It’s clear that both England and America have a case of Theo James fever. The British actor has two films in the works coming out later this year, along with the upcoming film Divergent, which is based on the popular young adult novel by Veronica Roth.
After earning a philosophy degree from the University of Nottingham in England, James studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and eventually made his television debut in the BBC mini-series A Passionate Woman. He also claimed a small part in Woody Allen’s 2010 comedy You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, all before graduation. Soon, his appearances in television series and the cinema began to pile up. He starred in the popular Golden Globe winning series Downton Abbey, scored a spot as Jed Harper in the horror series Bedlam and picked up a small role in The Inbetweeners Movie. His boxing experience would earn him the part of David, a vampire, in Underworld:Awakening alongside Kate Beckinsale. Last year, he was the main character in the crime series Golden Boy where he played the role of Detective Clark, a man who would eventually become the youngest police commissioner in the history of the NYPD.
On March 21, James will star as the character Four in the sci-fi adventure Divergent. He is one of the members of the Dauntless faction, a district that revolves around bravery and strength, where he is in charge of training the newcomers. One of the new arrivals, played by Shailene Woodley, particularly attracts his attention because she is Divergent, meaning she can cheat the system. He is already set to reprise his character in the second and third movies. Whether he’s a vampire, a police commissioner or a merciless instructor, James’ talent seems to have no bounds.
Sammi Brennan can be reached at samantha.brennan@spartans.ut.edu