When my mum rang me from work to tell me that I had been nominated, it made me feel a little bit better

Jamie Bell

The BBC co-production is also nominated for best film and best British film, while Julie Walters, who plays Bell's dance teacher, is nominated for best supporting actress.

"I am off school at the moment with the flu so I felt a bit under the weather this morning," he said.

"But when my mum rang me from work to tell me that I had been nominated, it made me feel a little bit better."

He said he thought his chances were "very low".

"I think I am a bit young and when you are up against a three-times Academy Award winner and the likes of Russell Crowe, it makes it very hard. But I'm not bothered, it's really nice just to be nominated."

Bell said he was looking forward to the Bafta ceremony, at the Odeon Leicester Square, central London, on 25 February - but not its dress code.

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"I will wear my tuxedo if I absolutely have to but it makes me feel sick. I feel like a waiter or something when I put it on."

Bell - who also has a best actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild in the US - is currently looking at a number of scripts and is hoping to work during his school holiday in August.

Martial arts drama Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roman epic Gladiator lead the Bafta film awards shortlist, both with 14 nominations.

Crouching Tiger, directed by Ang Lee, is up for best film while star Michelle Yeoh is nominated for the best actress award. Lee is nominated for best director.

It is highly unusual for a foreign language film to receive so many nominations.

Gladiator is also up for best film, as well as best actor for Russell Crowe. Oliver Reed is given a posthumous nomination for his supporting role.

Click here to read the full list of nominations.