Sullivan Stapleton

Early life and education Stapleton was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was eight years old when he and his younger sister, actress Jacinta Stapleton, six at the time, joined an acting and modelling agency. The idea first came to their aunt who signed her own children with the agency. She then asked her nephew and niece if they would like to join and their mother signed them. Stapleton's younger brother Joshua also launched into acting, dance and musical theatre as a child.

Stapleton's picture caught the attention of a director who invited him to be in his short film. Pleased by his performance, the director said he was gifted and encouraged him to pursue acting.

Career Stapleton launched his career in Australia. Stapleton's first onscreen acting performance was in the 1994 Australian TV movie Baby Bath Massacre as Adrian. Between acting jobs, Stapleton performed several types of work: modelling, cleaning animal cages in a pet shop, and working as a grip in many films and TV productions. In 1995, Sullivan appeared in Blue Heelers for one episode, and again in 2003 for 3 episodes. He also worked on The Elephant Princess, Rush, Tangle)

Before landing a role as Josh Hughes in Australian soap opera Neighbours in 1998, Sullivan appeared in a string of little-seen features and homegrown dramas. Fearless in 2007 film December Boys, special agent Wilkins in 2007 American action film The Condemned. But it was with Stapleton's performance in the Academy Award-nominated film Animal Kingdom, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, that he made an international breakthrough. During his tenure on the series, he landed a role in his first American film, 2013's Gangster Squad, with Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn and Josh Brolin.

In early 2014, while Stapleton was in Thailand for the filming of Strike Back, on a night out in Bangkok after work, he fell off a tuk-tuk and suffered a head injury that left him in a coma. He was resuscitated by former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping, with whom he had been spending his night out. Shooting for the show was paused for six months to allow his full recovery. Airing of the fifth season was also pushed to 2015. In 2014, Stapleton also starred as the lead character, Greek general Themistocles in American epic historical action film 300: Rise of an Empire, opposite Eva Green, Lena Headey and David Wenham.

For five seasons, from 2015 until its end in 2020, Stapleton starred opposite Jaimie Alexander in American crime series, Blindspot, as FBI agent, Kurt Weller. Between filming the pilot and the ongoing series, Sullivan flew to Berlin to film his role as SEAL team leader Matt Barnes in 2017 action film American Renegades. He next appeared in 2019 biographical sports drama Ride Like a Girl, alongside Teresa Palmer and Rachel Griffiths, in which he played horse trainer Darren Weir.

In 2022, Stapleton had a lead role in After the Verdict, a six-part Australian comedy drama television series on Nine Network, playing the role of Daniel, opposite Lincoln Younes and Magda Szubanski.

Awards

Television Year Title Role Notes 1994 Baby Bath Massacre Adrian TV movie 1995; 2003 Blue Heelers Ian Shannon / Gethin Fox / Anthony Hood 3 episodes: "Second Innings"; "Father's Day: Part 1&2"; "Victims" 1997 Good Guys Bad Guys Paul Morello Episode: "A Bilby in Rat's Clothing" 1997–1998 State Coroner 'Bullbar' Benson / Darren Pyke 2 episodes: "Sunday in the Country", "Final Approach"1998 Raw FM Bucky Episode: "Raw'n'Sore" Neighbours Josh Hughes Recurring role; 10 episodes The Genie from Down Under 2 Surfer #2 Episode: "The Cold Shoulder" Halifax f.p. Hamish Episode: "Afraid of the Dark"1999 Witch Hunt Craig Thomas TV movie Pig's Breakfast TV series Stingers Matt Wilmott Episode: "Dance with the Dragon"2000 Something in the Air Wayne Taylor 4 episodes: "The Best Man", "The Things We Do", "The Big Match", "Return of the Prodigal" Green Sails Infante TV movie 2001 My Brother Jack Young Joe TV movie 2002 MDA Ben Quilty 2 episodes: "Rites of Passage", "One Small Step" 2003–2005 The Secret Life of Us Justin Davies Main role; 24 episodes 2005 Little Oberon Martin TV movie 2006 McLeod's Daughters Drew Cornwell Episode: "Winners & Losers" 2007–2009 Satisfaction Josh Recurring role; 13 episodes2008 Underbelly Pat Barbaro Episode: "Suffer the Children" Canal Road Jack Logan 3 episodes Rush Yuri Episode 122009 Carla Cametti PD Matt Brodie Recurring role; 6 episodes Sea Patrol Geoff Kershaw Episode: "Guns"2010 The Odds Wade TV movie Lowdown Oliver Barry Episode: "Bonk Bonk, Who's There?" 2011 Underbelly Files: Infiltration Colin McLaren Main role; TV movie 2011–2018 Strike Back Sgt. Damien Scott Main role; 42 episodes 2015–2020 Blindspot Kurt Weller Main role; 100 episodes 2022 After the Verdict Daniel Main role; 6 episodes