Old Blue

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stapleton was born in Melbourne, Victoria. At age eight, he and his younger sister, actress Jacinta Stapleton (then six), joined an acting and modelling agency after their aunt signed her own children and then asked if they would like to join; 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. Stapleton received training at Melbourne's St. Martins Theatre and studied drama and theatre at Sandringham Secondary College in Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

In Their Own Story

Stapleton launched his career in Australia, getting his actors' union card at age 9 and starting work in ads at 11. His first onscreen acting performance was in the 1994 Australian TV movie *Baby Bath Massacre* as Adrian. Between acting jobs, he 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, he appeared in *Blue Heelers* for one episode, and again in 2003 for three episodes. Before landing a role as Josh Hughes in Australian soap opera *Neighbours* in 1998, he appeared in a string of little-seen features and homegrown dramas. Other notable roles include Justin Davies in *The Secret Life of Us* between 2003 and 2005, Fearless in the 2007 film *December Boys*, and special agent Wilkins in the 2007 American action film *The Condemned*. His performance in the Academy Award-nominated film *Animal Kingdom*, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, marked his international breakthrough. When *Animal Kingdom* won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, interest in him sparked on two continents. He made his second appearance in *Underbelly*, this time as the lead character Colin McLaren in *Underbelly Files: Infiltration*; previously he played Pat Barbaro in an episode of *Underbelly*. From 2011, off the back of *Animal Kingdom*, Stapleton began a main role as Damien Scott in *Strike Back*. 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. That same year, he was honoured with a Breakthrough Award at an exclusive Australians in Film Benefit Dinner held in Los Angeles. In early 2014, while 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. Shooting for the show was paused for six months to allow his full recovery, and airing of the fifth season was pushed to 2015. In 2014, Stapleton also starred as the lead character, Greek general Themistocles, in the 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 the American crime series *Blindspot* as FBI agent Kurt Weller. Between filming the pilot and the ongoing series, he flew to Berlin to film his role as SEAL team leader Matt Barnes in the 2017 action film *American Renegades*. He next appeared in the 2019 biographical sports drama *Ride Like a Girl*, alongside Teresa Palmer and Rachel Griffiths, playing 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.

Reader's Guide

Stapleton's career is marked by a mix of Australian television and international film roles. His early work includes the Australian TV movie *Baby Bath Massacre* (1994), episodes of *Blue Heelers* (1995 and 2003), and a role as Josh Hughes on *Neighbours* (1998). He gained recognition for his role as Justin Davies on *The Secret Life of Us* (2003–2005). His international breakthrough came with the film *Animal Kingdom* (2010), which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. He then took on the main role of Damien Scott in the British action thriller series *Strike Back* from 2011. In 2013, he appeared in his first American film, *Gangster Squad*, and received a Breakthrough Award at an Australians in Film Benefit Dinner. In 2014, he starred as Greek general Themistocles in *300: Rise of an Empire*. After a serious head injury in Thailand that paused *Strike Back* for six months, he recovered and later starred as FBI agent Kurt Weller on *Blindspot* from 2015 to 2020. His other film roles include *American Renegades* (2017) and *Ride Like a Girl* (2019). In 2022, he played Daniel in the Australian series *After the Verdict*.

Did You Know?

• Sullivan Stapleton was born on 14 June 1977.
• He got his actors' union card at age 9 and started working in ads at 11.
• His first onscreen acting performance was in the 1994 Australian TV movie *Baby Bath Massacre* as Adrian.
• In early 2014, he fell off a tuk-tuk in Bangkok and was resuscitated by former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping.
• He played Greek leader Themistocles in the 2014 film *300: Rise of an Empire*.