JIM STURGESS
Do you have a nickname?
I guess Jim itself is some sort of nickname. I did a movie with David Thewlis and Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Michael Caine [2014’s Stonehearst Asylum]. We tried to convince the entire crew and any new actor that came on that I insisted on being called ‘The Sturge’. It didn’t work. Nobody called me that. But we tried. Sir Ben, Sir Michael and The Sturge.
When were you most starstruck?
God, I get starstruck all the time. Probably one of the first times was when I went to one of those Hollywood parties in Los Angeles. I remember using the urinal, and Sean Penn coming up next to me and using the urinal next to mine. I couldn’t do the business until he finished and left the room. Starstruck and stage fright! That was a big moment for me. I’m a huge fan of his films. It’s that weird moment where you want to say something but you can’t because you’re in the toilet.
What is the worst smell in the world?
You know after you cut your toenails? I don’t know why, but I always have a little sniff. You know it’s going to be rank, but you just have a little go anyway. Just to make sure it might be better this time. And it never is. I just have to make sure that it hasn’t gotten any better. Yeah. My own toenail clippings. [laughs]
How much is a pint of milk?
In England, at my Tesco, it’s 50p, isn’t it? I guess if you ever buy some milk in Shoreditch or something, it’s probably £3.50.
Do you have any scars?
I do. All of them from skateboarding accidents. My legs are pretty shredded, to be honest. I have a pretty bad scar on my inner thigh from having a really bad skateboarding accident about eight years ago. I stopped skateboarding after that. I was too old to be rolling around on a skateboard anyway.
Have you ever knowingly broken the law? Oh God, yeah. Many times. Yes. I’m not gonna go into details! But certainly through most of my teenage years, there was a fair amount of lawbreaking going on.
Who is the most famous person you could text right now?
Maybe not the most famous but probably the most interesting famous person is Billy Bob Thornton. We text. Billy’s one of a kind, man. There’s not many like him out there. He’s like a cowboy to me — old-school Americana. They don’t build them like that anymore. And he’s one of the greatest storytellers I’ve ever come across. You could literally sit in a bar with Billy and just listen to him roll off story after story. He’s an amazing person. He’s become a good friend. So yeah, I would say Billy’s probably the coolest, most interesting celebrity on my phone.
What scares you?
Sharks. I have a major fear of sharks. And weirdly, horror films. Which is bizarre because I work in the film industry and I’m quite aware of how a film is made... it shouldn’t really have an effect on me! I can watch horror films and I’m not even scared of them while I’m watching them. Then all my mates leave my house and I’m on my own. And then my brain just goes sideways. So I guess probably my own imagination is what scares me the most. Leave me on my own in a dark space for enough time and yeah, I’ll be terrified.
What one thing do you do better than anyone else?
Waste time. Great time-waster. I can stare into space better than anyone I know and seemingly do nothing. I’m very good at just staring out of the window and watching the world go by. My wife’s always active but I can just sit. So, this lockdown — I’m in heaven.
On a scale of one to ten, how hairy is your arse? [laughs] I have no idea. I’m a moderately hairy person. I’m gonna go with a... six? I don’t know. I’ve seen some hairy men in my time. So maybe I should lower it down. Five-and-a-half? I need to ask my wife.