He’s acted alongside Austin Butler, Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law and even dated The Crown’s magnificent Vanessa Kirby.
But Callum Turner is about to likely gain a whole host of new swooning fans across the globe after his very public display of affection with megastar Dua Lipa in Hollywood on Tuesday evening.
The British heartthrob, 33, and the Levitating singer, 28, couldn’t keep their hands off each other following a romantic dinner date at upmarket Japanese restaurant Sushi Park – little more than a fortnight after being romantically linked.
And while he’s not as big of a household name as his London-born girlfriend, Callum has gone from strength to strength in his acting career, securing parts in Fantastic Beasts film series and in 2020’s Emma. alongside Anya Taylor-Joy.
More recently he’s one of the principal cast members of Second World War drama Masters Of The Air, which also stars Austin, Barry Keoghan and boasts Steven Spielberg as a producer.
Dua Lipa confirmed her new romance with Callum Turner on Tuesday evening during a very public display of affection in Hollywood
But his lavish lifestyle of red carpets, designer outfits and a famous girlfriend to boot are a world away from his humble working-class beginnings, when he grew up on a London council estate with his single mother Rosemary.
As a child, he dreamt of playing football and even switched schools from one in Putney to another further away in Sheen because it boasted an AstroTurf football pitch, reported The Times.
Callum – who’s said his contact with his father growing up was ‘loose’ – left sixth-form college before taking his A levels and went on to play for a semi-professional football team.
However, his dream of playing for his beloved team Chelsea was eventually squashed, with Callum admitting to The Independent in 2020: ‘I’m not a professional athlete. Very simple. I was incredibly dedicated, I just wasn’t a footballer.’
Soon his handsome face, along with a friend of his mother who worked in the fashion industry, secured him modelling gigs, including for Burberry, according to The Times.
During his modelling career he worked in Japan, where he’d have six pieces of tuna for lunch because he ‘had to lose loads of weight’. His natural waist is apparently 34 inches, but designers wanted 28.
‘I was dealing with a depression or a frustration, and not having the understanding or the tools to deal with how I felt, so I self-medicated for too long.
Off-screen, Dua isn’t the only famous face Callum has dated. He was in a romantic relationship with The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby (pictured together) until the pair called time on their relationship in 2019
One of his early roles saw him play opposite Helen McCrory in ITV’s Leaving (2012), a drama about an age-gap relationship
‘I was acting, doing films, and smoking weed every day. I never smoked on set but as soon as I got home, I was like a real addict. I definitely missed four years of my life,’ he added.
He said it was a ‘determination to change and not miss my life’ that made him eventually ditch the addiction.
When aged 21, he turned to acting, but he insisted in 2019 that ‘there was never some grand plan’.
But that doesn’t mean he didn’t work hard, explaining to The Independent this week: ‘I think the thing about being working class and having no money is that you actually have to have another job.
‘I worked three jobs; I worked in two different shops, and I worked in a bar just to pay my rent,’ he explained.
The actor would spend four days a week working, while the other three were dedicated to acting, by either watching films, taking courses or going to the theatre.
But his hard work has clearly paid off, with Callum appearing in a host of popular TV shows and films, including Emma., BBC thriller The Capture and The Boys In The Boat alongside co-star George Clooney.
He’s also co-starred alongside Eddie Redmayne in the Fantastic Beasts series and James Norton in TV’s War & Peace. One of his early roles saw him play opposite Helen McCrory in ITV’s Leaving (2012), a drama about an age-gap relationship.
Callum also co-starred alongside Eddie Redmayne in the Fantastic Beasts series and James Norton in TV’s War & Peace (pictured)
Callum Turner, left, and Eddie Redmayne in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Callum has appeared in a host of popular TV shows and films, including Emma., BBC thriller The Capture and The Boys In The Boat (pictured) alongside co-star George Clooney
Vanessa and Callum (pictured) met when performing in 2014’s Queen And Country, getting together the following year
Viewers will next get the chance to watch Callum on screen in the big-budget Steven Spielberg miniseries Masters Of The Air.
It is set to feature a star-studded cast in a series based on the exploits of the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army, who famously brought the war straight to Hitler’s doorstep by dropping bombs in the German capital of Berlin.
Callum is playing Major Egan in the series, who was a part of the Eighth United States Air Force that were part of the lengthy bombing campaign during the Second World War.
After being part of the Air Force’s ‘Big Week’ which saw the team bomb Leipzig and multiple aircraft factories, they attacked the German Reich’s capital Berlin before moving onto bomb other cities in the country.
Egan went onto serve for his country in Korea and the Far East and after attending the National War College in Washington DC he was assigned duties in the Policy Division, Directorate of Plans.
He died of a heart attack in 1961 at the age of just 45, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honours.
The first two episodes of Masters of the Air will premiere on Apple TV+ on January 26 2024, continuing weekly through to March 15.
Off-screen, Dua isn’t the only famous face Callum has dated. He was in a romantic relationship with The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby until the pair called time on their relationship in 2019.
Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan and Austin Butler attend the world premiere of Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air
Tom Hanks (L) and Callum Turner celebrate the premiere of the Apple TV+ Masters of the Air
They met when performing in 2014’s Queen And Country, getting together the following year. But it wasn’t until 2017 that they went public, however, after Vanessa was linked to Tom Cruise.
She was shooting scenes with the Hollywood action star for Mission: Impossible – Fallout, in which she had to share a passionate kiss with him.
Those witnessing it believed it was a little too convincing and wondered whether the pair were involved off-screen too.
But to shut down these rumours, Vanessa explained she was dating Callum – revealing he was getting texts from friends asking if he was okay. She also described him at the time as ‘completely wonderful’ and her ‘best friend’.
In February 2020, reps reportedly told The Sun that the couple had parted ways, with a source telling the publication: ‘Vanessa and Callum are both rising stars in the acting world and in the last few years they have been flooded with offers.
‘It’s a really exciting time for them both. But as their careers have taken off, their relationship has suffered and they have gradually grown apart. It’s very sad as they were once so close.
‘Last year they made the difficult decision to go their separate ways and they both think its for the best. It’s all very amicable – things just weren’t working out.’
On Tuesday evening, Dua Lipa confirmed her new romance with Callum during a very public display of affection in Hollywood.
The Houdini singer made no attempt to hide from onlookers as she frolicked with the actor on a balcony overlooking the street at upmarket Japanese restaurant Sushi Park.
Callum wrapped his arms around Dua, who cupped his face before leaning in for a lingering kiss.
Dua previously put on a cosy display with her boyfriend as she supported him at a Q&A session for his new series MasteMastersrs of the Air.
The couple added fuel to recent dating rumours as they were all smiles while stepping out together ahead of the Q&A event.
They were earlier joined by a group of friends as they dined at R+D Kitchen in Los Angeles as they sat closely alongside each other during the meal.
Video footage obtained by TMZ also briefly glimpsed Dua and Callum seemingly doing a slow dance at a party as they shared an intimate moment.
As he left the party, Callum was asked whether he and Dua were an item – and rather than issuing a denial, he poured fuel on the fire by remaining coyly silent.
The actor has been rumoured to be dating Dua after the pair were reportedly spotted getting cozy at a Beverly Hills party for Masters Of The Air.
An insider told Page Six: ‘It’s new, but they’re mad about each other,’ adding: ‘She was at the premiere to support him.’
Dua’s latest romance comes hot off the heels of her alleged breakup from her French boyfriend Romain Gavras.
