The Liverpudlian actor’s star continues to rise after his breakout performances in This City Is Ours and A Thousand Blows
James Nelson-Joyce’s incredible year will continue when he takes to the pitch for Soccer Aid tonight(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
James Nelson-Joyce is preparing to lace up his boots for his Soccer Aid debut. The This City Is Ours star is part of the England squad in the annual charity match in aid of UNICEF.
The game gets underway at 6pm on ITV and James is part of a star studded team that includes Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury and Louis Tomlinson. The match continues the Scouser’s incredible year so far as he builds on star-making turns in This City Is Ours and A Thousand Blows.
However, this is all just the beginning for the Scouser as talk of him becoming the next James Bond continues to build momentum. The 36-year-old admitted he is blown away by the link in a new interview with Far Out Magazine as he said how he would put his own spin on the famous character if he landed the role.
He said: “Look, to be honest, all the James Bond stuff, it kind of blew me away. To even be linked to that role is the stuff dreams are made of.
“I’d like to do it my way. When you think of James Bond, you think charming and smooth. All those cool things, which he has to be, because that’s the way he’s written.
“But also, if you look into the text, and you really look into what he’s been through, I’d like to delve into his past, the stuff about his parents, which isn’t discussed in the films. You have to put your own spin on it. That’s the beauty of Bond.”
To get to where he is today, the Walton born actor has broken down social class barriers in a notoriously difficult industry to crack to become one of TV’s fastest rising stars. In an interview with the ECHO this year, the actor spoke about how proud he is of his Liverpool roots, which have given him the skillset to succeed as an actor.
He said: “We’re not the most privileged city in the world when it comes to finances, but culturally I’d say we are the most privileged. There is a beauty of Liverpool where we have a freedom to express ourselves and be unapologetic for our views.
“There’s also a flipside to that as I love it when I’m home and you’re kept in check. You could never step out of place and anybody who does step out of place is quickly told. Maybe I’m just biased, but I feel proud and lucky to be where I’m from.”
James Nelson-Joyce in training for Soccer Aid(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
James was inspired to pursue a career in acting by Stephen Graham’s rise to stardom in the 2000s. He told the ECHO: “I didn’t know a single person who was an actor where I’m from. No one in my school wanted to be an actor and I just didn’t know the world.
“Then you watch Stephen in films like This Is England and Gangs of New York and it makes you think, ‘Scousers can do this.'” James made the move to London aged 21 to study at drama school and met his acting hero for the first time in the capital when he spotted him having a meal in Nando’s.
He told the ECHO: “I remember thinking if there is ever someone you can go over to, then it’s a Scouser. I lived in London for 12 years and if I ever heard a Scouse accent at Euston Station, I’d always go over and speak to them.
“It’s home isn’t it and I’m so immensely proud of where I’m from. Scousers back our own and look after each other.” James approached the 51-year-old Kirkby star and hailed him as his favourite actor during their chance encounter at the restaurant.
He clearly made an impression as Stephen remembered him as “that lad from Nando’s” years later when they filmed Little Boy Blue together. Their friendship has blossomed ever since working on the ITV show and James has gone from “that lad in Nando’s” to one of Liverpool’s finest actors, who has earned a glowing reputation for his scene stealing performances that raise the energy levels every time he is on screen. Soccer Aid gets underway at 6pm on ITV tonight.
