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James Metcalfe Campbell Bower[4] (born 22 November 1988) is an English actor and singer. He made his feature film debut in 2007 with a supporting role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He went on to feature in The Twilight Saga (2009–2012) and as the young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). Bower was part of the main casts of the fantasy series Camelot (2011) on Starz and Will (2017) on TNT.
Jamie Campbell Bower | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Campbell Bower in 2022 | |
| Born | James Metcalfe Campbell Bower 22 November 1988 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Partner(s) | Bonnie Wright (2009–2012) Lily Collins (2012–2018) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | BloodMagic |
| Formerly of | COUNTERFEIT. |
From 2015 to 2020, he was the frontman of the London-based band Counterfeit. In 2020 he started releasing music as a solo artist. In 2022, Bower featured as Henry Creel / Vecna in the fourth season of the Netflix fantasy series Stranger Things, for which he received critical acclaim.[5][6]
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Bower was born in London.[7] His mother Anne Elizabeth Roseberry (b. 28 June 1954) is a music manager and his father David Bower works for the Gibson Guitar Corporation.[8][9] His maternal great-great-great-great-grandfather was Sir John Campbell, of Airds, Lieutenant Governor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[10]
Bower has had an interest in music and performance from a young age. He started playing the violin as a child, and was taught using the Suzuki method.[11] He attended Bedales School, a co-educational independent school in Hampshire, and is a former member of the National Youth Music Theatre and the National Youth Theatre.[7]
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Acting career
Bower began his professional career when his friend Laura Michelle Kelly recommended him to her agent. In 2007, he co-starred as Anthony Hope in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.[12] In 2008, he played Rocker in the film RocknRolla and Jack in Winter in Wartime.[13] In 2009, he starred in the 2009 remake of the series The Prisoner as Number 11–12.[14]
Also in 2009, he played the vampire Caius Volturi in the film The Twilight Saga: New Moon and both Twilight: Breaking Dawn films.[15] He appeared as a young Gellert Grindelwald (the dark wizard defeated by Albus Dumbledore) in the 2010 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1; he reprised this role in the 2018 film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. He played King Arthur in the 2011 television series Camelot.[16] In 2010, he starred in the music video for Young (Belane) by The Xcerts.
In 2012, Bower appeared in the music video for Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine. He played Jace Wayland in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the 2013 film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare.
In June 2015, Bower began playing the role of Joe in the West End musical Bend It Like Beckham.
In July 2017, he was on the TNT original series Will. He played the role of the poet, gay atheist and spy Christopher Marlowe who was jealous of Shakespeare.[17] Christopher Marlowe is preoccupied with death, the supernatural and the occult.[18] Bower explained that the series delves into Marlowe's life and refers him as a naughty boy.[19]
In January 2019, Bower was announced as a star in the prelude series to Game of Thrones, titled Bloodmoon (also known as The Long Night), but HBO announced it had decided not to make the series in October 2019. He starred in the 2019 film Six Days of Sistine, distributed by Mbur Indie Film Distributor and co-starring Elarica Johnson. Since 2015, Bower has voiced Skiff in the Thomas & Friends franchise, having contributed to the television show, two home videos, and the feature film Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
In 2022, Bower starred as Henry Creel / One / Vecna in season four of the Netflix series Stranger Things. Makeup for the role took up to eight hours a day to apply.[20] His performance in the series garnered critical acclaim.[21][5][6]
Music career
Originally, Bower was the lead singer of the band The Darling Buds, which never released an album and that dissolved in June 2015.[22][23] Then, Bower became the frontman and singer for the band Counterfeit, which released its first album in March 2017, and had a US tour in the same year. In November 2020, Bower announced the band's split through their Instagram page. He released music as a solo artist shortly after.[24] When Counterfeit disbanded, Bower said he felt sadness and grief. He also said that he likes writing country songs because of the structure of it. He stated: "As far back as I can remember, whenever I picked up a microphone, it was harder for me to sing wholly in a British accent than to just wail away and drop my T’s or bend notes so it almost sounds American".[25] He also said that he would like to create a musical project inspired by the Divine Comedy, especially by the Inferno.[26] Bower is a baritone.[2] On April 1, 2024 he announced the creation and his personal participation in a new music band BloodMagic, while deleting all of his photos from his Instagram account and creating a new additional one, named according new band, BloodMagic with musician, drummer Kyle Adams.[27][28][29]
Musical influences
During his career Bower has often talked about his musical influences. In a 2019 interview he told that some artists who influenced his career are Placebo, Deftones, Blur, Oasis and Marilyn Manson.[30] In a 2022 interview he said that his greatest inspiration during his solo career are The Cure, especially their album Pornography, and also black metal artists such as Sunn O))), Mayhem, Darkthrone and Carpathian Forest, especially when preparing for his role in Stranger Things as Vecna.[31][32]
Modelling career
At the beginning of his career he was a part-time model with Select Model Management in London.[12] Afterwards, Bower has posed and has been testimonial for various fashion brands: in December 2013, he joined the cast of Burberry's Campaign Stars for spring/summer 2014,[33] in 2016 he posed for Dolce & Gabbana[34] and Dior,[35] in 2017 he parared for Hugo Boss’s Fall/Winter 2017 Campaign,[36] in 2018 he portrayed for Fendi,[37][38] and in a photoshoot for Flaunt Magazine in the same year he posed with model Erika Linder,[39][40] and in february 2024 during the Milan Fashion Week he paraded for Tom Ford.[41] Bower is also testimonial for Saint Laurent.[42]
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Bower is currently based in Los Angeles.[43] He has a younger brother, Sam, born in 1994, who was with him in COUNTERFEIT.[44] Bower has a mild form of dyslexia.[45][46]
In February 2010, Bower was confirmed to be dating actress Bonnie Wright, whom he had met on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In April 2011, they confirmed their engagement.[47] On 30 June 2012, they amicably ended their engagement.[48] From 2012 to 2018, he was in an on-off relationship with actress Lily Collins.[49]
Health
“12 and a half years ago I was in active addiction. Hurting myself and those around me who I loved the most. It got so bad that eventually I ended up in a hospital for mental health. I am now 7 1/2 years clean and sober. I have made many mistakes in my life”[50]
“But each day is a chance to start again. Atone for mistakes and grow. For anyone who wakes up thinking “oh god not again” I promise you there’s a way. I’m so grateful to be where I am, I’m so grateful to be sober. I’m so grateful to be. Remember, we are all works in progress J x”[51]
— Jamie Campbell Bower’s tweets about mental health, July 2022
Bower has several times opened up about his past struggles with alcoholism, drug abuse and mental health illnesses.[52] In 2019 he said about the recovery: “I’m in recovery, so one of the first things that they teach you when you’re in recovery is to be super honest about what it is that you’re feeling, like guilt, shame, fear, sadness, whatever it is, the most important thing is, and it’s the hardest thing to do, is just express exactly what it is that you’re feeling.” In the same year he published with Counterfeit the song It Gets Better about it.[53] Then, in July 2022, he shared on Twitter that in the past he was recovered in a mental health hospital for his addiction and he also talked about his sobriety, and many organizations involved in mental health, such as Turning Point and High Watch Recovery Center, praised Bower for his words;[54][55][56] and in September 2022 he said that he grew up with anxiety and that, when he got older, he needed alcohol to relieve fears and insecurities. He also stated that during his period of active addiction he suffered from spiritual malady, and that he never thought he would detox at 27.[57] In 2024, on March 5, again on Twitter, he celebrated nine years of sobriety,[58] and in July 2024, on his Tumblr profile, Bower said he had actually been totally sober since July 16, 2019.[59] Bower is a smoker.[43]
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Counterfeit discography
Solo discography
Singles
| Year | Released | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 December | "Paralysed" | Prologue (Live from the Alter) |
| 9 December | "Start the Fire" | ||
| 2022 | 14 April | "Crow" | Non-album singles |
| 27 May | "Run On" (feat. King Sugar) | ||
| "Devil In Me" | |||
| August 12 | "I Am" | ||
| 2023 | 20 October | "Heaven In Your Eyes" (feat. Tom Yankton & Mikey Demus) |
Non-album singles |
| 29 November | "Watch Em Burn" | ||
| "Wait For Me" |
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Anthony Hope | ||
| 2008 | RocknRolla | Rocker | ||
| Winter in Wartime | Jack | |||
| 2009 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Caius | ||
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Young Gellert Grindelwald | ||
| London Boulevard | Whiteboy | |||
| 2011 | Anonymous | Young Earl Oxford | ||
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 | Caius | |||
| 2012 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 | |||
| 2013 | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | Jace Wayland | ||
| 2015 | Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure | Skiff | Voice role | |
| 2016 | Caer | A man | Short film | [60] |
| 2018 | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Young Gellert Grindelwald | [61] | |
| 2019 | Six Days of Sistine | Jean-Baptiste | [62] | |
| 2024 | Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 | Caleb Sykes | [63] | |
| Witchboard | Alexander Babtiste | [64] | ||
| Emmanuelle | Sir John | [65] | ||
| TBA | True Haunting | Ed Becker | Post-production | [66] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Dinner Party | Douglas | Television film |
| 2009 | The Prisoner | 11–12 | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Camelot | King Arthur | 10 episodes |
| 2015–2020 | Thomas & Friends | Skiff | Voice; 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Will | Christopher Marlowe | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | Urban Myths | Mick Jagger | Episode: "Mick Jagger and Princess Margaret" |
| 2022–present | Stranger Things | Henry Creel / One / Vecna | Main role (seasons 4–5) |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Honk! | Royal National Theatre London, England |
[67] | |
| 2001 | The Dreaming | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, England |
[68] | |
| George Square Theatre London, England | ||||
| Edinburgh Fringe Festival Edinburgh, Scotland | ||||
| 2015 | Bend It Like Beckham | Joe | Phoenix Theatre London, England |
[69] |
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Xcerts | "Young (Belane)" | Fan | [70] |
| 2012 | Florence and the Machine | "Never Let Me Go" | Love interest | [71] |
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| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | National Movie Awards | One to Watch: Brits Going Global | Anonymous | Won | [72] |
| 2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Action | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | Nominated | [73] |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Villain in a Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [74] |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Villain | Nominated | [75] | ||
| Best Fight (shared with Millie Bobby Brown) | Nominated |
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