James Metcalfe Campbell Bower Bio
James Metcalfe Campbell Bower (born 22 November 1988) is an English actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Henry Creel / Vecna in the Netflix series Stranger Things and for roles in films and franchises including Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga, and the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. Bower balances screen work with music projects, having led the punk band Counterfeit and forming the group BloodMagic in 2024.
Early Life and Background
James Metcalfe Campbell Bower was born in London on 22 November 1988 to Anne Elizabeth Roseberry and David Bower. His mother has worked in music management and his father has industry ties with Gibson Guitar Corporation. Bower grew up with musical training, learning the violin through the Suzuki method and later participating in the National Youth Music Theatre and National Youth Theatre.
He attended Bedales School in Steep, Hampshire, where early exposure to performance and music reinforced his interest in acting and songwriting. Bower’s younger brother, Samuel, later played with him in the band Counterfeit, reflecting a family engagement with music and performance. Early modeling work supplemented his entry into entertainment before he moved into professional acting roles.
Path to Celebrity
Bower’s transition from student performer and part-time model to professional actor began when a friend recommended him to an agent, leading to his first film casting. He made a film debut in 2007 as Anthony Hope in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a role that introduced him to major-studio production. Small parts in films such as RocknRolla and Winter in Wartime followed and established him as a promising young performer.
From 2009 onward Bower took roles in high-profile franchises that expanded his visibility. He played Caius Volturi in The Twilight Saga films and portrayed a young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, a role he later reprised in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Television work, including the series Camelot and later Will, broadened his range across period drama and literary adaptations.
Alongside acting, Bower pursued music projects and served as lead singer and guitarist for the punk rock band Counterfeit. His dual path in screen acting and music became a recurring element of his public profile, enabling a fluid movement between stage, studio and screen work.
James Metcalfe Campbell Bower Career
Early Career (2007–2012)
Bower’s professional career began in 2007 with his co-starring turn in Sweeney Todd, followed by supporting roles in films such as RocknRolla (2008) and Winter in Wartime. In 2009 he joined the cast of The Twilight Saga as Caius Volturi, a recurring role across the later films in that franchise. The same period included his casting as the young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, marking a notable entry into major fantasy franchises.
Television work during this phase included the 2011 historical-fantasy series Camelot, where he played King Arthur, and a variety of smaller screen appearances and music-video roles. He also began to appear in fashion campaigns and modeling projects, which complemented his visibility in film and television. These early years established Bower as a versatile performer able to move between genre film, television drama, and music-oriented projects.
Breakthrough (2013–2025)
In 2013 Bower appeared as Jace Wayland in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, a lead role in a young-adult fantasy adaptation that expanded his profile among international audiences. He continued to alternate between screen acting and musical pursuits, joining the West End cast of Bend It Like Beckham the musical in 2015 and leading the punk band Counterfeit beginning that year. Counterfeit released an album in 2017 and toured, before announcing a split in 2020; Bower then pursued solo musical work.
Bower’s screen career reached a new level of recognition with his performance as Henry Creel / Vecna in the fourth season of Stranger Things in 2022. The role, which required extended prosthetic make-up applications, drew critical attention and became his most widely recognized screen performance. He reprised the role in the series’ later season work and made a surprise stage appearance connected to the franchise in 2025, further underscoring the cultural impact of that character.
Alongside Stranger Things, Bower returned to the Wizarding World as the young Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and appeared in the TNT series Will in 2017 as Christopher Marlowe. In 2024 he announced a new band, BloodMagic, signaling a renewed focus on collaborative music while maintaining an active acting schedule. Across 2013–2025 he consolidated a career defined by genre work, period drama, and music-led projects.
Notable Works and Milestones
Bower’s signature screen work includes Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd, Caius Volturi in The Twilight Saga, young Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, Jace Wayland in The Mortal Instruments, and Henry Creel / Vecna in Stranger Things. Musically, his leadership of Counterfeit and the formation of BloodMagic mark key milestones, as does his West End stage work. His performance in Stranger Things brought broad critical recognition and expanded his international profile.
James Metcalfe Campbell Bower Family
Bower is the son of Anne Elizabeth Roseberry and David Bower and has a younger brother, Samuel, who has appeared with him in musical projects. His family background includes connections to the music industry through his mother, and early musical education that shaped his later dual career in acting and music.
Personal Life
Bower splits his time between London and Los Angeles. Publicly reported relationships include Bonnie Wright (2009–2012), an on-off relationship with Lily Collins (2012–2018), and a reported relationship beginning in 2025 with Elena Taber. These relationships have been part of media coverage of his personal life but his professional work remains the primary focus of his public profile.
He has spoken openly about mental health and recovery, including a history of addiction and subsequent sobriety, and has described living with mild dyslexia. Bower has discussed how recovery and personal reflection influenced his approach to creativity and performance, and he continues to balance acting, stage work, and music projects in his ongoing career.