You have reached Jim-Sturgess.com, a growing resource for the talented British actor known from his work in the films Across the Universe, The Other Boleyn Girl and 21. Up next is Crossing Over due out August 22 (US). Here we will keep you up to date with all the latest news, media downloads and information. Bookmark us and check back often for the latest on Jim Sturgess!
Full Name: James "Jim" Anthony Sturgess Nick Names: Jim, Slim Jim (back in school) Occupation: Actor / Musician Date of Birth: May 16, 1981 Place of Birth: London, England, UK Age: 26 Height: 5' 11" Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown / Brown Education: Graduate of the University of Salford Place of Birth: London, England, UK
Favorite Actors: River Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis Favorite Musicians: The Beastie Boys, Nick Drake, The Beatles, Stone Roses, The Klaxons, Gorrillaz, Tom Waits
Early years: Jim Sturgess in one of his bands
Life in England
Jim Sturgess was born on May 16, 1981. He grew up in a small village in London and discovered performing, often using play practices as an excuse to skip classes. He is a former member of the National Youth Music Theatre and studied and later graduated at the University of Salford's School of Media, Music and Performance. Around the age of 15 he became a member of a seven member band, named the Dilated Spies. They broke up a few years ago. Jim claims he tried to hold the band together, and after they broke up didn't know what to do. "It was kind of a low point, I guess, where I was sort of washing dishes in a restaurant and just doing the bare minimum. I remember one day the manager of the place sort of slapped me around the face with a wet, bleeding steak, and I was like, 'I've got to get out of this." Jim says of his state of mind before he soon after landed the part which would be his breakthrough playing Jude in Julie Taymore's stunning film achievement Across the Universe.
Strawberry Fields Forever: Jim Sturgess as Jude
Across the Universe Breakthrough
Before landing the role of Jude, Jim gained a decade long acting career with several British television projects and TV films. including I'm Frank Morgan (2000), Hawkins (2001), and the three installments of the Quest series. "I was just like a kind of jobbing actor like a lot of actors back in London. I was just trying to get work anywhere. I'd done some short films and some independent films and some TV stuff."
Jim would get his big break in arguabley one of the most original films in recent years; the musical Across the Universe. "They were holding open auditions, all over the place -- Manchester and Liverpool and London and Ireland and New York. I had no idea what it was -- I didn't know that Julie Taymor was the director. I just kind of turned up." Jim says and he eventually scored the part. With the 1960's Vietnam War era as a backdrop, the film tells the story of a romance between an upper-class American girl (Evan Rachel Wood) and a poor Liverpudlian artist (Sturgess), told through the amazing and beloved songs of The Beatles. Sturgess got to use his musical roots for the project, he sang ten songs in the film. "It was mind blowing. It changed my life completely." Jim says of his expierence.
Following off the success of Universe, Sturgess quickly landed other exciting roles. He would play George Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl, the brother to Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman's famous Boleyn sisters. 21, inspired by a true story would see Jim playing Ben Campbell in the film about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. 21 earned the Best Ensemble Award at the 2008 Show West Awards. "It was just so high-energy. It was a page-turner. It was just enjoyable. I had such a good time reading it that I really believed it would be a fun, great film." He says. 21 is was released in late March 2008, and went on to take in a staggering $134 million dollars worldwide. Only costing $35 million to make, the film was a huge success both commerically and with critics. It also brought tons more interest and fans to Jim's growing popularity.
Lucky Man: Playing Ben Campbell in 21
Looking Forward
Up next for Jim is more film work. Crossing Over due to be released in the fall, has him playing Gavin Kossef. The film has an A list cast which includes the likes of Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Sean Penn. Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. Also looking to have a later 2008 release (in the UK) is the shocking true story 50 Dead Men Walking. Sturgess will play the younger Martin McGartland. Martin is a young lad from west Belfast in the late 1980s who is recruited by the British Police to spy on the IRA. He works his way up the ranks as a volunteer for the IRA whilst feeding information to his British handler and saving lives in the process; until one day he is exposed, captured and tortured to within an inch of his life. He escaped dramatically by throwing himself from a tower block window and is still in hiding today. Sir Ben Kingsley will play the older Martin. The film will see Rose McGowan and Kevin Zegers in roles. Just announced is Heartless which he will film during the 2008 Summer. "I’m shooting a film called Heartless in London, which is a bizarre... very hard film to describe, but it’s all set about in London about a boy’s madness in a sort of time of violence."
Poised as one of the next big in demand stars his age of the times, Jim Sturgess is definitely one to watch. With a handful of diverse projects already under his belt his future looks promising. A big part of his charm comes from the fact that he's so new to the whole celebrity thing and is seemingly unfased. "I was unemployed, living in London with really not much to do and now I'm here, it's kind of a pretty mad roller coaster."
21 (2008) 
