Cover Story: Jamie Bell
June 1, 2015
FANTASTIC MAN. Playing the thing in the upcoming Fantastic Four, Jamie Bell has come a long away from debuting in a drama movie fifteen years ago that beat Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks and several other heavy lifters for Best Actor at the Bafta Awards. DA MAN chats with the actor to find out more
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who loved ballet. His friends mocked him, called him names, but he persisted. Then one day, he was chosen from among thousands of other boys to play the role of a boy very much like himself: A boy who fell in love with dance in a world where boys were supposed to play sports. That role, as Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot, won that young boy, Jamie Bell, almost a dozen movie awards and paved the way for a long and illustrious acting career. So far, he has appeared in blockbuster action movies like King Kong and Jumper, hes lent his voice (and done motion-capture work) for animated features like The Adventures of Tintin, and now joins the ranks of A-list actors playing A-list superheroes.
DA MAN: Hi, Jamie. Thanks for taking time off your schedule for this interview. Now, obviously, the next big thing from you is the release of Fantastic Four. How do you think will audiences react to this new superhero flick?
Jamie Bell: Im really hoping people like the movie. People deserve a good movie and I really hope our hard work pays off. A lot of love went into it.
DA: Since youre playing Ben Grimm aka. The Thing, how long will you actually be on-screen before the CGI takes over?
JB: The film focuses on the four before their transformation as well as after. Its very much an origin for these characters.
DA: Speaking of special effects, what was it like working with motion-capture technology to portray a character thats essentially a huge walking rock?
JB: Mocap (Motion Capture) is a fantastic tool to use as an actor. It enables you to embody almost anything. In terms of approach, I approached this role no different to how I would approach any character.
DA: As with mostif not allnew superhero movies, theres a lot of debate about everything from the casting, how the movie relates to the source material and, naturally, costume design. Personally, what do you think about this new interpretation of the Fantastic Four?
JB: This is very much a standalone film. Its an origin tale. Its certainly much darker in tone, but in actuality, isnt that far away from the source material. It very much brings the Fantastic Four into the 21st century.
DA: The movie isnt out yet, but were already seeing plans for a sequel, slated for a 2017 release. Is there anything you can tell us about The Fantastic Four 2?
JB: Ive heard just about as much as you when it comes to the sequel.
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