Where You've Seen Jamie Campbell Bower Before
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)
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London-born Jamie Campbell Bower spent his younger years as a member of the National Youth Music Theatre and the National Youth Theatre. When he was in his late teens, he made his big screen debut in Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” starring alongside Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman. Bower showed off both his vocal and acting talents as Anthony Hope, the young sailor who lets the titular Todd board his ship to London. Anthony sees the beautiful Johanna sitting in a window and instantly falls in love. He vows to free her so they can be together - which proves difficult, as she’s the ward of the evil Judge Turpin.
Early Film & Television Roles (2008-09)
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Bower continued acting and making music, including the one-hour dramedy on the BBC “The Dinner Party.” He also had a brief but memorable part as Rocker in Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla.” In the Dutch war film “Winter in Wartime,” Bower starred as a British airman who crashes in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. But it was his work in the 2009 remake of the 1960s British series “The Prisoner,” where more people took notice of his rising talent. The young actor got to play Number 11-12, the brooding son of Sir Ian McKellen’s Two. Bower rose to the occasion of the emotionally charged role, brilliantly leading one of the show’s most intense storylines.
“The Twilight Saga” (2008-12)
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Jamie Campbell Bower has admitted his desire to play Edward Cullen in “Twilight.” Of course, the role went to fellow Brit Robert Pattinson. However, Bower still found himself in the franchise, making his first appearance as Caius Volturi in the 2009 sequel “New Moon.” Caius is one-third of the ancient leaders of the Volturi, a character described as the most ruthless of the vampiric coven. Though he doesn’t possess psychic powers, the quiet and cunning vampire is still an intimidating presence, known for his draconian methods of punishment. Caius and the Volturi returned in “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” for a post-credits scene. And in “Part 2,” they traveled to Forks, ready to kill Bella and Edward’s child, Renesmee.
Magical Worlds (2010-11)
In 2010, Bower traded in his fangs for a wand and joined the Wizarding World for the first “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” installment. The actor had a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as a young Gellert Grindelwald. We catch glimpses of him in photos, and one scene when he’s leaping out a window after stealing the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch. It’s very little screen time, but with a reputation almost as infamous as Voldemort’s, seeing the dark wizard still makes an impact. Bower then appeared in the iconic role of King Arthur in the short-lived series “Camelot.” This dark take on the classic tale follows Arthur as he becomes king, when he was just a teenage commoner thrown into an unknown world. There is, of course, the love story between Arthur and Guinevere, but the series features plenty of bloodshed and impressive fight scenes, many of which Bower did himself. His performance as the young, impulsive charmer made this an Arthurian legend for the modern ages and proved he’s worthy of leading man status.
“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (2013)
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JCB joined his third YA fantasy franchise, starring as Jace, the half-human, half-angel shadowhunter in 2013’s “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.” Based on Cassandra Clare’s best-selling book series, the story follows Clary Fray as she discovers her true heritage and comes across a slew of supernatural creatures while trying to save her mother’s life. Bower’s Jace is there to help her and naturally, the two end up falling in love. The skilled demon slayer is moody and sarcastic, which stems from his complicated past. Like in “Camelot,” Bower underwent extensive training and did the majority of his own stunt work. The film grew Bower’s following but unfortunately, it didn’t do too well at the box office. The planned sequel based on “City of Ashes” was scrapped and the franchise moved to the small screen with a new cast.
Music, Theater, & Rockstar Playwrights (2015-20)
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With a music manager mother and a father who worked for Gibson Guitars, it’s no surprise that Bower is a gifted musician. After being in The Darling Buds, Bower was the lead vocalist and guitarist for the British punk rock band Counterfeit from 2015, until the band called it quits in November 2020. He has since put out solo tracks. Also in 2015, he tapped into his musical theater background and joined the West End production of “Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical” as Joe. In 2017, he stepped into the role of Elizabethan playwright Christopher “Kit” Marlowe in the drama series “Will,” about the fictional life of young William Shakespeare. Marlowe is devilishly charming, seductive, and knows how to command a stage, much like Bower himself. In their tension-filled scenes, Marlowe pushes Will to be as indulgent and daring as he is. Sadly, the captivating series only had one season.
Wizards & Westeros (2018-19)
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Eight years after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” Bower reprised his role as a young Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” He got a little more screen time this go-around. But we can’t help but wonder how incredible he’d be in a longer scene with actual dialogue. In 2019, it was announced that one of the many “Game of Thrones” prequels began filming. And though details on his character were never released, our own JCB was actually a part of the ensemble cast led by Naomi Watts. However, the untitled series was ultimately canceled after filming a very expensive pilot, and plans for that particular prequel were scrapped completely.
“Stranger Things” (2016-) & Beyond
Despite his impressive 15-year career, some may only know Jamie Campbell Bower from his 2022 role, or roles, on the long-awaited fourth season of “Stranger Things.” As the “Friendly Orderly” Peter Ballard, Bower is creepy yet kind to Eleven, offering her comfort after she’s mistreated by her fellow lab subjects. In one of the many epic monologues the actor delivered, it’s revealed that Peter is actually Henry Creel, One, and Vecna. Bower was dedicated to preparing for the complex role, creating a mood board and everything. But that’s not the only impressive feat he accomplished. It took about 7-8 hours a day for Bower to transform into the lich-like creature. That’s right, it’s really him performing underneath the heavy prosthetics. He also created the deep, growling voice for Vecna, too. Fans should be excited for his next horror project “True Haunting,” which is inspired by a true story. However, the big question on everyone’s mind is — Will Vecna return for the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things”? Nothing has been confirmed yet. But given the state he left Hawkins in at the end of season 4, it doesn’t look like his reign of terror is over.
