Tom Cullen

Tom Cullen (born 17 July 1985) is a Welsh actor, writer and director. He is best known for his role in the award-winning independent film Weekend (2011) and as Viscount Gillingham in the television series Downton Abbey. Early life Cullen was born in Aberystwyth. His father is Irish and his mother is English. He spent his early years in Llandrindod Wells and moved to Cardiff at age 12, where he attended Llanishen High School. He is the son of two writers and has two siblings. Before pursuing an acting career he was involved in music. 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. 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, and to star in Watch Me, which won the BAFTA Cymru for Best Short. 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. In 2011, he was named on the Screen International Stars of Tomorrow list. 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. His television roles include Jonas in Black Mirror, drug trafficker Yoram in Banged Up Abroad. and Richard in Pen Talar. He starred as Wulfric in the 2012 miniseries World Without End. He had a recurring role as Mary Crawley's suitor Anthony Foyle (the Viscount Gillingham) in Downton Abbey. 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 manned mission to Mars. Upcoming films include Happily Ever After, No Compass in the Wilderness, and A Hundred Streets. Cullen played Joe Rose in the new three-part ITV drama The Trials of Jimmy Rose, airing in September 2015. He starred in a Canadian indie from production company Motel Pictures, The Other Half, with his partner Tatiana Maslany. He plays the lead role of Mark in Harlan Coben's The Five, a ten-part Sky 1 mystery series. He will star as Landry in the History series Knightfall, set for Fall 2017. Cullen's editorial work includes L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, and 10 Magazine. 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. 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. Personal life Since 2011, Cullen has been in a relationship with Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany, whom he met filming the Channel 4 miniseries World Without End. They reside together in Los Angeles, California.