As The Stolen Girl lands on Disney+, fans are eager to learn more about actor Jim Sturgess who stars in the thriller.
TV Hayley Anderson 10:30, 16 Apr 2025
The Stolen Girl has landed on Disney+ but who is the actor behind Fred Blix, the father of the missing child at the heart of this nail-biting thriller?
Based on Alex Dahl's novel 'Playdate', the series follows the disappearance of a nine-year-old girl from her first sleepover.
However, the audience is left to wonder whether Rebecca (portrayed by Holliday Grainger) had a justifiable reason for taking the youngster.
Jim Sturgess takes on the role of distressed dad Fred Blix, and as the series debuts in full on Wednesday, April 16, fans are itching to know more about the star.
Early passions
Sturgess, born in Wandsworth in 1978, he spent most of his childhood in Farnham, Surrey, where he developed a love for both skateboarding and music.
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Opening up to Wonderland Magazine, he reminisced: "I was also mad into skateboarding growing up and so I would hear loads of different styles of music from the skate videos I was watching.
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"When I was about 15-years-old I joined a band. We were young but we were into it.
"Rehearsing in my mates garage, learning covers and then writing our own songs. It was our life back then.
"We would skate around the local car parks and spots and then rehearse and write music with the band in the evenings and weekends. And we got pretty good at it."
His music career continued as he pursued his band Saint Faith after relocating back to London, adopting the stage name King Curious.
Despite being more recognised for his acting, Sturgess released his album Common Sense For The Animal in July 2204.
Breaking into the industry
Now aged 46, Sturgess embarked on his acting career relatively late, landing a role in Across The Universe two decades ago.
Around the same time, he graduated from the University of Salford where he studied media and performance, having moved to London to chase a music career.
It wasn't long before he started getting more roles, including parts in The Other Boleyn Girl, Fifty Dead Men Walking, Heartless and Cloud Atlas.
Insomnia
In a 2016 interview with The Telegraph, Sturgess revealed that he had been battling insomnia during a chat about filming BBC Two's Close To The Enemy.
He confessed: "I was going through quite a tough time in my life and was suffering from bad insomnia.
"I'd fall asleep OK, but be wide awake at three o'clock in the morning, then I'd be a zombie throughout the day.
"It's fine if you don't have anything to get up for, but when your pickup's at 5.30am you're kind of screwed."
Speculation suggests that Sturgess may have been experiencing a "tough time" following his split with ex-girlfriend and actress Bae Doona, whom he met while filming Cloud Atlas in 2012.
They first sparked dating rumours in 2013, but it wasn't until 2014 that they confirmed their relationship. Sadly, the romance was short-lived, and by 2015, they parted ways.
Leaping a decade ahead, the actor has since found happiness with theatre producer Dina Mousawi. Smitten, the pair wed in a picturesque Italian ceremony in 2019 and have since welcomed a son.
One Day
His portrayal of Dexter in the 2011 romantic-drama One Day, alongside Anne Hathaway, stands out in his career.
Despite the film's cult standing, Hathaway's attempt at a Yorkshire accent, as Emma, his love interest, drew heavy criticism.
Yet, Sturgess came to her defence four years ago, speaking to The Independent: "I'm a real stickler for accents. If someone does a bad one, I can't watch the film.
"But I never felt anything like that while working with Anne at all.
"I think what happened was that she got a bad rep in America for her 'bad English accent', because people don't know about a Yorkshire accent in America.
"And I've had friends in America say it's the worst English accent they've ever heard, but I didn't think it was fair."
What's next
Fans of the actor can look forward to his upcoming appearances, especially on Disney+'s The Stolen Girl, and he has several other projects in the pipeline, per his IMDb profile.
Sturgess is busy with two exciting new projects that are sure to captivate audiences.
He's diving into a biographical drama titled One Thousand Paper Cranes, a poignant tale of "two remarkable women W.H.O. unwittingly work together, across oceans and decades, to create a powerful symbol of peace, the paper crane".
The versatile actor is also involved in the mystery comedy 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, currently in production.
The film description teases: "The story of Paige, whose father has stepped up and become a more responsible parent following the death of her mother."
Sturgess will be joined by other notable stars, as he shares the screen with the legendary Liam Neeson of Taken and Teresa Palmer from A Discovery of Witches.
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The Stolen Girl is available to watch on Disney+.
