Tom Sturridge

December 2, 2009 by Alicia Leung
Filed under Actors 2Watch4

Let’s face it. The only person we would be 100% okay with Rob Pattinson dating is his adorable BFF, Tom Sturridge. While fans like to point out Tom (or TomStu, as his doting admirers have endearingly nicknamed him) lurking in the photos taken of his Twilight star pal, we have a feeling that the talented Mr. Sturridge won’t be in the background for very much longer. Blessed with the ability to exude soft-spoken, boyish charm one minute and to radiate smoldering leading man intensity the next, this 23-year-old London native has all the trappings of a serious and versatile young actor.

Born to director Charles Sturridge and actress Phoebe Nicholls, it seems as if Tom may have always had an affinity towards film in his blood. A self-proclaimed cinephile, Tom had the incredible opportunity to work with one of his heroes, Hungarian director István Szabó (who won an Oscar in 1981 for directing one of Tom’s favorite films, Mephisto), in Becoming Julia (2004) opposite Annette Benning. The same year, Tom had a small role in the Reese Witherspoon historical drama, Vanity Fair (2004) alongside Pattinson (whose scenes were later edited out of the final cut). Tom followed those two films up with a starring turn in Like Minds (2006), an intriguing thriller in which a psychologist delves into the complex relationship between two friends to solve a murder.

Currently, Tom can be seen in the Richard Curtis (Love Actually) helmed comedy, Pirate Radio (aka The Boat That Rocked in the UK), that features a dream cast that includes the likes of acting greats, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Tom holds his own as Carl, the young innocent whose eyes are opened by a defiant group of seafaring rock and roll DJs who captivate and inspire 1960s Britain with their choice of music. Tom’s personal taste in music isn’t too shabby either – he’s a huge fan of Van Morrison and a loyal supporter of his up-and-coming musician friends, Marcus Foster, Sam Bradley and Bobby Long. You can check out his excellent iTunes celebrity playlist HERE.

Recently, Tom has been garnering accolades for his portrayal of a schizophrenic boy who ultimately ends up killing his schoolmates in the well-reviewed Simon Stephens play, Punk Rock. He has even been nominated in the Outstanding/Best Newcomer categories for both the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards and the Manchester Evening News Theater Awards for the role this year. While Punk Rock’s stints in London and Manchester have just finished, we’re crossing our fingers that the play crosses the pond to Broadway soon.

Next up for Tom is Waiting for Forever, a romantic drama co-starring Rachel Bilson, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival early next year. After that, who knows? Tom has mentioned that he isn’t worrying too much about the future as he’s still young and relatively responsibility-free. One thing’s for sure though—wherever Tom goes with his creative ventures, we’ll be sure to follow.

Official Sites:
Pirate Radio

Fansites:
Tom Sturridge Online
Tom Sturridge dot Com
Tom Sturridge Daily on LiveJournal
Tom Sturridge Fans on LiveJournal