I Just Realized Why I Recognize 'Stranger Things' Actor Jamie Campbell Bower and My Stan Heart Is Quaking

Twi-hards in the house?

jamie campbell bower
Karwai Tang/Contributor/Getty Images

I have a knack for pointing out the most obscure or random movie an actor has been in. My friends *hate* it, but it's kind of my thing—and it comes in handy,  as evidenced of this popular star. As a I gear up for the next batch of Stranger Things season five episodes, I've finally put my finger on where I know Jamie Campbell Bower (aka Vecna) from—and oh, my high school self is so giddy right now.

I was first introduce to Campbell Bower in a little movie called The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Yup, before he was a monstrous Upside Down creature, he was playing an ancient vampire. Of course, I don't want to discredit his other (equally amazing) work, however, Twi-hards will always remember his appearance in the franchise.

jamie campbell bower twilight saga: new moon
Summit Entertainment

He played Caius, one of the three ancient leaders of the Volturi, alongside Aro (played by Michael Sheen) and Marcus (played by Christopher Heyerdahl). He first appeared in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, simply uttering "She knows too much. She's a liability," before serving face for the rest of the scene.

He returned briefly in a post-credit scene for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and during a vision in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. While it was a small role compared to the likes of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, he still left quite an impression.

jamie campbell bower fantastic beasts
Warner Bros. Pictures

Aside from the Twilight Saga, I also remember him as a young Gellert Grindelward in the Harry Potter franchise. He made a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part 1. He later returned in the prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelward during another flashback scene.

jamie campbell bower mortal instruments
Sony Pictures

Sticking to the fantasy film train, the 36-year-old was in the movie adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. He played Jace Herondale, a shadowhunter and love interest to Clary Flay (played by Emily In Paris star Lily Collins). While it has a low rating on Rotten Tomatoes (13 percent), it still continues to have a cult-following with many wishing for a reboot.

Whether he's a vampire, a wizard or a shadowhunter, we can all agree his time as Vecna is on the top of the list. While I'll be tuning in to the next half of Stranger Things, I might have to squeeze in a rewatch of New Moon for old time sakes.



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