London-based actor and musician Jim Sturgess’s journey into the spotlight began with a fascination for performance and a passion for storytelling. He rose with his breakthrough role in the musical romance “Across the Universe,” where he skillfully mixed his musical talents with his acting prowess. His career is a rich tapestry of roles, from the historical intricacies of “The Other Boleyn Girl” to the complexities of “Cloud Atlas.” Alongside his impressive acting career, Sturgess nurtures a deep-rooted love for music, evident in his venture under the stage name King Curious. His artistic journey is not just marked by his versatile roles but also by his commitment to exploring the depths of his characters and the stories they tell.
It’s hard to miss the gleam of passion as he reflects on his journey from the youthful exuberance of ‘Wind In The Willows’ to his evocative forays into indie filmmaking and the complex rhythms of his musical alter ego. Our conversation with Sturgess is much like his career: unpredictable, deeply engaging, and dotted with anecdotes that range from the profound to the playfully absurd. He reflects on his transformative roles, from historical dramas to modern-day epics, with a wit and wisdom that’s as refreshing as it is insightful. “Each role, each song, it’s like living a new life, you know?” he says, his words painting pictures of his journey. It’s this rare blend of introspective thought and spontaneous creativity that makes an interview with Jim Sturgess an enthralling experience.
Text by Sarah-Eve Leduc, as seen in our January 2024 Print issue
Flanelle : You’ve had a diverse career in both acting and music. Can you share what initially drew you to pursue these creative paths, and how do they complement each other in your life?
I think I was always drawn to a more creative path for as long as I can remember so I never felt like I even really pursued it. It was just the way it was going to go for me. I was always very distracted at school. I couldn’t concentrate in the classroom. I still, to this day, find it hard to absorb factual information. My brain just isn’t wired like that. At school, I played up and acted the fool a lot of the time, but looking back on it now I can see that there was a lot of anxiety in the classroom environment for me. The fear of not knowing the answer and having no idea what anyone was really talking about was very present. So I reacted against it.
At a very young age, the local theatre in my town went to local schools to cast a load of kids to be in a professional production of Wind In The Willows. We were all auditioned and I was one of the kids, along with many others, that got picked to be a mouse or rat or whatever. And that was a huge moment for me. I connected profoundly. I was engaged and stimulated, and I cared deeply about it. It was fun and challenging and hard work and the feeling of being a small part of something bigger is, to this day, what I love most about it. All the classroom anxiety was lifted, and I felt free to burn off all that energy. And I was good at it. And that felt good. So I wanted more.
Then as I got older, drama clubs and school plays got replaced by music and bands and hanging out skateboarding. I was still hopeless at school. Often on report cards but scoring A’s in music and drama. I started a band at the age of fifteen and that was it. It was all I thought about with my friends. Writing songs, rehearsing after school, dreaming up lyrics and logos for the band, and putting on gigs wherever and whenever we could. In hindsight, it’s easy to see now that it offered me the same thing as being in that production of Wind In The Willows, the chance to be a part of something and to express a lot of that energy. I realize now that I wasn’t lazy and disconnected, I just had to have the right thing for me to care about. From the outside being in a band can look like just a load of teenage carnage, but we worked hard at it.
Then the band dissolved as members dispersed for the greater good of University. Then acting and film making came back into my life in a really major way when I followed suit (after a very uneventful year out) and went to Manchester to study at Salford University. That was a really important time for me and I learnt so much about films and film makers and different actors and theatre groups. It was wild in Manchester at that time, and I was able to learn how to process all my mad youthful experiences into creative ideas. So experience and feelings meant material and content. Then music was at the forefront again when I moved back to London after college and ended up falling into a band. So that took up most of my twenties. Then eventually the band broke up and that was when I landed the role in the film Across The Universe.. which was a combination of both acting and music. That felt like one of those moments where everything I had been through, all the things I had done in my life, was just building up to be that particular moment. It changed my life! Then acting became everything to me. I was sick of being in a band to be honest. I was far more interested in films and acting and theatre at that point and so I threw myself into it. I loved it. It was like being in that production of Wind In The Willows over and over again! But music was always there. I was always writing songs and lyrics and brewing up ideas and collaborations with partners and friends throughout my acting career. So my life has kind of just bounced around the two forms equally. I’ve always had both in my life.
You’ve expressed a love for independent films due to the limitations and challenges they offer. Can you share what it is about independent projects that continues to draw you in, and do you find that these experiences have a unique impact on your craft as an actor?
I guess I fell in love with Independent films when I was in Manchester. They were like listening to records and albums to me at that time. Before that, films were more in the vein of Hollywood entertainment films which I loved. But when I discovered independent films and film makers it changed the playing field for me completely. I was hooked. The more challenging, weird and controversial the better. I’d seek them out and get excited to watch them. I had this tiny television, with a built in VHS player attached to it, at the end of my bed and I’d consume these grainy low quality video prints all through the night.
I learnt a lot about the world by watching some of those films and they fed my imagination in new and hungry ways. So I owe those films a lot.
Independent films often exist on the fringes of the industry because they are more challenging or nuanced in their subject matter and style. So you learn a huge amount by being a part of them in the same way you do by watching them.
I don’t know why but I’m attracted to the challenges that come with independent film making. I guess I thrive off the limitations of trying to make something against the odds. Money is never on the right side of the project so you really have to come together and get in the trenches and get dirty to get it made. It can have that kind of ‘rock n roll’ spirit to it that a lot of the bigger movies just don’t have. The experience is often more intimate and personal and so you champion it.
I also love working with first time directors, who’s life can feel like it’s on the line in this moment. It’s an infectious energy. Saying that, I’ve also felt the frustration of independent film making. The disappointment when the film doesn’t work. Which can happen often. It doesn’t come out the way that you hoped and fought hard for, and the inexperience of the director or producer is very real and problematic. So it can go both ways. You really have to roll the dice and hope it’ll work.. which keeps it interesting.
Many actors find themselves navigating the fine line between fame and personal privacy. What are your thoughts on the concept of celebrity, and how do you maintain a balance between your public and private life?
For me, I don’t feel I have to really deal with fame a huge amount. Whether consciously or unconsciously it’s not something I’ve gravitated towards or feel has been a big part of my life. For better or for worse, because it can be extremely useful when trying to get a job. It does have an impact. Particularly for the smaller independent films because they rely on a recognisable face to get the finance. But it comes at a price as we all know. So it’s a very nuanced bit of choreography you have to dance… and I’m not sure I’ve ever been particularly good at it. Fame can often come at the cost of a film becoming successful too, without you necessarily seeking it, so there’s sometimes not a lot you can do about it. I guess a certain level of recognition is always looming from job to job because you never know how it will be received. I remember being in one of the first Apple shows when they launched their new streaming platform, and the way everyone was talking about it and the conversations about what Apple’s marketing capabilities were, created the feeling that this thing could blow right up and the whole world would be watching. I remember getting quite nervous at the idea.. but it didn’t happen!
I definitely dealt with a lot more of fame at the beginning of my film career. In terms of getting recognised a fair bit. I’m a bit of a loner at times and so can often be wandering around on my own. It could be a bit overwhelming when large groups of people would ask for a picture and follow you around and I realised quite quickly it wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed. The minute you realise that someone knows who you are the whole room feels different. It completely changes and warps that moment, and your place in it, in quite a peculiar way. So it can be tricky. But saying that, it can be really touching when people approach you to tell you how much they enjoyed a film that you were a part of. So like anything it goes both ways.
I always felt like I lived a kind of double life anyway. I would often be away shooting a movie, or at a film festival promoting a film, surrounded with all the madness and the trimmings that come with it, and the next thing I know I’d be back in London getting in someone’s way in the queue in Tescos!!
As an actor, you’ve explored various time periods and settings. If you could transport yourself to any historical era for a film role, which one would it be, and what kind of character would you want to portray?
That’s a hard one! One of the great things about the job is that you can kind of immerse yourself in different time periods, experience what they wore, how they lived. I love all that stuff. I think it comes back to the fact that I didn’t really learn much in the classroom, so it’s a much more practical way to learn about history and geography and the way the world works. That was definitely all lost on me at school.
I remember one of the earliest films I made was a film called The Other Boleyn Girl ,which was all set around the court of Henry VIII. One of the best memories I have of making that film was doing a big scene where we were all on horseback. We’d all been taking horse riding lessons and before the scene the horse trainer suggested we all go out for a ride to warm up. I vividly remember about 20 of us, charging through the grounds of this old English castle, all dressed in period clothing, with nothing to remind you of the present day, and thinking that this was the closest you could get to experiencing a real moment in the Tudor era. It was great.
I’ve always had a love affair with New York. So maybe something there. In the 1920’s it seemed like people had a good time. It felt like a pretty electric time to be alive. So maybe some drunken poet in the 1920’s.
You’ve been a part of various films, from historical dramas to cult hits like “Cloud Atlas.” Is there a particular role or project that has had the most profound impact on you personally or professionally?
Yeah definitely. There are quite a few films that I have made that have felt like more than just making a film. They feel like profound moments in my life. And all for different reasons. I would have to put ‘Across The Universe’ up there because it was the first proper film I made and really changed everything for me. Before that I had been a jobbing actor doing parts here and there in small films and TV productions, and was predominately playing music in a band around that time. The band had been a pretty tumultuous period in my life, to say the least, and I was very ready for something to change. Someone had told me about an audition they were doing for this Beatles film so I reluctantly bowled along. After a series of call backs I had been offered the lead role and was heading to New York to start rehearsals. I’d never been to America but had had a love affair with New York in my head for as long as I can remember. From Ghostbusters to Home Alone 2, Hip Hop music, Skate videos, Scorsese, Basquiat, CBGB’s my head was full of it. I arrived in the summer and to say it completely blew my head off would be playing it down for sure. I loved it there. I got an apartment in the East Village right near Tompkins Square Park and I never thought I was going to come home. Then on top of all that I was making this film, singing and recording Beatles songs all day everyday. Working with all these mad dancers, artists, actors and musicians. There was a special feeling around that project. An excitement and a vibe that you don’t always get.
It was a similar feeling with ‘Cloud Atlas’. Just that feeling of making something different and exciting. There was such a diverse mix of actors from all over the globe in that film. There were 3 directors, 2 film sets, 6 storylines and we were each playing multiple characters of different genders, ethnicities and ages. So whether you were Tom Hanks or Xun Zhou – nobody had done anything like it. The subject matter was also very nourishing and profound, which fed into our psyche during that time for sure. It was an incredible time and something I hold close to my heart.
In addition to acting, you’ve also ventured into music under the stage name King Curious. Can you share your inspiration behind your music, and what can listeners expect from your upcoming album “COMMON SENSE FOR THE ANIMAL”?
When I started writing the album I had no idea what it was going to be or what it would sound like. I actually hadn’t written any music for quite a long period of time and in many ways was trying to get away from music. My previous connections with music and songwriting had been all consuming and had ended painfully and I had stepped away from it for about four years or more. If I’m going to be completely honest I had been going through quite a difficult time in my life. I was pretty lost and incapable of doing much around this four or five year period, and I was creatively pretty numb. But I was coming out the other side and a new chapter in my life was presenting itself to me. So out of nowhere really, I sat at my piano and wrote a song. I guess it was a way of reflecting and encapsulating that period, a way of processing it all and definitely a way of letting it go. A kind of exorcism in a way. It was a sad piano ballad called ‘The Makeshift Numbers’ which features on the album. As a reaction to writing about the past I wanted to write a song about the future, about the hope moving forward, so I wrote a song called ‘Asleep with books’. Another piano based song but with this kind of forward driving, hopeful momentum to it. It was very cathartic. And then the flood gates opened and I couldn’t stop writing. I was writing about everything. The city I lived in, corruption, cruelty. My fears about AI. My experiences with love, with anxiety. About being a man. I even wrote a song about the cosmos!! Bloody hell I went for it.
Sonically the job was to reflect the emotions of the songs, which as I said, were a mixed bag. I was never interested in sticking to one particular genre. It’s not how I think or work, I think in terms of emotion and what the song needs, so the job was to make all these different songs come together cohesively and feel like a unified body of music. I worked with two of my good friends Pablo Clements and James Griffith who are hugely talented producers, who work out of a studio in Brighton. They created and produced a lot of the music from a band called UNKLE and have a wide scope and knowledge of music. So we would get together periodically over the winter months in their studio and start bringing the songs to life.
I’m really not very good at describing what to expect musically from the album. I always feel like I’m doing it a disservice. It was clear that quite organically all the influences that have passed through my ears and lived in my body throughout my lifetime were all finding their way into the music. 80’s electronic music, 90’s hip hop, 00’s guitar bands and old 60’s crooners.. it’s all in there.
Your journey from musician to actor is fascinating. Can you share any unique challenges or advantages that come with transitioning between these creative disciplines, and how do they enrich your overall artistic expression?
I honestly have quite mixed feelings about appearing as an actor turned musician. It cannot be the easiest transition to make. I’ve always viewed it in others with a sense of suspicion and caution. We’re quite protective of the authenticity of music in this country, rightly so.. I know I am. It means a lot to people here in the UK, it’s about the realness of the artist and the authenticity of that singular voice, whereas acting is about escaping and loosing themselves in the character and the story, allowing that person to be a blank and transformative page, so that transition can be jarring. So you have to treat it with a certain level of respect. Saying that, you can’t let it interfere with your own creative journey and your own need to express yourself. I think as long as you’re being honest and authentic to yourself and the culture in which it comes from then you can get a seat at the table. I grew up in the 90’s and 2000’s where it was much more cutthroat in terms of staying in your lane. Music was far more tribal back then, in that you had your music identity and you stuck to it. Or at least that was how it felt when I was younger. But there’s definitely a much stronger sense of inclusion in the culture today. A mix of inspirations and creative outlets. I see a lot of young pro skateboarders for example, getting into modelling, acting in films and releasing music on the internet. So people seem far more open to it than they did before. And that’s exciting.
For me, the acting has been about learning and gathering life experiences. Opening myself up and pretending to be others. You are a guest in another world and and it’s a huge privilege to experience different people’s creative ideas and be a part of their universe. But the music is about me. It’s about my world and my headspace. And that can feel pretty exposing. There’s no character to hide behind.. other than the character of KING CURIOUS.. which is of course me. Or a version of me!
Looking back at your career, what would you say is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about yourself as an artist, and how has it shaped your approach to your work today?
I definitely feel like there’s been quite a profound shift in how I view myself as both an actor and a musician. I think ultimately in my early days as an actor it was all about chasing new characters. Being in as many different types of films as I could and playing as many different roles. I was hungry for experience and adventure. How can I change my look, how I move, my accent. But as you get older that stuff becomes less important and I’ve found I actually want to bring more of myself to the characters that I play. To use more of my own experiences and just try and create something honest and truthful.. rather than performative.. if that makes sense?
I think with the music there’s a stronger sense of myself in there too. A far healthier disregard for what might be expected or what I should be allowed to exist in. A more honest sense of tapping into all the musical influences in the past and knowing how to bring that into what I’m doing in an original and authentic way that feels like my own.
If I was to look back at what I’ve learned and how it has shaped things moving forward.. I’d say it would be to keep searching for that spark. The same spark and thrill that I had when I first started out. When I was in that production of Wind In The Willows, when I was in a band at 15 or writing plays and making short films at college. If you can always find that spark or that seed of excitement in the work moving forward, then you know you’re in the right place doing the right thing. No matter what form that comes in and no matter the outcome. That’s what making this album has been about and why I chose to take it on as a project. Because it fuelled me.. and I need that. I feel no different dreaming up lyrics, band names, logos and music videos now.. than I did when I was dreaming up all that stuff at fifteen.. and that’s quite a special thing.
Lastly, what’s next on the horizon for you, both in terms of your acting career and your music?
I have absolutely no idea. And that’s part of the joy of it I suppose. You never really know what’s around the corner. I think one of the main take aways I got from making the album is how much I got from working alongside my friends. All the talented amazing people that I know and have met along the way. I could actually get emotional just talking about it. How brilliant some of my friends are and how, when we all put our heads together and get excited about making stuff that we think is cool, some really interesting work comes out of it. Not having to dilute, adapt or navigate other interrupting forces that don’t fit the same vision or creative agenda that we might do is an exciting thing.
I’m definitely working towards the same creative space in film too and starting to develop scripts and film ideas with friends and people I respect, so that we can hold onto to some of that control and do it the way we think it should be done. It’s one of the advantages of getting that bit older. Now we can be the adults in the room!