Tom Sturridge bio, personal life, daughter, girlfriend, age, height, awards 2025

Tom Sturridge Biography

Tom Sturridge seemed born to act. At 10, he made his film debut in a movie directed by his father, Charles Sturridge. His classic, refined look made him perfect for English literary adaptations, ranging from "Vanity Fair" to "On the Road."

Tom's proven himself equally capable in both drama and comedy. But theater is where he truly found his calling, earning two Tony nominations for his powerful stage performances.

In 2022, Sturridge starred in another British adaptation, this time of Neil Gaiman's comic "The Sandman." His brooding, gothic performance won over critics and Netflix viewers alike.

Childhood and Family

Tom Sturridge was practically raised on movie sets. He was born on December 21, 1985, in London, to English director Charles Sturridge and actress Phoebe Nicholls. The family later welcomed two more children, a boy named Arthur and a girl named Matilda.

From childhood, Tom loved watching his parents work on set. So it's no shock he eventually landed in front of the camera himself. His debut came at age 10 in "Gulliver's Travels," directed by his father Charles. Young Sturridge played the son of the main character. Surprisingly, he has no memory of this debut and didn't even put it on his résumé. The film premiered in 1996 and was a success, winning five Emmy Awards.

Tom Sturridge as a child in the movie 'Gulliver's Travels'

After that, Tom started participating in school plays. But as a teen, he suddenly decided against following his parents into the business. He quit theater, lost interest in film, and in 2001 enrolled in Winchester College, a highly prestigious educational institution in England.

Acting Career

A few years into his studies, Sturridge realized he'd made a mistake. Office work, no matter how well-paid, just didn't appeal to him. He dropped out of his final year and decided to return to acting. Hungarian director István Szabó had already tapped him to play Roger in a film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's play "Being Julia." The film was released in 2004 and received warm reviews from both critics and audiences.

Tom Sturridge in the movie 'Being Julia'

That same year, Sturridge appeared in another classic adaptation, "Vanity Fair," starring alongside Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, and Romola Garai.

Tom Sturridge in the movie 'Vanity Fair'

After starring with Eddie Redmayne in the 2005 film "Like Minds," the young actor began gaining recognition as an emerging star of British cinema. But widespread acclaim remained just out of reach.

It wasn't until 2009, after landing a breakout role in the dramedy "Pirate Radio," that Tom gained fans worldwide. The film allowed Sturridge to share the screen with iconic British actors like Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans, and Kenneth Branagh.

Tom Sturridge in the movie 'Pirate Radio'

His character, 17-year-old Carl, is sent by his mother to a pirate radio station located on a ship in international waters, broadcasting music banned in the UK. Though the film didn't break even at the box office, it earned overwhelmingly positive reviews and became a cult classic, perfectly capturing 1960s nostalgia.

Tom Sturridge as Carl (Pirate Radio)

After this breakthrough, Sturridge had no shortage of roles. In 2009, he starred with Rachel Bilson in the romance "Waiting for Forever." To nail the carefree character of Will Donner, Tom even had to learn juggling.

Tom Sturridge in the movie 'Waiting for Forever'

In 2011, he added to his filmography with the drama "Junkhearts," and a year later appeared in the adaptation of Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road." He starred alongside Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, and Sam Riley. Sturridge's character, Carlo, was based on the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The film was nominated for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Tom Sturridge in the movie 'On the Road'

In 2012, Tom landed a role in the TV series "The Hollow Crown." The project, featuring Ben Whishaw, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, and Benedict Cumberbatch, focused on the lives of medieval English kings and was based on Shakespeare's plays. Sturridge played the role of Henry VI of Lancaster.

Tom Sturridge in the series 'The Hollow Crown'

Two years later, he appeared in the romantic drama "Effie Gray." 2015 proved a busy year with three films: the mystery "Remainder," the drama "Far from the Madding Crowd," and Terrence Malick's experimental film "Song to Song," which featured an impressive cast including Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Val Kilmer, and Cate Blanchett.

In 2017, Sturridge took on a notable role in the war drama "Journey's End" and the historical romance about writer Mary Shelley, "Mary Shelley." The following year, he landed the lead male role in the TV series "Sweetbitter," based on the book by Stephanie Danler. In the series, Tom's character becomes the love interest of Tess, a young woman enchanted by the big city. The show lasted for two seasons.

Tom Sturridge as Jake in the series 'Sweetbitter'

Theater

Beyond his screen work, Sturridge has always been drawn to the stage. He made his stage debut in 2009 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in "Punk Rock," portraying a character inspired by the teenage killers from the infamous Columbine High School. For this role, he was nominated for an Evening Standard Award as "Most Promising Newcomer" and won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award.

In 2013, Tom made his Broadway debut, playing Phillip in the play "Orphans," alongside Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf. His portrayal of a developmentally challenged character earned him a Tony Award nomination.

In 2015, he appeared in the play "American Buffalo," written by American playwright David Mamet. Three years later, he starred as Winston Smith in another Broadway production, "1984."

Tom Sturridge in the play 'American Buffalo'

In 2019, Sturridge shared the Broadway stage with Jake Gyllenhaal in the play "Sea Wall/A Life." This performance led to another Tony Award nomination for him the following year.

Tom Sturridge's Personal Life

From 2006 to 2008, the English actor dated American actress Camilla Belle. Fans were charmed by the good-looking pair, but things didn't work out.

Following that split, Sturridge was linked to co-stars Abigail Breslin and Carey Mulligan from different projects. In 2011, he started dating Sienna Miller, who had recently split from Jude Law. Just months later, they got engaged. In July 2012, their daughter Marlowe was born.

The following year, they modeled together for Burberry in a campaign shot by Mario Testino. Though they seemed like the perfect match, they never made it down the aisle and called it quits in 2015. The two stayed close friends, with Tom remaining hands-on in co-parenting their daughter.

Tom Sturridge and Sienna Miller with their daughter

Following his split from Miller, Sturridge kept things low-key on the romance front. It wasn't until 2020 that he went public with someone new. He was frequently photographed with Maya, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. But that romance was short-lived.

In the summer of 2022, Tom was caught sharing a kiss with writer, designer, and blogger Alexa Chung at the Wimbledon tournament.

Tom Sturridge Now

2022 proved to be Tom's breakout year with two major projects. The dramatic series "Irma Vep" had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Directed by Olivier Assayas, the series is a remake of his own 1996 film. The story follows an actress, played by Alicia Vikander, who becomes completely absorbed in her character. Sturridge played her ex-boyfriend, Eamon, caught up in a messy love triangle with a singer played by Kristen Stewart. While the series got mixed reviews, critics praised Tom's performance.

Netflix dropped "The Sandman" in August, based on Neil Gaiman's beloved graphic novel. Sturridge played the main character, Morpheus, an ancient deity and ruler of dreams. The casting process stretched over eight months, with Tom beating out 1,500 other actors.

Tom Sturridge in the series 'The Sandman'

The series featured an impressive British cast, including Gwendoline Christie, Stephen Fry, and Jenna Coleman. In interviews, Tom confessed he hadn't read the source material before auditioning but dove in during production and became a devoted Gaiman fan.

"The Sandman" earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike, smashing Netflix viewership records. Though Netflix hasn't officially greenlit a second season yet, Gaiman's thrilled with the adaptation and confident it deserves to continue.

Neil Gaiman and Tom Sturridge On What to Expect For 'The Sandman'

Sturridge's been busy with new projects, recently wrapping "Treehouse" alongside Jeremy Irons and "Sex and the City" star Kim Cattrall. The film, based on a novel by Eduard von Keyserling, is set to premiere in 2023.

Interesting Facts

Tom almost landed the lead in 2008's "Jumper." He nailed the audition for the lead role, but director Doug Liman thought the 20-year-old Sturridge was too young and went with "Star Wars" actor Hayden Christensen instead. Producers breathed a sigh of relief, worried that a $100+ million film might bomb with an unknown lead. Turns out their worries were pointless—the film got slammed by critics anyway.
When he was 13, Sturridge went to Harrodian School in London with Robert Pattinson. The two hit it off and have stayed close friends ever since. Tom even asked Robert to be the godfather of his niece. Through Tom, Pattinson met singer FKA Twigs, who he dated for several years and was even engaged to.