Hollywood heart-throb - Jamie Campbell Bower is Hampshire's newest star

The 24-year-old from Hampshire is in the process of making the transition from ‘I know that face’ to full on household-name, gossip column fodder – think Robert Pattinson with blond hair.

He can most recently be seen as Jace in box office hit, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, a movie that’s set to follow the Twilight saga and The Hunger Games successes in transitioning from novel series to blockbuster movies.

But a video of him taking to the stage to perform a cover of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, filmed at a show at the Petersfield boarding school he attended, Bedales, shows that he has always loved the stage.

In fact, in 2002, at the tender age of 13, he helped set up a guitar concert that went on to become the school’s annual rock show.

Although he is making a name for himself as a film star, with credits in the Twilight movies, Sweeney Todd opposite Johnny Depp, the Harry Potter franchise and Anonymous, as well as TV series Camelot and The Prisoner, he is also a wannabe rock star, and is lead singer and guitarist of his band The Darling Buds.

And despite an initial cool reaction to his being cast in The City of Bones, fans have been campaigning to have him contribute to the soundtrack for the movie’s sequel, City of Ashes, which is set to go into production this month.

It must be gratifying for Jamie, who admitted that he was upset by fans’ initial reaction to him being cast as Jace in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the film adaptation of the first book of Cassandra Clare’s teen fantasy series.

“I was very aware of a negative reaction from the fans,” said Jamie.

“That was based on image and looks alone and that was two-and-half-years ago. “As an actor and a performer, I’m very much aware of the fact that my job is to change both physically and emotionally, and what hurt the most, was that people were judging me on nothing. I get very emotional about this!”

A scene from The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

And he spoke out against some of his Internet critics: “For some people, particularly with social media and the Internet, there is no brain to hand coordination. People don’t think. It’s like this continuous diarrhoea and people don’t really understand that that affects people.

“I think that what has happened recently, particularly with young people, should show the fact that that is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

“Next time, before you judge anyone, just think.” Sound words for would-be cyber bullies indeed.

Jamie got his first taste of celebrity when he was spotted by a modelling scout when he was 15.

“I thought, ‘if someone thinks I am attractive enough, aesthetically pleasing enough to be a model, well sure, I will see what it’s about,’ and it’s easy money,” he said, noting that he has never liked his teeth or ears.

But despite his striking looks his modelling career stalled.

“I think the pinnacle of my career might have been going to Paris to do a Christian Dior show then ending up not working it,” he laughed.

But it wasn’t too disappointing for Jamie, whose acting career was already under way.

While his fellow students at progressive boarding school Bedales were spending their days in classes, he was sneaking out to shoot his film debut, in 2007’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

This role led onto a number of projects, including the mini-series Camelot, in which he played none less than King Arthur.

It was a role that had personal significance for him.

“Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by the Arthurian legend,” he said.

“My parents are from Winchester, where the Round Table could have been and Arthur’s body may have been buried,” he added, seemingly confusing King Arthur with King Alfred.

“The history is everywhere. To be offered such an iconic role was exciting, but it was a huge challenge.”

While Jamie is getting an impressive number of film roles under his belt, he is also reportedly racking up a collection of tattoos to commemorate each role, not to mention a couple of relationships.

First there was Bonnie Wright who he met while the pair were filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, parts one and two.

Jamie, who played the young Gellert Grindelward, and Bonnie, who played Ginny Weasley, were engaged within six months of meeting each other but after two years they separated.

More recently he was involved with another of his co-stars, Lily Collins, daughter of Phil Collins and star of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

But much to the fascination of gossip columns, their relationship also ended, and he has been spotted with Twilight co-star Ashley Greene.

But there are no doubt plenty of young women ready to step into the breach.

He now has almost a quarter of a million followers on Twitter and his legions of fans are growing every day.

It seems there really is no stopping Jamie Campbell Bower.