Biography: Camilla Belle

Camilla Belle (born October 2, 1986) is an American actress.

Early life

Born Camilla Belle Routh in Los Angeles, California, Belle is known for her trademark dark eyebrows. ^{She is the daughter of Cristina Routh, a former fashion designer from Brazil who is now Camilla's manager and who travels with her, and Jack Routh, who owns a construction company. Belle is named after actress Renata Sorrah's character, Camila, in the Brazilian soap opera Cavalo de Aço. Belle was raised Catholic and attended St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School in West Los Angeles and, later, the Marlborough School, an all-girls school in Los Angeles. She is currently a student of Columbia University.}

Career

She began appearing in print ads at the age of nine months. Camilla Belle progressed into commercials and began working in movies for network and cable television. Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in several made for television and direct to video movies including Trapped Beneath the Earth, Annie: A Royal Adventure!, Poison Ivy II: Lily and Marshal Law. She had minor roles in several widely-released films including A Little Princess, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Practical Magic, as well as the lead role as Lizzie in Back to the Secret Garden. She was also in a commercial for America's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) during the late 1990s. The Disney channel original movie, Rip Girls, earned Belle a Young Artist acting nomination.

In 2005, Belle starred in the film The Ballad of Jack and Rose, playing the daughter of Daniel Day-Lewis' character. The film only received a limited theatrical release but Belle was labeled an "impressive newcomer" by film critic James Berardinelli. The film was her first in nearly four years. Her role as Rose also earned her the Gotham Award nomination for the Breakthrough Award. The same year, Belle also had a major role in The Chumscrubber, which received only a brief and limited theatrical release.

Belle was subsequently cast in the lead role in Screen Gems' horror film remake, When a Stranger Calls. The film was released on February 3, 2006 and was considered successful at the United States box office, grossing over $45 million after an opening of over $21 million. A sequel to When A Stranger Calls has been confirmed but according to rumors Camilla Belle has been replaced by Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere. The sequel is expected to be released sometime in 2009 or 2010. Later in 2006, she acted opposite Elisha Cuthbert and Edie Falco in The Quiet.

In the spring of 2006 the Warner Bros. film 10,000 BC, a prehistoric epic directed by Roland Emmerich, began production with Belle as the lead female role. Filmed in New Zealand, South Africa and Namibia, the film was released on March 7, 2008. Also in 2008, Belle starred alongside actors Chris Evans and Djimoun Hounsou in the thriller Push. Recently, Camilla Belle was been cast in a lead role in actor Bruce Willis's directorial debut on the indie film Three Stories About Joan. The psychological drama follows a young woman at three points in her life and the family tragedies that cause her to lose her grip on reality. Shooting was expected to start in early October in Shreveport, Louisiana as a production of Willis Brothers Films.^{[citation needed]}

Camilla was also featured in the music video for the song "Lovebug" by the Jonas Brothers.

Personal life

Camilla Belle lives with her parents and her grandmother Deborah. She has three Miniature Pinschers named Tokya, Keiki, and Evolet whom she named after her character in 10,000 BC. Belle, an aspiring classical pianist, speaks fluent Portuguese (her mother's native language).

She has been involved in various charities and is an international spokesperson for Kids With A Cause, which assists children suffering from poverty, hunger, lack of education, neglect, or abuse. She is the face of Vera Wang's 'Princess' fragrance.

She is also good friends with tennis star Maria Sharapova, Robert Pattinson, Tom Sturridge and actress Elissa Sursara. She is currently dating Joe Jonas.

Filmography

External links

• Camilla Belle at the Internet Movie Database
• Camilla Belle at Allmovie
• Collection of interviews at Camilla Belle online
• Video archive of Camilla Belle

Camilla Belle main page.