Charles Sturridge

Charles B. G. Sturridge (born 24 June 1951) is an English director and screenwriter whose career spans over five decades, encompassing acclaimed work in television, film, and theatre. Born in London, England to Alyson P. Burke and Jerome F. Sturridge, he received his education at the Jesuit Stonyhurst College before reading English at University College, Oxford, where his early fascination with narrative and performance began to blossom. Sturridge first entered the entertainment industry as an actor, appearing with the National Youth Theatre in Zigger Zagger (1967) and later playing Markland in Lindsay Anderson’s cult classic if.... (1968) and the young Edward VII in the series Edward the Seventh (1975), experiences that gave him a intimate understanding of the actor’s craft. By his late twenties he had already directed episodes of venerable British series such as Coronation Street, Strangers, World in Action and Crown Court, honing a versatile directorial style that balanced gritty realism with lyrical storytelling. His breakout came with the monumental eleven‑part adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited (1981), a production that amassed more than seventeen awards, including two Golden Globes and six BAFTAs, cementing his reputation as a master of literary adaptation. Sturridge continued to wield his narrative sensibilities across a varied filmography—Runners (1983), A Handful of Dust (1988), Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), FairyTale: A True Story (1997) (which earned the BAFTA for Best Children’s Film), and the Disney‑produced Lassie (2005). His television achievements are equally distinguished, with epic series such as Shackleton (2002) and Longitude (2000) winning multiple BAFTAs, Emmys and international honors. A devoted advocate for directors’ rights, he chaired Directors UK, influencing policy for thousands of UK filmmakers. Married to actress Phoebe Nicholls since 1985, the couple have three children, including actors Tom and Matilda Sturridge, continuing the family’s artistic legacy.