Tom Cullen
{{short description|British actor}}
{{Other uses|Thomas Cullen (disambiguation){{!}}Thomas Cullen}}
{{EngvarB|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tom Cullen
| image = TomCullen.jpg
| birth_name = Thomas Cullen
| caption = Cullen in 2017
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1985|7|17}}
| birth_place = Aberystwyth, Dyfed, Wales
| alma_mater = Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Actor
- writer
- director}}
| years_active = 2006–present
}}
Thomas Cullen (born 17 July 1985) is a Welsh actor and director. He had roles in the independent film Weekend (2011), as Anthony Foyle, Viscount Gillingham in the television series Downton Abbey,{{Cite web|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/01/downton-abbey-tom-cullen|title=New Downton Abbey Star Tom Cullen Wishes He Could Play Lady Grantham|last=Arsenault|first=Bridget|website=The Hive|date=20 January 2014 |access-date=20 July 2017}} and as Sir Landry in the historical drama series Knightfall.{{cite news|last1=Wagmeister|first1=Elizabeth|title=Tom Cullen to Star in Jeremy Renner's History Series 'Knightfall' (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/jeremy-renner-knightfall-history-tom-cullen-1201774112/|accessdate=21 May 2016|work=Variety|date=13 May 2016}} He also appeared in another historical drama playing the role of Thomas Seymour in Becoming Elizabeth.
Early life
Cullen was born in Aberystwyth. He is the son of two writers. His father is Irish and his mother is English.{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/actor-tom-cullen-downton-abbey-11125341|title=Actor Tom Cullen on Downton Abbey, dancing and being 'the Devil incarnate'|publisher=WalesOnline|date=2 April 2016|accessdate=20 July 2017}} He spent his early years in Llandrindod Wells and moved to Cardiff at age 12,{{cite web|title=Emerging Welsh actor Tom Cullen on his big screen success|date=17 December 2011 |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/emerging-welsh-actor-tom-cullen-1801242|publisher=WalesOnline|accessdate=27 November 2017}} where he attended Llanishen High School.{{Cite web |last=Cook |first=Sam |date=2023-06-03 |title=How Tom Cullen went from being drama school rebel to Downton Abbey success story |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/how-tom-cullen-went-being-27035156 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Wales Online |language=en}} He has two siblings.{{cite news|last1=Grice|first1=Natalie|title=Indie film Weekend break for Cardiff actor Tom Cullen|work=BBC News |date=4 November 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15519733|accessdate=16 September 2014}}
Before pursuing an acting career he was involved in music.{{cite web|last1=Aftab|first1=Kaleem|title=Tom Cullen|url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/tom-cullen/|work=Interview|date=24 September 2011 |accessdate=16 September 2014}} He graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2009 with First Class Honours degree in Acting after spending a year at the Central School of Speech and Drama.{{cite web|last1=Rorke|first1=Robert|title=Lady Mary's dashing new suitor to debut on 'Downton Abbey'|url=https://nypost.com/2014/01/10/lady-marys-dashing-new-suitor-to-debut-on-downton-abbey/|work=New York Post|date=10 January 2014 |accessdate=16 September 2014}}
Career
=Acting=
Whilst still in training, Cullen was taken out of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to appear in Daddy's Girl, which won the BAFTA Cymru for Best Film,{{cite web|url=http://dragondicouk.stillsdesign.com/news/i/22/|title=BAFTA Award for Daddy's Girl|publisher=Dragon Di|accessdate=25 April 2008}} and to star in Watch Me, which won the BAFTA Cymru for Best Short.{{cite web|url=http://glamlifenews.glam.ac.uk/news/2008/apr/08/glamorgan-lecturers-film-nominated-bafta-cymru-awa/|title=BAFTA Nomination: Ieuan Morris 'Watch Me'|publisher=Glamorgan|accessdate=8 April 2008}} His stage roles include Gorgio at the Bristol Old Vic, Assembly and A Good Night Out in the Valleys at National Theatre Wales, and The Sanger at Sherman Cymru.{{cite web|title=Spotlight Actors: Tom Cullen|url=http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M128567.html|accessdate=16 September 2014}} In 2011, he was named on the Screen International Stars of Tomorrow list.{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/uk-ireland/screen-unveils-2011-stars-of-tomorrow/5029362.article|title=Screen International Stars of Tomorrow 2011|publisher=Screen Daily 30 June 2011|accessdate=17 September 2011}}
Cullen starred in the 2011 film Weekend as Russell, a Nottingham lifeguard. Weekend collected numerous awards including the Grand Jury award at the Nashville Film Festival and Best Achievement in Production at the British Independent Film Awards. Cullen won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards and Best Actor at the Nashville Film Festival in 2011 for his role as Russell.{{cite web|title=Weekend Awards|url=http://www.weekend-film.com/awards/|website=Weekend|accessdate=16 September 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214211312/http://www.weekend-film.com/awards/|archivedate=14 December 2013|df=dmy-all}} His television roles include Jonas in Black Mirror. He starred as Wulfric in the 2012 miniseries World Without End.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/futures_weekend_star_tom_cullen_turns_a_one_night_stand_into_art/|title=FUTURES: Star Tom Cullen Turns a One Night Stand Into Art|date=7 July 2011 |publisher=IndieWire|accessdate=7 July 2011}} He had a recurring role as Mary Crawley's suitor Anthony Foyle (the Viscount Gillingham) in Downton Abbey.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/downton-abbey/9903663/Downton-Abbey-the-dashing-aristocrats-lining-up-to-lift-Lady-Mary-out-of-despair.html|title=Downton Abbey: the dashing aristocrats lining up to lift Lady Mary out of despair|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=1 March 2013}}
Recent films include Desert Dancer, the story of Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian, who risked his life to become a dancer despite a nationwide dancing ban, and the science fiction The Last Days on Mars, based around the first crewed mission to Mars. Upcoming films include Happily Ever After, No Compass in the Wilderness, A Hundred Streets opposite Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton, and Mine opposite Armie Hammer.{{cite web|url=http://blog.rwcmd.ac.uk/2013/12/03/graduate-profile-tom-cullen/|title=Graduate Profile: Tom Cullen|publisher=Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama|accessdate=18 April 2014}}
Cullen played Joe Rose in the new three-part ITV drama The Trials of Jimmy Rose, airing in September 2015.{{cite web|title=Filming begins on The Trials of Jimmy Rose from ITV Studios|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/filming-begins-trials-jimmy-rose-itv-studios|publisher=ITV Press Centre|accessdate=7 November 2014}} He starred in a Canadian indie from production company Motel Pictures, The Other Half .{{cite news|last1=Vlessing|first1=Etan|title=Tatiana Maslany, Tom Cullen to Star in Indie 'The Other Half'|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tatiana-maslany-tom-cullen-star-790448|accessdate=23 April 2015|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 April 2015}} He plays the lead role of Mark in Harlan Coben's The Five, a ten-part Sky 1 mystery series.{{cite news|last1=Roxborough|first1=Scott|title=MIPCOM: Canal Plus Takes Harlan Coben's 'The Five' for France|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mipcom-canalplus-harlan-cobens-five-828293|accessdate=15 January 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=30 September 2015}} He also stars as Landry in the History series Knightfall, which started in December 2017.{{cite web|url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/3975144|title=After Vikings, History Channel Brings The Knights Templar To TV With Knightfall|work=Movie Pilot|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930174903/https://moviepilot.com/posts/3975144|archivedate=30 September 2017|df=dmy-all}} Cullen played Guy Fawkes alongside Kit Harington and Liv Tyler in Gunpowder on BBC One.
Cullen's editorial work includes L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, and 10 Magazine.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}
=Writing=
In 2008, Cullen wrote and produced the short film Naughties with Alexander Vlahos. In 2009, he and Vlahos co-founded the Welsh company Undeb Theatre.{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/theatre-in-wales/2009/09/28/actor-unite-for-theatre-project-91466-24794608/|title=Actors Unite for Theatre|date=27 September 2009 |publisher=WalesOnline|accessdate=28 September 2009}} He wrote and directed his full-length play, Kingfisher, about a man returning from prison, in 2010, as well as other short plays performed by Undeb.{{cite news|last1=Wild|first1=Susie|title=Undeb celebrate first birthday with Undeb-velopment – review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2010/nov/16/undeb-velopmement-undeb-theatre-cardiff-milgi-review|work=The Guardian|date=16 November 2010 |accessdate=16 September 2014}}
= Directing =
Cullen made his directorial debut with the 2019 film Pink Wall starring Tatiana Maslany and Jay Duplass. The film is described by Screen Daily as "the story of a couple’s struggles with the pressures of gender expectations and the conflict between life and ambition."Screen Daily, 'Weekend Star Tom Cullen Wraps Up Directorial Debut' 14 Dec 2017, https://www.screendaily.com/news/weekend-star-tom-cullen-wraps-directorial-debut-exclusive/5125001.article
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2006
|Cravings |Jason | |
| 2008
|Watch Me |Tom |Short film |
| 2009
|20 Questions |Adam |Short film |
| 2010
|Balance |Nico |Short film |
| 2011
|Russell |British Independent Film Award for Best Newcomer |
| 2012
|Henry |Henry |Short film |
| 2013
|Room 8 |Ives |Short film |
| 2013
|Richard Harrington | |
| 2014
|Ardavan | |
| 2016
|Richard | |
| 2016
|Happily Ever After |Colin | |
| 2016
|Nickie |Also executive producer |
| 2016
|Trial |Ryan/New Aaron |Short film |
| 2016
|Jake | |
| 2016
|Mine |Tommy Madison | |
| 2018
|Guy 3 |Short film |
| 2019
|Chris |Also director and writer |
| 2019
|Jimmy | |
| 2021
|Frank | |
| 2021
|Lucas | |
| 2023
| | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2010
|Richard |2 episodes |
| 2010
|Yoram |1 episode |
| 2011
|Jonas |Episode: "The Entire History of You" |
| 2012
|Wulfric |8 episodes |
| 2013–2014
|Anthony Foyle, Viscount Gillingham |12 episodes |
| 2015
|Joe Rose |3 episodes |
| 2016
|Mark Wells |10 episodes |
| 2017
|Leonard Sipp |Episode: "Manacled Slim Wrists" |
| 2017–2019
|Landry du Lauzon |Lead role |
| 2017
|3 episodes |
| 2018
|Luc Simon |2 episodes |
| 2021
|Mr. Edwards |3 episodes |
| 2022
|7 episodes |
| 2023 |
| 2024
|Jack Price MP |1 episode{{cite web |title=Meet the cast of Michael Sheen's BBC drama The Way |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-way-michael-sheen-cast/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=4 March 2024 |date=19 February 2024}} |
| 2024
|’’Insomnia’’ |Robert |Six-part thriller{{cite web |title=Insomnia review: Is Vicky McClure’s night-time thriller any good? |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/vicky-mcclure-insomnia-review/ |website=Radio Times |date=20 May 2024|access-date=4 February 2025}} |
| 2025
|Mudtown |Saint Pete |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result |
|---|
| 2011
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | British Actor of the Year | Weekend | {{nom}} |
| 2011
| Best British Newcomer | Weekend | {{nom}} |
| 2011
| Best Actor in a Narrative Feature | Weekend | {{won}} |
| 2011
| British Independent Film Award | Most Promising Newcomer | Weekend | {{won}} |
| 2016
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | {{won}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3665787|Tom Cullen}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullen, Tom}}
Category:Male actors from Cardiff
Category:People from Llandrindod Wells
Category:Actors from Aberystwyth
Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Category:Welsh male stage actors
Category:Welsh male television actors
Category:Welsh male film actors
Category:21st-century Welsh male actors
Category:Welsh people of Irish descent
Category:Welsh people of English descent
Category:People educated at Llanishen High School