Darius Campbell moves from West End star to Hollywood producer on new film Imperium

The former Pop Idol star is co-executive producer on Daniel Radcliffe's new film
Hit show: Darius Campbell with Funny Girl co-star Sheridan Smith
Dave Benett
Robert Dex @RobDexES25 August 2016
The Weekender

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Darius Campbell is the first to admit he has had “every lucky break going” as he went from reality show contestant to fully-fledged West End star and now to film producer.

The Scottish singer seemed destined for obscurity after his alternative take on Britney Spears’s Hit Me Baby One More Time failed to impress the judges on X Factor forerunner Pop Stars, but 15 years on he is in the West End opposite Sheridan Smith in critically acclaimed hit Funny Girl.

Now Campbell has also moved behind the camera as co-executive producer on the Hollywood film Imperium, which stars Daniel Radcliffe as an undercover FBI agent tasked with bringing down a group of white supremacists.

Campbell, previously Darius Danesh, who says he has two more “film projects” planned for next year, believes his whole career comes down to telling stories.

He said: “What really interests me is how you get from one idea in one person’s head to develop something that involves hundreds of people to make and then hopefully touches the lives of thousands or millions of people.

"For me it is all part of the same thing, whether singing, acting or producing.”

He predicted some people will be surprised by the performance by Radcliffe, 27, who he describes as “one of the most underrated British actors”.

He added: “That is partly down to Harry Potter, he has had to deal with so much rubbish because of it but, on the other hand, it has allowed him to do more, make more mistakes, and make more great decisions than most other actors would have done by that age, and it shows in his performances.”

Campbell, 36, an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, recently teamed up with volunteers from the Casual Dining restaurant group to take part in the charity’s Road to Rio challenge, which saw them clock up 5,839 miles — the distance between London and Rio — on exercise bikes to raise £40,000.

“I was asked to be an ambassador a while back and it was an honour,” he said.

“I’ve had every lucky break going, I went to a good school, my parents are still together and then you hear these stories from people who have been through so much, they are often homeless or have faced mental health issues.

"There have been tears and laughter but I have made so many good friends along the way.”

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