'Billy Elliot' Star Courted for Roles
Jan. 11 -- As film buffs begin feverishly debating which movies will score the year's coveted Oscar nominations, one thing is for certain: With or without a nod from the Academy, Billy Elliot stands out as one of 2000's biggest success stories.
The $4 million British film, about a young boy who makes the unpopular choice of ditching boxing classes to learn ballet, has melted the heart of Hollywood and jolted the American box office.
"It's a little bit overwhelming — I mean this whole year has been a bit of a roller coaster," Billy star Jamie Bell told PrimeTime Thursday's John Quiñones.
Bell's personal story mirrors that of the character he plays. They are both from northern England, where the men once proved their masculinity by pulling coal from the ground. Against this gray industrial backdrop, these boys grew up dancing.
Russell Crowe is among Bell's new fans. The two met up in Los Angeles over the holidays. The 14-year-old newcomer was thrilled to receive compliments from the Australian actor.
"It's Russell Crowe and he doesn't have to do anything cause he's got millions and he's going out with Meg [Ryan] and he's him and he's Gladiator, so he doesn't need to do anything. But then he came up to little old me and he said 'Oh, good day, Merry Christmas, good film, congratulations,'" said Bell.
Bell remembers a time when praise was hard to come by. As a kid, he was teased for taking ballet lessons. "They kind of called me 'poof' [homosexual] and they kind of told me I shouldn't be doing it. 'Ballerina boy' and stuff like that. 'Tutu girl.'"
‘A Wonderful Natural Sense’
Instead of fending off snide remarks, now the teen is being fought over for movie roles, including possible offers with Disney and other studios.
He says the money in such a picture would be "a little bit better" than his first outing in Billy Elliot. Still, he's already saved up what he needs to buy a house for his mom, who raised him on her own. When he was 6, she inadvertently helped him discover his love for dance when she asked him to go with his sister to her dance class because she could not afford a baby sitter for him.
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