Jamie Bell Reflects on His Role in Half Man
Jamie Bell’s starring role in Richard Gadd’s intense series Half Man marks a significant departure from his earlier work as Billy Elliot. The actor shares insights into the demanding nature of the shoot, including scenes involving explicit sexual content, and explains why these moments were sometimes a relief compared to lengthy dialogue sequences.
“Honestly, I was so grateful to be shooting that stuff and not fucking 16-page dialogue scenes, where you’re emoting and it’s so intense,”
“On days when my character had to have sex with random people, I’d think: ‘Thank God!’ Frankly, it came as a welcome reprieve.”
Half Man explores themes of toxic masculinity through the volatile relationship between two men, Niall and Ruben. Niall, portrayed by Bell, is a bookish, closeted man who has endured bullying, while Ruben, played by Richard Gadd, is a violent ex-con and the son of Niall’s mother’s girlfriend. The six-part drama, concluding next week, spans three decades of their complex and destructive bond.
The series is unflinching in its depiction of sex, violence, and emotional turmoil. Bell acknowledges the challenging nature of the production.
“It’s a brutal, beastly thing that Richard has created,”
“I’d be lying if I said it was easy or fun to make.”
The role of Niall was specifically written for Bell, a fact he only learned after initially reading the scripts.
“I didn’t realise that when I initially read the scripts,”
“But later, when I met Richard in Los Angeles to discuss it, he said he wrote it with me in mind. I was incredibly flattered … It’s a sensory experience reading Richard’s material. He truly takes you to those places in your own life. It probes experiences you’ve kept hidden away somewhere and chosen to forget.”
Initially, Gadd had not planned to play Ruben himself, but Bell encouraged him to take on the role despite its physical demands.
“When we first met, we didn’t know who was going to play Ruben,”
“I was like: ‘Well, why don’t you?’ It seemed obvious to me. For Richard, it meant putting his body through hell, on top of writing and producing. When I suggested it, I didn’t realise what the demands on him would be. But I’m grateful he relented.”
Bell admits he was not initially familiar with Gadd’s work but was persuaded by his wife, American actor Kate Mara, who had been impressed by Gadd’s previous series Baby Reindeer.
“Not at first. My wife [American actor Kate Mara] had been watching Baby Reindeer, so I’d seen Richard’s face – usually accompanied by Kate going: ‘Oh my God, this show is wild!’ I went: ‘Hang on, I think I have a script from this guy. He’s making a new show.’ She was like: ‘Well, you’re an idiot if you don’t do it.’ When I did sit down and watched Baby Reindeer, I was blown away.”
Bell was drawn to the complexity of his character, Niall, who is on a destructive path despite seemingly having everything he desires.
“I thought: ‘Woah, this man is on such a destructive downward spiral …’ He’s got everything he wanted in life but still can’t accept who he is. Niall is living as several different people and he’s not comfortable with any of them.”
He empathizes with Niall’s attachment to Ruben, a violent and intimidating figure.
“Ruben is this disaster of a man. A bull in a china shop, destroying everything and everyone in his wake. Why doesn’t Niall step away? Partly self-preservation. Niall feels vulnerable whereas Ruben is intimidatingly powerful. He can be Niall’s protector. People fear him. Because of that, Niall latches on to him almost parasitically. Ruben becomes his life support system. I understood that 100%.”
Bell relates this dynamic to his own upbringing in an all-female household and his experience with ballet.
“I grew up in an all-female household and did ballet, so I used to attach myself to tough, troubled guys too. Not my kind of crowd at all but I’d rather have them on my team than not.”
He also identifies with Niall’s self-loathing, which has intensified with age.
“I’ve had that for ever,” he says. “It’s gotten worse as I’ve got older. I love what I do and I’m blessed that I still get to do it after all these years but I can’t watch anything I’m in. I hate the finality of it. You leave going: ‘You fucked that one up. Ruined it. You’re just not good enough.’ I forget that it’s just a job, not life or death. Other actors have told me to chill out but I don’t know how.”
Niall’s struggle with his sexuality is central to the series, including his experience with conversion therapy. Bell, a straight man, approached this aspect with great responsibility.
“It’s the centre of the character,”
“The basis of all his issues. I took that very seriously. Niall’s self-hate goes beyond shame or societal pressure. Somehow, his own sexuality doesn’t sit right within his worldview. That, to me, is beyond sad. ‘Be yourself’ is the simplest advice yet at times, the hardest to adhere to.”
Due to repression, Niall engages in risky sexual behavior, finding excitement in secrecy and danger.
“Because of his repression, everything is guarded and hidden. That becomes the excitement. It’s an addiction. He gets a kick from dangerous sex.”
The series also addresses themes of male rage and toxic masculinity. Bell comments on the broader societal implications.
“Look at who are the majority transgressors in this world,”
“It’s men, on all fronts – not just misogyny but conflict, crime, everything. It’s important to shine a light on that. The conversation is ongoing. Hopefully this show adds something.”
Bell’s personal background includes being raised by his mother and sister after his father left before he was born. He notes a recurring theme of parental dysfunction in his work.
“There is a clear theme throughout my work of parental dysfunction,”
“I must exude it because these roles come to me. People must go: ‘Orphans? Fathers and sons? Get Bell for that!’ In All of Us Strangers [Andrew Haigh’s 2023 film], you hear how Andrew Scott is talking to his father [played by Bell] and naturally it makes you reflect on your own parenting. That was a haunting, eye-opening experience.”
Half Man features intense violence, with Gadd transforming his physique to portray Ruben. Bell did not require fight training as his character is often on the receiving end of physical aggression.
“No, thankfully,” he says. “Niall is normally on the receiving end. There was a line in the script that says: ‘Niall is totally physically incapable.’ I was like, ‘Great! That’s easy.’”
The series finale includes a pivotal two-person scene described by Gadd as his best writing to date. Bell was drawn to this scene early on.
“That was one of the first scenes I read and the one that made me do the show,”
“I was like: ‘Wow, if we could sustain this long scene, bring all these men’s history to it and lay it all out on the table, that’d be a great piece of television.’ There’s nothing to cut to, no guns or gimmicks, just two men looking at each other and coming clean.”
The finale also features a notable vomiting scene, which Bell describes as unusual to film.
“Throwing up on screen is always bizarre,”
“You fill your mouth with oatmeal, banana, peas and carrots, then spew it out.”
Upcoming Projects and Career Reflections
Bell is currently filming the as-yet-untitled sequel series to Peaky Blinders, continuing the period gangster saga set in 1950s Birmingham. He assumes the role of Duke, the son and heir of crime kingpin Tommy Shelby, previously played by Barry Keoghan in the film spin-off The Immortal Man. While details remain confidential, Bell reveals he sports a sharp short-back-and-sides haircut and is enthusiastic about joining the project.
“I’m thrilled to be part of it,”
“The show has such a great legacy and an incredible fanbase. People have high expectations, as they should. We hope to bring them something different and exciting.”
Although not initially a fan of Peaky Blinders, Bell has long admired creator Steven Knight’s work.
“First and foremost, I’m a longtime Steven Knight fan, dating back to his film scripts like Dirty Pretty Things and Locke. Steve seemed surprised when I told him that! What I admire is how he’s created this entire universe in his own back yard. Peaky takes its cues from classic Hollywood – it’s totally a western at heart – but transposed on to an urban working-class environment and given grand scale. It’s such a treat stepping into that.”
He also appreciates the show’s distinctive costumes.
“It does so much work for you. You put on that iconic cap and you’re away.”
Regarding working-class representation in the arts, Bell concurs with Knight’s outspoken views on the subject.
“I wish it wasn’t,”
“I came from a small town in County Durham called Billingham. There weren’t a ton of opportunities but we did have the Billingham Forum theatre. My mum took me to see touring West End shows there and that’s what gave me the bug. Reaching out to those places opens young people’s eyes and inspires their ambitions. That’s why it’s so vital local theatres get funding to remain open. It’s about access and exposure.”
Bell’s next project is The Uprising, directed by Paul Greengrass, focusing on the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt.
“Paul has long been one of my favourite film-makers. I saw Bloody Sunday when I was 16 and it changed my life. The level of detail he pumps into his movies is unrivalled, so it was bucket list stuff to work with him.”
He also addresses rumors about a sequel to Steven Spielberg’s Tintin.
“Those rumours have been rumbling for 20 years!” grins Bell. “But I love Tintin and the intrepid boy reporter all grown up could be interesting.”
Despite his varied roles, Bell remains closely associated with his breakthrough performance as Billy Elliot, a role he won at age 13 from among 2,000 boys and for which he became the youngest Best Actor winner at the BAFTAs.
He reflects on his career longevity and personal feelings about aging.
“I’m just grateful to still be working, because these stories frequently don’t end up that way.”
He laughs. “I turned 40 recently, would you believe? Personally, I’m fine with ageing. I just feel terrible telling people. Many still think of me as a child, so when I say I’m a 40-year-old father of three, it scares them. They go: ‘Wait, no, you’re a boy dancing on top of a toilet!’”
With Half Man and Peaky Blinders, Jamie Bell is entering a new phase of his career focused on complex dramatic roles. So far, his choices have been well received.
Half Man continues on 26 May at 10.40pm on BBC One and concludes on 29 May on BBC .
