Tom Cullen Biography

Tom Cullen (born 17 July 1985) is a Welsh stage and screen actor.

Biography

Early life

Born in Aberystwyth, he was brought up in Llandrindod Wells and Cardiff. He attended Llanishen High School. Cullen is the son of two writers and he was involved in music before deciding to pursue a career in acting. He has a brother named Joseph and a sister named Ruth.

Early career

Cullen spent a year at the Central School of Speech and Drama before completing his training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Whilst still in training, Cullen was taken out of Drama school to star in Daddy's Girl (BAFTA Cymru Best Film) alongside Jaime Winstone and Watch Me (BAFTA Cymru Best Short).

Acting career

Since graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Acting, Cullen has worked extensively in film, television and the stage. In 2011 Cullen was named on the Screen International Stars of Tomorrow list alongside Alexandra Roach and Douglas Booth. Notably he starred in BBC Television short 20 Questions, for which he won Best Actor at the IMS Awards and his stage work included the Bristol Old Vic, National Theatre Wales.

Cullen's performance in the 2011 film Weekend, directed by Andrew Haigh, won him critical acclaim. Cullen and Weekend collected numerous awards including Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards, Best Actor and Grand Jury award for Cullen at the Nashville Film Festival, the Audience Award at SXSW and the Grand Jury at Outfest. He was nominated alongside Michael Fassbender, Gary Oldman, Brendan Gleeson and Peter Mullan for British Actor of the Year by the London Film Critics' Circle.

Cullen's performances as Jonas in Black Mirror (alongside Toby Kebbell and Jodie Whittaker), and Wulfric in the Ridley Scott produced World Without End (Scott Free Productions/Tandem Communications) (alongside Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Richardson, Charlotte Riley and Peter Firth) garnered him further critical acclaim.

He has recently wrapped filming on Desert Dancer starring alongside Freida Pinto and Reece Ritchie, the inspirational true story of Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian, who risked his life for his dream to become a dancer despite a nationwide dancing ban, and the science fiction piece Last Days on Mars, directed by Academy Award nominated director Ruairi Robinson, starring alongside Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Elias Koteas and Olivia Williams, based around the first manned mission to Mars.

Cullen has recently been cast as Lord Anthony Gillingham on Downton Abbey.

Cullen is also a writer and he is Artistic Director of Undeb Theatre with actor Alexander Vlahos.

Cullen's editorial work includes L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair and 10 Magazine.

Personal life

Cullen is dating Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany.

Filmography

• Weekend (2011 - film)
• Black Mirror (2011 - TV series, one episode)
• World Without End (2012 - mini-series)
• Last Days on Mars (2013 - film)