Callum Scott Howells (born 29 April 1999) is a Welsh British actor and singer. He began his career in theatre. For his performance in the Channel 4 drama It's a Sin (2021), he won a BAFTA Cymru and earned a British Academy Television Award nomination among other accolades. His films include Madfabulous (2026).
Early life and education Howells was born in Pontypridd, in the United Kingdom, to parents Alison and Keith and grew up nearby in Tonyrefail and Porth. His grandfather, Bryn Howells, was a life member of the Treorchy Male Choir.
Callum attended Treorchy Comprehensive School, where he was Head Boy. He took classes with Rhondda Stage School, Superstars in the Making in Barry, and was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. He was scouted by an agent when he was 16 and went on to train at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, graduating in 2020.
Career Early work (2011–2019) Howells made his debut in a regional production of Oliver! He was a founding member of the boys' choir Only Boys Aloud, performing with them on series 6 of Britain's Got Talent in 2012 and later for Prince Harry and Meghan in 2018. He has since become a youth ambassador.
He appeared in series 2 of the CBBC reality documentary series Show Me What You're Made Of. He was 13 at the time. He later returned as a guest presenter. He worked as a Royal Correspondent on the CBBC series Blue Peter.
Howells won the 2013 Star of the Stage talent show. In 2014 he played Godfrey in Matthew Bourne's New Adventures production of Lord of the Flies at the Wales Millennium Centre. He performed with Treorchy Male Choir in 2015, Pendyrus Male Choir in 2017, and Dunvant Male Choir in 2018.
When he was 17 Howells auditioned for the singing competition Let It Shine with the song "You'll Be Back" from Hamilton. He was part of Group 4 and made it to the final 25. However, he pulled out to make time to play Arpad Laszlo in the West End production of She Loves Me at Menier Chocolate Factory.
In May 2016, he played the lead role in Blackout, a production in the nationwide "Connections" programme of the National Theatre. The first public review of his acting was headed "Actor to Watch" and read "Callum Scott Howells delivers a performance of ferocious impact."
In March 2019 he appeared at the Other Room Theatre in Cardiff in CRAVE by Sarah Kane.
Breakthrough (2021–present) In October 2019 it was announced Howells would star in Russell T Davies' miniseries It's a Sin as Colin Morris-Jones. The character is loosely based on a real-life past boyfriend of Davies. The series premiered in January 2021 on Channel 4 and February on HBO Max. For his performance, Howells was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.
From 3 October 2022 to 28 January 2023, Howells played The Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club opposite Madeline Brewer as Sally Bowles at the Playhouse Theatre. On New Year's Eve 2022 he appeared in a vignette from the show on BBC 1's The Graham Norton Show.
Howells had been cast to play in Gary Owen's play Romeo and Julie for the Royal National Theatre in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the co-production with the Sherman Theatre was postponed and instead opened at the Dorfman Theatre in February 2023. The Times described Howell in the Romeo role as: "an entertaining, unsentimental, smartly judged performance."
In May 2023 it was announced that Howells had been cast as the Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer Holly Johnson in a biographical film Relax, and in Michael Sheen's series The Way for BBC One.
In May 2024, it was announced that he had been cast in the lead role in Madfabulous, a biopic movie based on the life of the flamboyant British aristocrat Henry Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey.
Personal life Howells describes himself using the word 'queer'.
In 2021, he voiced his support for Welsh independence from the United Kingdom, but in 2023 clarified his position, saying "I'm more in the curious category than being absolutely for it." He was critical of the Westminster government, but expressed the view that independence was "really far away from happening".
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2024 The Beautiful Game Nathan Netflix film 2026 Madfabulous Henry Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey TBARelaxHolly Johnson Uncle Tommy The State of Us
Television Year Title Role Notes 2012 Show Me What You're Made Of Himself 2017 Let It Shine Contestant 2021 It's a Sin Colin Morris-Jones Main role 2022 Lloyd of the Flies Berry Voice role2024 The Way Owen Driscoll Main role TBA Deadpoint Aaron Filming
Music videos Year Title Artist Notes 2026 "Joke About Divorce" Blossoms 2026 "Meet Me In Love" Blossoms2026"Husband"Blossoms
Stage Year Title Role Notes 2011–2012 Oliver! Ensemble Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff; UK tour 2014 Lord of the Flies Godfrey Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff 2015 Prodigy Dan Davies St James Theatre, London 2016 Blackout James Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth 2016 Brass George Hackney Empire, London 2016–2017 She Loves Me Arpad Laszlo Menier Chocolate Factory, London 2017 Tickledom Basil Welsh tour 2019 CRAVE A The Other Room, Cardiff2022CabaretThe EmceeKit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre2023 Romeo and Julie Romeo Dorfman Theatre, London and Sherman Theatre, Cardiff2024A View from the BridgeRodolphoTheatre Royal Haymarket, London and Theatre Royal Bath, Bath2024White Rabbit Red RabbitLead roleSoho Theatre, London; one-off performance in the evening show on 19 October as part of a rotating cast.2025GhostsOzLyric Hammersmith, London; adaptation written by Gary Owen.2027AmadeusMozartNew Theatre, Cardiff and Noël Coward Theatre, London
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Work Result Ref 2021 BAFTA Cymru Actor It's a Sin 2022 BPG Awards Best Actor Breakthrough Award RTS Programme Awards Actor (Male) Breakthrough Award British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actor 2024National Film AwardsBest Supporting ActorThe Beautiful Game
Notes
References
External links
Callum Howells on his agent's website