Local boy Henry Bell, age ten, is appearing on screens across the UK this Christmas after being featured in housing and homelessness charity Shelter’s national Christmas commercial.
The ad, directed by award-winning director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman, Better Man), was launched this week, marking a major milestone in Henry’s career.
Titled ‘Earworm’, the campaign was created by Shelter and their creative agency partner, Don’t Panic, to highlight the emotional impact of temporary accommodation on children and families. In it, Henry performs Bonnie Tyler’s classic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ a capella, a creative choice designed to show authenticity and allow children to relate to his character. The advert was choreographed by internationally-renowned choreographer Ashley Wallen, known for his work on major musicals and global concert tours.
After initially planning to cast a trained dancer to play the role, the creative team at Don’t Panic changed their minds. Instead, they opted for an actor without dance experience, favouring the authenticity and rawness Henry brought to the part through his enthusiastic performance.
Daniel Wheldon, Producer of the ad, said of Henry:
“Henry was an absolute joy to work with. He is a very talented lad [who] I’m sure will go very far.”
Shelter’s work resonates deeply with Henry, given the context of his hometown. Blackpool, where he was born, has one of the highest proportions of ‘most deprived’ neighbourhoods in the UK, with 40.4% of areas classified as such. Shelter also estimates that this year, 84,240 families in England will wake up on Christmas Day in insecure temporary accommodation, many of whom are in areas just like Blackpool.
Inspired by his involvement with the charity, Henry is planning to give back by participating in their ‘Walk for Home‘ fundraising event this December.
Alongside this campaign, Henry’s recent work includes roles in Netflix’s ‘Project Codename’ (playing Blackmere), 40 episodes of Netflix Animation’s ‘Simon’, and commercial appearances for Monzo, Aldi, and Amazon.
Though his acting career is taking off, Henry continues to be a grounded young boy, balancing his performing arts training at Scream Theatre Schools with his passion for rugby and cricket, dreaming of a future as a professional player.
Henry is represented by Scream Management, a North West-based talent agency founded in 1998, which has helped launch the careers of actors such as Jenna Coleman (Young Victoria, Emmerdale, Doctor Who), Joe Warren Plant, Millie Gibson, Tilly Amartey, and Nathaniel Dass, to name a few. The agency has four divisions (Scream Young Performers, Scream Adults, Scream Voices, and Scream Commercials) and is based in Media City and London. It also has a training arm with bases in Blackpool and offers pop up classes across Manchester and Lancashire.
“We are incredibly proud of Henry for his work in this touching campaign,” said Jessica, Head of Young Talent at Scream Management.
“He represents the talent, energy, and authenticity that exists right here in Blackpool, and we have no doubt that this is just the beginning of Henry’s remarkable acting career.”
If your child is interested in following in Henry’s footsteps and acting professionally, Scream Management holds open auditions for representation three times per year at venues across the UK. More details can be found on their website.
