Jamie Bell really did "feel like Tintin" when he was younger.

The star plays the title character in new movie The Adventures of Tintin.

Jamie admits that he has a lot in common with the young explorer.

The British actor's life was transformed when he was just 13, after landing the lead role in Billy Elliot.

"I felt like a secret agent, crossing borders," he said in an interview with Hello! magazine. "I really did feel like Tintin for a while, because I was seeing all these different countries, hearing different languages, experiencing different cultures. I was able to indulge for real in my curiosity about the world and to live out some of those adventures I'd pretended to have in the safety of my bedroom."

However, Jamie has managed to remain grounded.

He credits his family with helping him to maintain a normal childhood routine.

"When I wasn't acting I was able to have a regular life, finish school in my small town and do all those things," he remembered. "I was literally at the Academy Awards on Tuesday and back at maths class on the Wednesday."