Tom Sturridge is a recognized figure in the entertainment industry, credited with significant contributions to both theater and film. Born into a family with a long-standing history in show business, Sturridge’s career in acting was influenced, to some degree, by his family background. However, his journey is distinguished by distinct personal choices and motivations.
Despite his family’s deep roots in show business, Sturridge maintains that his career choice was personal rather than familial influence. Back in 2015, he told the Independent that he didn’t want to follow his family’s path as a teenager:
“It would be disingenuous of me to say I didn’t understand it because it was in my family, but I was a relatively clichéd teenager, and I didn’t want anything to do with what my parents did.“
Sturridge’s mother took a hiatus from acting when she had her children, so the actor believes his family wasn’t that much of an influence. In fact, he says he actually wanted to follow a different career path. According to an interview with LA Times in 2022, Sturridge said:
“My mother stopped working as an actress when she had her children and only started again when I was in my early 20s. It wasn’t a big part of my childhood. But I think whenever our parents do any job, you think that job is possible [for you], as opposed to — like, for me, the idea of being an appellate lawyer in the Supreme Court. I have no connection to that world, but it’s something I would supremely want to do.”
Tom attended an independent school in London, Harrodian, where he was one of its early students. He formed significant relationships there, including his longstanding friendship with fellow actor Robert Pattinson. Pattinson is his best friend, and they have known each other since they were 13.
The Sandman’s Morpheus On ‘Dreaming’
Sturridge, mostly known for his role in ‘The Sandman,’ leads a life characterized by a deep appreciation for his craft, a love for music, and a unique perspective toward dreams.
As the star of ‘Sandman,’ Sturridge likes spending time dreaming. He intentionally chooses to sleep more, not for rest, but to dream again. Speaking to Interview Magazine‘s Anna Wintour, he revealed:
“I’m the kind of person that if I wake up and I have the possibility of sleeping a little bit more, I will intentionally sleep more, not to rest, but to dream again.“
In the same interview, Sturridge admitted that ‘Morpheus’ actually came to visit him in his dreams. Here is what he said about this ’emotional’ moment:
“I remember the day I got the job. When I went to sleep that night, the character came to me in my dreams. That was an incredibly overwhelming and emotional experience. I’ve since looked for him in my dreams to ask how to play the character, but I never met him again.”
Tom Sturridge’s Favorites
Sturridge’s career spans from theater to film, including a Broadway performance in ‘Sea Wall/A Life.’ He starred on Broadway with Jake Gyllenhaal in the play in 2019. They never shared the stage for a second, except for the final bow.
The actor has expressed that he finds acting in the theater to be a more natural experience than being on the screen. In a 2020 interview with Backstage, he was quoted saying:
“I find on-camera requires a greater leap of imagination. When you do a play, you’re in the room, and that’s the room you’re in… and there’s nothing else. It’s like you’re literally living the life you’re living. Whereas on camera, there’s, like, 150 men and women standing around you. And you’re in a giant warehouse in a room made of matchsticks.”
Regarding his favorite film, Sturridge chose ‘Being Julia,’ where he starred in his early acting career as Roger Gosselyn. He also didn’t forget to pay tribute to the film’s director:
“‘Being Julia’ is just a memory that sticks out in my mind just because of [director] István Szabó, who I was a massive fan of before. And that’s the reason why I thought that maybe acting was a useful thing to do in the world.”
Sturridge has a notable interest in music, especially from the ’60s era. In a 2009 interview, he said he learned a lot about music while filming ‘Pirate Radio’ and revealed his favorite artists from the 60s:
“I kind of like the lone guys. I like Dylan, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and… I don’t know what genre you’d call that. Singer-songwriters? But that’s my favorite stuff, I think. As well as, like, the Stones.“
As for his favorite scene in ‘The Sandman,’ ‘Dream’ chose a scene he shared with her sister, ‘Death,’ which was played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Saying that he finds the moments he worked with Lucienne special, Sturridge told Newsweek the following:
“The thing that comes to mind, instinctively, is Episode 6 with my sister. There are so many levels of formality in the way that Dream interacts with other characters, whether it’s because of his position of office or because of the context they’re in, or simply because he is so much more powerful than them that the disparity is too great for them to have any kind of true empathy between each other.”
Sturridge’s Personal Life
Sturridge started dating actress Sienna Miller in 2011. The two had a daughter named Marlowe in 2012 and were engaged, but they split in 2015. Despite their breakup, they appear to maintain a good relationship. In 2022, Tom, his partner Alexa Chung, his ex-wife Sienna, and Sienna’s boyfriend Oli Green were spotted attending Wimbledon.
As a parent, Sturridge expresses an open-mindedness toward his daughter’s potential future career choices. Asked his reaction if Marlowe came to him and said she wanted to get into acting, Tom said:
“The world I care about is theater, and it’s the most exciting and thrilling way to explore the job. I have no idea what I would say to her if I’m honest. The one thing I’m constantly surprised by with parenting is how I constantly assume or behave in a certain way, and I have an idea of what I’m going to say — and the moment I’m confronted with the reality of this person and the way they react to the world, I’m confounded. Maybe I’m not the best person to give advice.”
According to MrPorter, Tom doesn’t live in London anymore, as he left his home there to live in New York several years before 2022.
Despite being in the public eye, Sturridge values his privacy. There is limited information available about his personal life and relationships. He doesn’t have an official Instagram or Twitter account as of now, so fans can only have a glimpse of ‘the Dream’s life through interviews.