Sturgess was born on in London, England but grew up in Farnham, Surrey outside of London. In 1997 he studied at the University of Salford’s School of Media, Music and Performance. He graduated in 1999 with an HND in Media and Performance. He was discovered whilst performing in his self-written poetry-based one-person show “Buzzin” where he was recommended to an actor’s agency back in London. While acting in various television programmes and independent films he became a member of a seven-piece band named the “Dilated Spies”. Once the band broke up he began to once again pursue a career in acting.
Sturgess sustained almost a decade of roles in British productions, mostly telefilms, including I’m Frank Morgan (2000), Hawk (2001) and the three installments of The Quest series.
In 2007, he made his big break in Julie Taymor’s musical Across the Universe, portraying Jude Feeny, a paternally-shorn young man who travels to the U.S. amid the raging throes of the late ’60s and… read more
Sturgess was born on in London, England but grew up in Farnham, Surrey outside of London. In 1997 he studied at the University of Salford’s School of Media, Music and Performance. He graduated in 1999 with an HND in Media and Performance. He was discovered whilst performing in his self-written poetry-based one-person show “Buzzin” where he was recommended to an actor’s agency back in London. While acting in various television programmes and independent films he became a member of a seven-piece band named the “Dilated Spies”. Once the band broke up he began to once again pursue a career in acting.
Sturgess sustained almost a decade of roles in British productions, mostly telefilms, including I’m Frank Morgan (2000), Hawk (2001) and the three installments of The Quest series.
In 2007, he made his big break in Julie Taymor’s musical Across the Universe, portraying Jude Feeny, a paternally-shorn young man who travels to the U.S. amid the raging throes of the late ’60s and falls in love with sheltered American teenager, Lucy, played by Evan Rachel Wood.
In 2008, he appeared in the historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl in the supporting role of George Boleyn opposite Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana. He also starred in 21 as the male lead Ben Campbell, a movie about five MIT students, who, by counting cards, take Las Vegas casinos for millions. Sturgess’ co-stars in 21 include Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne.
He played Gavin Kossef in 2009’s Crossing Over, appearing with Hollywood greats Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd. Set in Los Angeles, the storyline revolves around immigrants from different countries and backgrounds who share a common bond in desperately trying to gain legal status. Also in 2009, he starred in Kari Skogland’s Fifty Dead Men Walking loosely based on the best-selling book by Martin McGartland about a young Irishman recruited by the British police to infiltrate and spy on the Irish Republican Army.
Heartless, a film directed by Philip Ridley, premiered on August 31, 2009 at the London FrightFest Film Festival, a popular horror film festival. Sturgess appears as Jamie Morgan, a young man whose life has always been blighted by the large, heart-shaped port wine birthmark on his face and sells his soul to the devil. Jim Sturgess won the Best Actor Award at the 2010 Fantasporto Film Festival for his role. The film also won the Best Film Award and the Best Director Award for Philip Ridley. The film was due for release in May 2010.
2010 also has Sturgess slated to appear as a character based on Sławomir Rawicz, a young Polish officer who escaped from a Russian gulag during World War II. The film, The Way Back, is based on a true story and directed by the highly acclaimed Peter Weir.
Additionally in 2010, Jim Sturgess provides voice over work in director Zack Snyder’s 3-D animated feature film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole based on Kathryn Lasky’s bestselling children’s book series, Guardians of Ga’Hoole.
There are three announced film projects due to film during 2010 at this time, Upside Down, Promised Land, and One Day. Upside Down completed filming in May in Montreal and is currently in post-production. Described as a ‘sci-fi romance’, Upside Down is the second full length feature from writer/director Juan Solanas and is currently slated for release in May 2011. Promised Land will be directed by Michael Winterbottom and according to Variety ‘will recount the lead up to the 1948 partition of Palestine and the subsequent creation of the state of Israel. Jim Sturgess will star as a British officer hunting down the extremist Jewish factions’. Filming is due to begin in October. In May, Sturgess officially signed on to appear in One Day based on the best selling novel by David Nicholls. Anne Hathaway will co-star. The novel is based on two students who meet on July 15, 1988. The story follows them every July 15 over the following 20 years. Lone Scherfig will direct.
In addition to his successful acting career, Sturgess continues to be active as a songwriter, writing and performing two songs for his role in Crossing Over. Listen for his vocal performance on three songs in the upcoming film Heartless, two co-written by writer/director Philip Ridley and Nick Bicat. He is also currently involved with a band called Tragic Toys, in collaboration with his longtime girlfriend, Mickey O’Brien. —wikipedia
