Early Days: Ambition Meets Opportunity
Not many actors can point to a start as bold as Peter Sullivan’s. Born in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire in 1964, Sullivan dove headfirst into the world of performance at just 18, stepping onto the stage with the National Youth Theatre in 1982. Few teenagers get a shot at Shakespeare’s deep end, but there he was, playing Edmond in King Lear and even taking on Macbeth as the lead. These weren’t just background parts—and right from the start, he seemed drawn to material that demanded guts and range.
College wasn’t just a box to check for Sullivan. The Central School of Speech and Drama gave him three years of solid, hands-on training from 1983 to 1986. After that, he crossed the Atlantic to study with legendary teacher Uta Hagen at HB Studio in New York. This mix of old-school stagecraft and avant-garde New York influence set him apart when he took his next leap.
That leap? Joining Catalan experimental group La Fura dels Baus in 1988. You don’t just tour the globe unless you’re comfortable with risk, noise, and high-energy chaos. Sullivan took part in their wild trilogy—Accions, Suz/O/Suz, and Tier Mon. It wasn’t your average night at the theater. The physicality and innovation of those performances would leave a permanent mark on his style.
Striking Roles: Theatre, Television, and Beyond
When it comes to stage work, Sullivan consistently aimed for the top. Landing roles at London’s National Theatre, there he was again wrestling with monumental characters. Under director Richard Eyre, he stepped into Shakespeare’s world once more, this time as part of King Lear and Richard III. These kinds of roles aren’t just about memorizing lines—they’re about navigating the treacherous emotions and intellect behind them.
He made a swift and successful move to television too. Sullivan scored the lead in the sitcom Over The Rainbow by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. It’s the sort of jump that trips up a lot of stage actors, but for him, the balance between drama and comedy felt natural. Shows like this call for presence and comic timing. Audiences responded, giving his on-screen work momentum.
Theatre, though, is where Sullivan has repeatedly made his mark. He has a knack for originating roles in fresh, untested plays by the likes of Tom Stoppard, David Hare, and Debbie Tucker Green—heavyweights by any standard. If you’ve picked up a programme at the Royal Court, Almeida, or a top West End venue, there’s a fair chance Sullivan’s name was on the bill. Beyond being a chameleon, he’s one of the few English actors performing fluently in four languages, shaking up expectations of the classic British stage performer. That unique blend led to his Evening Standard Best Newcomer nomination—a clear nod from critics who don’t hand out praise lightly.
He’s not satisfied with merely acting, though. Sullivan built a second act as a producer, writer, and director with his outfit Column4. Most know him for short films like We Are Happy (2015) and The Brunchers (2013), but his reach extends to collaborations with Universal, Paramount, and BBC Films. These aren’t modest side jobs—the big studios trust his instincts. Indies and TV networks keep his calendar full as well.
Sullivan’s agent, Nick Forgacs at Independent Talent, continues to steer a career that’s both strategic and versatile. From experimental European theater to British television and film production, Peter Sullivan’s journey isn’t about a single breakout moment. Instead, it’s a story of range—of refusing to stay in one lane and always searching for new frontiers on stage and screen.
