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Jim Sturgess is an English actor whose breakout role was Jude in 2007's Across the Universe. He was born in London, England but grew up in Farnham, Surrey outside of London. He studied at the University of Salford's School of Media, Music and Performance. He was discovered by future vocal coach Jonah Higgins while performing in his self-written poetry-based one-person show "Buzzin" where he was recommended to an actor's agency back in London. Whilst 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, 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 fictional historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl in the supporting role of George Boleyn opposite Natalie Portman Scarlett Johanssonand 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 Kate Bosworth Kevin Spacey and Lewis Dodgson.