Callum Francis
Encyclopedia
Callum Rory McKenzie Francis is a child
stage actor from Ware, Hertfordshire
, United Kingdom
. In May 2009 he reached the semi-finals of the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent
. He is both Jamaican and Scottish.
). He took up dance 3 years ago and attends a local drama school at weekends. He began attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School
in September 2008.
, a week before his Britain's Got Talent audition was aired, as a drug dealer’s son. Francis has also tried out for a role in EastEnders
as Lucas's son Jordan and a role in Doctor Who
. Francis has also done voice overs and performed in theatre.
from the musical Oliver!
. Before going on the stage, Francis' mother, Linda Francis, spoke about Francis' bravery and nerves. She said "He struggles with things like attention and he takes everything literally. Someone said to him they hoped he'd go on BGT with "all guns blazing" and Callum got really worried, thinking there'd be guns on stage or something. He was terrified of Simon and the sound of the buzzers". She mentioned he had sketched pictures of the three judges, so he can balance their heads on a radiator and practice performing in front of them.
The audition was televised on 2 May 2009 and took place in London in January 2009. He received a standing ovation from the audience and no buzzers. Piers Morgan
commented that Francis has “the cheekiest grin we’ve ever had”, and Amanda Holden
said “it was a very natural and unspoilt performance and you have a raw talent”. Simon Cowell finished by saying “I think you have more in you than just a safe performance from Oliver, I think you are a very talented young man but I’ve seen that kind of audition a thousand times.” He received three yes votes and was put through to the next round.
Francis appeared on GMTV
with his parents Linda and Roy Francis on 4 May 2009 to talk about his hopes for the future, his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School
and his televised audition. The judges decided to choose Francis for the 40 semi-finalists for the live semi-finals.
He performed for a second time in the semi-final on 28 May 2009, performing "The Bare Necessities
" from The Jungle Book
. He received yet again a standing ovation and positive comments from the judges, with Simon Cowell predicting he could be in the final.
Saxophonist Julian Smith
won the public vote, with grandfather & granddaughter singing duo 2 Grand and Francis coming second and third. When it came to choosing the act who Simon Cowell wanted to put through, he said, "Based on the fact one of you doesn’t really have much of a second shot at this, I’m going for 2 Grand." Amanda Holden said "I am going with my heart, and I am going for 2 Grand", therefore securing a place in the final. Francis lost out in a place in the final, though he received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience as he left the competition and, although he was no longer required to vote, Piers Morgan stated that he would have voted for Francis if he was able to.
, which is due to hit the cinemas on 22 December 2010. He will be starring in the film alongside Jack Black
. Speaking of getting the role, he said "Well right now I just got a little film part for a film called Gulliver's Travels, I am being one of the giants in it".
On 13 December 2009, Francis appeared on the grand final of the sixth series
of The X Factor
as part of the children's choir that sang the opening lines of Take That
's "Never Forget", as performed by the show's final twelve contestants.
with his mum, Linda, dad Roy, sister Talia (who also attended Sylvia Young Theatre School
with Francis) and brother Louis. He attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School
until May 2009 due to his parents financial problems. His mum Linda explained: “We cannot afford the school anymore. Fees are a big cost and there is the uniform and travel.”
The Sun
on 5 May 2009 reported that his parents had sent him to the stage school because he was having difficulty at his normal school. They said he had often come home and told them he had spent most of the day doing his work in the school dining room because he had been thrown out of class for being disruptive. They said "It wasn’t because he was messing around in class, he just found it difficult to concentrate, which is the reason why Sylvia Young is good for him".
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
stage actor from Ware, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In May 2009 he reached the semi-finals of the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
. He is both Jamaican and Scottish.
Early life
Francis' love for performing began at the age of 4 when he went to a drama group for kids with special needs to try to improve his speech (due to his mild form of autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
). He took up dance 3 years ago and attends a local drama school at weekends. He began attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
in September 2008.
Early career
Francis appeared in the episode "Better Drowned" of the BBC1 drama CasualtyCasualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, a week before his Britain's Got Talent audition was aired, as a drug dealer’s son. Francis has also tried out for a role in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
as Lucas's son Jordan and a role in Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Francis has also done voice overs and performed in theatre.
2009: Britain's Got Talent
In his audition in London in January 2009, he performed Consider YourselfConsider Yourself
"Consider Yourself" is a song from the 1960s original West End and Broadway musical Oliver! and the 1968 film of the same name. In the 1968 Oliver! film, it is performed in the market.-In popular culture:...
from the musical Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
. Before going on the stage, Francis' mother, Linda Francis, spoke about Francis' bravery and nerves. She said "He struggles with things like attention and he takes everything literally. Someone said to him they hoped he'd go on BGT with "all guns blazing" and Callum got really worried, thinking there'd be guns on stage or something. He was terrified of Simon and the sound of the buzzers". She mentioned he had sketched pictures of the three judges, so he can balance their heads on a radiator and practice performing in front of them.
The audition was televised on 2 May 2009 and took place in London in January 2009. He received a standing ovation from the audience and no buzzers. Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
commented that Francis has “the cheekiest grin we’ve ever had”, and Amanda Holden
Amanda Holden
Amanda Louise Holden is an English actress and presenter. Among her roles are Mia Bevan in Cutting It, Sarah Trevanion in Wild at Heart, and the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award...
said “it was a very natural and unspoilt performance and you have a raw talent”. Simon Cowell finished by saying “I think you have more in you than just a safe performance from Oliver, I think you are a very talented young man but I’ve seen that kind of audition a thousand times.” He received three yes votes and was put through to the next round.
Francis appeared on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
with his parents Linda and Roy Francis on 4 May 2009 to talk about his hopes for the future, his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
and his televised audition. The judges decided to choose Francis for the 40 semi-finalists for the live semi-finals.
He performed for a second time in the semi-final on 28 May 2009, performing "The Bare Necessities
The Bare Necessities
"The Bare Necessities" is a song, written by Terry Gilkyson, from the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book sung by Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli. Originally, it was written for an earlier draft of the movie that was never produced. The Sherman Brothers, who wrote the...
" from The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book (1967 film)
The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released on October 18, 1967, it is the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was inspired by the stories about the feral child Mowgli from the book of the same name by...
. He received yet again a standing ovation and positive comments from the judges, with Simon Cowell predicting he could be in the final.
Saxophonist Julian Smith
Julian Smith (saxophonist)
Julian Smith is a British saxophonist and music teacher from Halesowen. He is also known by his stage name Joolz Gianni...
won the public vote, with grandfather & granddaughter singing duo 2 Grand and Francis coming second and third. When it came to choosing the act who Simon Cowell wanted to put through, he said, "Based on the fact one of you doesn’t really have much of a second shot at this, I’m going for 2 Grand." Amanda Holden said "I am going with my heart, and I am going for 2 Grand", therefore securing a place in the final. Francis lost out in a place in the final, though he received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience as he left the competition and, although he was no longer required to vote, Piers Morgan stated that he would have voted for Francis if he was able to.
2009-present: Post Talent
After the show, it was reported that Francis had landed a role in the live-action film Gulliver's TravelsGulliver's Travels (2010 film)
Gulliver's Travels is a 2010 fantasy comedy film directed by Rob Letterman and very loosely based on Part One of the 18th-century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift, though the film takes place in modern day...
, which is due to hit the cinemas on 22 December 2010. He will be starring in the film alongside Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
. Speaking of getting the role, he said "Well right now I just got a little film part for a film called Gulliver's Travels, I am being one of the giants in it".
On 13 December 2009, Francis appeared on the grand final of the sixth series
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
as part of the children's choir that sang the opening lines of Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's "Never Forget", as performed by the show's final twelve contestants.
Personal life
Francis lives in HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
with his mum, Linda, dad Roy, sister Talia (who also attended Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
with Francis) and brother Louis. He attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
until May 2009 due to his parents financial problems. His mum Linda explained: “We cannot afford the school anymore. Fees are a big cost and there is the uniform and travel.”
The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
on 5 May 2009 reported that his parents had sent him to the stage school because he was having difficulty at his normal school. They said he had often come home and told them he had spent most of the day doing his work in the school dining room because he had been thrown out of class for being disruptive. They said "It wasn’t because he was messing around in class, he just found it difficult to concentrate, which is the reason why Sylvia Young is good for him".
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Gulliver's Travels Gulliver's Travels (2010 film) Gulliver's Travels is a 2010 fantasy comedy film directed by Rob Letterman and very loosely based on Part One of the 18th-century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift, though the film takes place in modern day... |
TBA | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | Britain's Got Talent Britain's Got Talent Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland... |
Himself | Contestant |
| Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
TBC | ||
External links
- Britain's Got Talent audition at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.com - Britain's Got Talent semi-final performance at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.com - Results of the fourth semi-final of Britain's Got Talent at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.com