A University of Nottingham Philosophy graduate is one of the stars of Hollywood sci-fi film Divergent.

Theo James (Philosophy 2007) or Theodore Taptiklis, as he was known during his student days, was treading the boards of the University’s New Theatre just seven years ago but now joins a growing and prestigious list of alumni of the theatre, which includes Olivier award winner and BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated actress Ruth Wilson.

Following his rise to stardom Theo now has his own fans website theojamesfans.com and various Tumblr accounts, one of which is dedicated to the worship of his eyebrows.

After graduating from Nottingham, Theo trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His early television roles included parts in A Passionate Woman, opposite Billie Piper, Downton Abbey and Bedlam. In 2009 Screen International film magazine listed him as a “Star of Tomorrow” and his film roles came thick and fast.

Although he appeared in the Woody Allen film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, he rose to prominence with a role in The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011. A year later he appeared in the American action horror film Underworld: Amakening with Kate Beckinsale.

US audiences have seen much more of Theo recently with his role last year as rookie detective and future New York police commissioner Walter William Clark Jr, in the CBS crime drama Golden Boy.

In Divergent, Theo plays Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton. The film is based on the trilogy of novels by Veronica Roth and stars Shailene Woodley and Kate Winslet. The action takes place in a futuristic Chicago, where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. When Theo appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote the movie and was teased about his American accent in the film.