mindset has been a driving force behind his choice of projects, ever since his breakthrough performance in Billy Elliot, which he asserts “wasn’t really acting, it was just my life”.
His role as a lonely, ballet-dancing boy from a rough industrial town not only drew distinct parallels to his own experiences growing up. It moreover became the first in a series of coming-of-age stories in which he starred. The actor admits that connecting with his characters allows him to work through some of his own personal issues on-screen.
“Young distress is something I understand. I love that side of things. There’s something about that side of things that really interests me. It’s energetic, the emotions are much more surface level. It’s much more intense. It’s vital and immediate, and I really like those kinds of characters. When you’re dealing with those things yourself and there’s a personal resonance it’s easier. For example, Hallam Foe was a lot to do with struggling with sexuality – not even sexuality per se, more even the idea of what the primal instinct or urge is. It was also about struggling with guilt and shame and anger, and the disconnect between the understanding of feelings between parents and children. Show me a child who doesn’t understand that, who doesn’t connect to that. So for me, it’s a great opportunity to speak to some young people or to exorcise my own demons surrounding that.”
The origin of these “demons” isn’t difficult to guess. Bell’s father left his family before Jamie was born, and though Bell denies that it’s impacted negatively on his life, this theme of orphanhood, of loss and longing, has become a constant in his work.
“There’s definitely a reason all my characters are orphans,” he muses. “I don’t think I’ve ever played a character with solid parents. In Jane Eyre, St. John’s father has just died. In The Eagle my character’s parents were murdered, Tintin doesn’t have parents. It’s not intentional. I’ll just be reading and think, ‘Oh, parents are dead – thought so!’ It’s weird. I mean, I love my mother and we have a great relationship. It just seems that when it comes to parental issues, art does imitate life.”
He pauses. “Which all sounds very serious. Tintin and I also both have little white dogs. So you know, it’s not all misery. Promise!”

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn is in cinemas from October 24.