I can't believe I am going to say this, but I may have found someone who could seriously jeopardize Rob's spot as my #1!!!
I think Jim Sturgess may be the sexiest man alive!!! I have been aware of him for years, but until I saw interview footage, I had no idea how well spoken, funny and perfectly laid back he is!!!! He truly loves his craft and gives 100 percent into every project he is connected with. He also seems to try to live a pretty normal, low key life and allows his work to speak for itself. This behavior seems so rare in Hollywood which is unfortunate as I find my judgment easily clouded when I know too much about their personal life - especially if their personal life includes a lot of drama!!!!!!!!!!!! This is definitely not the case with Sturgess - if anything I found him to be the most difficult actor to extract information about to date!!!! He has tons of projects coming out so we will see him often over the course of the next 2 years - yah!!!! Hope you enjoy the juicy details Kelly - as per your spotlight request!!!!!!!!!
Here is a really cute interview he did with Tribute magazine Canada at the Toronto film festival while promoting "Dead Man Walking"
Early life
Sturgess was born on May 16, 1978 in London, England but grew up in Farnham, Surrey just 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 programs 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.
Film
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, 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. The movie is set in Los Angeles and 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 birthmark on his face and who sells his soul to the devil. The film is due for release in 2010.
Film History
Heartless (2009/I0)
Crossing Over (2009)
Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)
21 (2008)
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Across the Universe (2007)
Mouth to Mouth (2005)
"The Last Detective" (TV)
The Final Quest (2004) (TV)
The Second Quest (2004) (TV)
Rehab (2003) (TV)
Close Encounters (2003) TV
Abuse of Power (2002) TV
The Quest (2002) (TV)
The Browning Version (1994) (as James Sturgess)
Upcoming roles
2010 also has Sturgess slated to appear as a character based on Slavomir 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. Colin Farrell and Ed Harris co-star.
Additionally in 2010, Jim Sturgess provides voice over work in director Zack Snyder’s 3-D animated feature film Guardians of Ga'Hoole based on the bestselling children’s book series of the same name. Also providing voice work on this project are Hugo Weavin, Geoffrey Rush, Emilie De Ravin and Helen Miren.
There are two announced film projects for production in 2010 at this time, Upside Down, and Promised Land. Upside Down is due to begin filming this March for four months in Montreal. Described as a 'sci-fi romance', Upside Down is the second full length feature from writer/director Juan Solanas. 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 this summer.
Music
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 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.
If you want to hear some of Sturgess song's than just google Jim Sturgess and my space songs and 6 of his songs will come up for you to listen too!!! It's not my kinda music, but who really cares we can't agree on everything!!!!!!
Personal life
Unfortunately for all of us he is unavailable!!! He is currently living with long term girlfriend of six years, Mickey O'Brien, keyboardist for the band La Roux. I couldn't find a lot of info on their relationship, but it sounds like they met at a recording studio - he caught a few minutes of her band and they were introduced and hit it off from there!!!!!!!!! Lucky Girl!!!!! I found one pic of them - very cute
Here is another great interview with Jim - check it out!!!!!!
