Brett Cullen

Brett Cullen Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: August 26, 1956

Age: 67 years old

Birth Place: Houston, Texas

A prolific American television actor, Brett Cullen is most recognizable for his many recurring roles on primetime dramas. The native Texan studied acting in college and began winning TV parts in his 20s. Among Cullen's notable early work were parts on the miniseries "The Thorn Birds" (ABC, 1983) and the soap opera "Falcon Crest" (CBS, 1981-1990). Juggling various one-off television spots with the occasional feature-film role, Cullen finally landed the lead in a series with the Western "Legacy" (UPN, 1998-99), but the show proved to be short-lived. Around 2005, he became even busier than usual, with guest stints on numerous high-profile dramas, including "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006) and "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010), all within a brief span of time. Cullen subsequently began to snag bit parts in major Hollywood films such as "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) and the "Red Dawn" remake (2012). Always conveying a stoic sense of steeliness, Cullen aged into an actor frequently called upon for characters who clearly meant business.

Sticking to his metropolitan hometown for college, Cullen pursued acting at the University of Houston and befriended fellow young actor Dennis Quaid, forming a long-lasting bond. While Quaid rocketed to stardom, Cullen paid his dues on television, landing a mix of small and substantial roles on major network productions. In 1983 he appeared in the heralded miniseries "The Thorn Birds" and later took on the part of Dan Fixx for more than 50 episodes of the popular soap "Falcon Crest." Cullen's Texan ruggedness made him a good fit for Westerns, with a role as Marshal Sam Cain on "The Young Riders" (ABC, 1989-1992) and eventually a starring turn on "Legacy," which only lasted one season despite solid reviews. Prior to this series, he also had a lead part in the sitcom "The Simple Life" (CBS, 1998) with Judith Light, which met an even quicker fate. Already a steady working actor, Cullen became more in-demand in the new millennium, playing a supporting role in the feature football comedy "The Replacements" (2000) and portraying recurring characters on a number of major shows, including "The West Wing," "Lost" and "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 2006-2011). Often cast as fathers, Cullen played the dad of Nicolas Cage's title antihero in "Ghost Rider" (2007) and also had a paternal turn in 2012's resistance-fighter movie remake "Red Dawn." After briefly appearing in the superhero blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012), he joined the cast of the tense drama "Person of Interest" (CBS, 2011-16) as a key character tied to the show's super-surveillance conceit and also became a regular on the soapy dramedy "Devious Maids" (Lifetime, 2013-16).

Credits

The Long Game

Actor
Movie
2024
75%

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers DynastyStream

Actor
Bill Sharman
Miniseries
2022
83%

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty FREE

Actor
Bill Sharman
Show
2022

American Carnage

Actor
Harper Finn
Movie
2022

It Snows All the Time

Actor
Paul
Movie
2022

It Snows All the Time

Executive Producer
Movie
2022

ReminiscenceStream

Actor
Walter Sylvan
Movie
2021
36%

Big Dogs

Actor
Captain McKeutchen
Show
2020

JokerStream

Actor
Thomas Wayne
Movie
2019
69%

The Turkey Bowl

Actor
Ed Hodges
Movie
2019

FBIStream

Guest Star
Curtis Grange
Series
2018

The Riot Act

Actor
Dr. Willard Pearrow
Movie
2018

Queen of the SouthStream

Guest Star
Cole Van Auken
Series
2016

The ShallowsStream

Actor
Dad
Movie
2016
78%

Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell

Self
Show
2015

Normandy: The Last Rescue

Actor
Movie
2015

The Last Rescue

Actor
Captain Beckett
Movie
2015

The Last Rescue

Producer
Movie
2015

River Guard

Actor
Chuck Flynn
Movie
2015

Stalker

Guest Star
Series
2014
20%

The BlacklistStream

Guest Star
The Stranger
Series
2013
91%

Under the DomeStream

Guest Star
Series
2013
68%

Devious MaidsStream

Actor
Michael Stappord
Series
2013

42Stream

Actor
Clay Hopper
Movie
2013
81%

Red DawnStream

Actor
Tom Eckert
Movie
2012

The Guilt Trip

Actor
Ben Graw
Movie
2012

Person of InterestStream

Guest Star
Nathan Ingram
Series
2011
92%

RevengeStream

Guest Star
Series
2011
69%

Body of ProofStream

Guest Star
Series
2011
76%

Monte Carlo

Actor
Robert
Movie
2011

Puncture

Actor
Nathaniel Price
Movie
2011

Beneath the Darkness

Actor
Sgt. Nickerson
Movie
2011

The Gates

Guest Star
Show
2010

JustifiedStream

Guest Star
Series
2010
97%

The Runaways

Actor
Cherie's Father
Movie
2010

Skateland

Actor
David Wheeler
Movie
2010

White CollarStream

Guest Star
Series
2009
96%

Three Rivers

Guest Star
Show
2009

CastleStream

Guest Star
Series
2009
82%

Reunion

Actor
Jake
Movie
2009

The MentalistStream

Guest Star
Dane Kurtik
Series
2008

The Burning Plain

Actor
Robert
Movie
2008

Brothel

Actor
Avery
Movie
2008

Private PracticeStream

Guest Star
Allan
Series
2007

Burn NoticeStream

Guest Star
Lawrence Henderson
Series
2007
88%

The Life Before Her Eyes

Actor
Paul McFee
Movie
2007

Friday Night LightsStream

Guest Star
Walt Riggins
Series
2006
97%

Ugly BettyStream

Guest Star
Ted LeBeau
Series
2006
97%

Ghost WhispererStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

Criminal Minds: EvolutionStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

Serial Bowl

Guest Star
Show
2005

Desperate HousewivesStream

Guest Star
Detective Burnett
Series
2004
72%

The Mountain

Guest Star
Show
2004

LostStream

Guest Star
Goodwin Stanhope
Series
2004
86%

NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323

Actor
Hub Weber
Movie
2004

Life on Liberty Street

Actor
Dr. Jake Mitchell
Movie
2004

Pixel Perfect

Actor
Xander
Movie
2004

Deceit

Actor
Sam Penny
Movie
2004

Suburban Madness

Actor
David Harris
Movie
2004

Cold CaseStream

Guest Star
Series
2003

NCISStream

Guest Star
Capt. Todd Gelfand
Series
2003

National SecurityStream

Actor
Heston
Movie
2003
11%

Learning Curves

Actor
Brad. Sr.
Movie
2003

Without a TraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

CSI: MiamiStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

MonkStream

Guest Star
James Duffy
Series
2002
91%

Nancy Drew

Actor
Carson Drew
Movie
2002

On Golden Pond

Actor
Show
2001

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

Guest Star
Series
2000

The Expendables

Actor
Deacon
Movie
2000

The ReplacementsStream

Actor
Martel
Movie
2000
41%

Once and Again

Guest Star
Series
1999

Family LawStream

Guest Star
Series
1999

The Ghoul

Actor
Show
1998

LegacyStream

Actor
Ned Logan
Series
1998
57%

The Simple Life

Actor
Series
1998

From the Earth to the MoonStream

Actor
Dave Scott
Miniseries
1998

Ally McBeal

Guest Star
Series
1997
61%

Orleans

Actor
Show
1997

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Actor
Pete
Movie
1997

The Killing Jar

Actor
Michael Sanford
Movie
1997

Perfect Body

Actor
Coach David Blair
Movie
1997

The Hired Heart

Actor
Bryan
Movie
1997

Suddenly SusanStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Shattered Mind

Actor
Sean
Movie
1996

The Omen

Actor
Show
1995

The Outer LimitsStream

Actor
Dr. James Martin
Series
1995

Apollo 13Stream

Actor
William 'Bill' Pogue
Movie
1995
96%

Something to Talk AboutStream

Actor
Jamie Johnson
Movie
1995
39%

Keys to Her Past

Actor
Police Chief Sam Wasser
Movie
1995

Family Album

Actor
Show
1994

The Gambler V: Playing for KeepsStream

Actor
Movie
1994

Caricias Nocturnas

Actor
Movie
1994

A Kiss Goodnight

Actor
Carl Jasper
Movie
1994

Family Album

Actor
George Waterson (uncredited)
Movie
1994

Walker, Texas RangerStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStream

Guest Star
Deral
Series
1993
91%

Prehysteria

Actor
Frank
Movie
1993

Where Sleeping Dogs Lie

Actor
John Whitney
Movie
1992

Leaving Normal

Actor
Kurt
Movie
1992

Zostawić normalność

Actor
Movie
1992

Cambio de Rumbo

Actor
Movie
1992

The Sitter

Actor
Jeff Harper
Movie
1991

... And Then She Was Gone

Actor
Peter Harmon
Movie
1991

By the Sword

Actor
Danny Gallagher
Movie
1991

Mischief

Actor
Jeff Harper
Movie
1991

The Young RidersStream

Actor
Marshal Sam Cain
Series
1989

The Young RidersStream

Guest Star
Marshal Sam Cain
Series
1989

Dead Solid Perfect

Actor
Donny Smithern
Movie
1988

MatlockStream

Guest Star
Series
1986

Stewardess SchoolStream

Actor
Philo Henderson
Movie
1986

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Actor
Show
1985

V: The SeriesStream

Guest Star
Robert
Series
1984
67%

The Thorn BirdsStream

Actor
Bob Cleary
Miniseries
1983

Falcon CrestStream

Actor
Dan Fixx
Soap
1981

The Incredible HulkStream

Guest Star
Series
1978

M*A*S*HStream

Guest Star
Pvt. Thomas Anthony McKegney
Series
1972

News aboutBrett Cullen