John Cullum
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"Not one soul ever saw me in ['Private Lives']. When you're out there with Elizabeth Taylor, eyes are on her all the time, whether she's speaking or not." --John Cullum in DAILY NEWS, February 6, 1996
Biography
This handsome, weathered, stage-trained actor garnered national attention with his portrayal of trapper/restaurateur Holling Vincoeur on "Northern Exposure" (CBS, 1990-95). Tennessee native John Cullum began his acting career when he was cast by Joseph Papp in several small roles in a 1957 New York production of "Julius Caesar." Three years later, he worked extensively with Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, appearing in such plays as "Henry V" and "The Taming of the Shrew." His work on Broadway began in the original production of "Camelot" (1960), playing the role of Sir Dinadan and understudying star Richard Burton. He later played Laertes to Burton's Hamlet in John Gielgud's 1964 modern-dress production that was also filmed and nearly twenty years later supported Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in a revival of Noel Coward's "Private Lives" (1983). By that time, Cullum had established himself as a versatile stage actor, moving comfortably between musicals and straight plays. He received his first Tony Award nomination as the psychiatrist treating Barbara Harris in the Lerner and Lane musical "One A Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1965). In 1966, Cullum succeeded Richard Kiley as the "Man of La Mancha" and portrayed Declaration of Independence signer Edward Rutledge (of South Carolina) in the award-winning musical "1776" (a role he reprised in the 1972 feature adaptation). He received his first Tony and became an uncontested Broadway star playing the father trying to keep his sons out of the Civil War in "Shenandoah" (1975) and garnered a second medallion as the egotistical film director Oscar Jaffe in "On the Twentieth Century" (1978). He played the manipulated playwright Sidney Bruhl in "Deathtrap" (1980) and earned critical notice for his one-man show about the American artist "Whistler" (1981). In the 90s, he returned to musicals in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Aspects of Love" (1990) and as Cap'n Andy in "Show Boat" (1996) and then dazzled audiences and reviewers as Joe Keeler in the revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" (1997).
Like many leading stage actors, Cullum found limited success in TV and features. He made his film debut as one of Jean Simmons' brothers in "All the Way Home" (1963) and also had a small role as a missionary in "Hawaii" (1966). Cullum relied on his Tennessee roots to play a district attorney in "MARIE: A True Story" (1985) and wrote himself a strong leading role as an eccentric in 1997's "The Secret Life of Algernon," adapted from the Russell H Grennan novel.
Cullum's small screen credits include a stint on the NBC soap opera "The Doctors," a supporting role on "The Day After" (ABC, 1983), the highly publicized TV drama of the aftermath of nuclear war, and the short-lived series "Buck James" (ABC, 1987-88), in support of Dennis Weaver. He also made his TV directorial debut with an episode of NBC's "Quantum Leap" in 1990.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Music (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1957
New York stage debut in production of "Julius Caesar"
1960
Broadway debut in the original production of "Camelot"; also understudied Richard Burton as King Arthur
1960
Made first apperances as member of the New York Shakespeare Festival in "Henry V', "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Measure for Measure"
1963
Feature acting debut, "All the Way Home"
1963
Had regular role on the NBC daytime drama "The Doctors"
1964
Played Laertes in John Gielgud-directed "Hamlet" starring Richard Burton; production was filmed and received a limited theatrical release
1965
Starred opposite Barbara Harris in the musical "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"; garnered first Tony nomination
1966
Succeeded Richard Kiley as Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha"
1969
Had featured role of South Carolinian Edward Rutledge in the stage musical "1776"
1972
Reprised role of Rutledge in film version of "1776"
1973
TV-movie debut, "The Man Without a Country" (ABC)
1975
Starred in the original Broadway production of "Shenandoah"; won Tony Award
1977
Stage directing debut, "The Red Blue Grass Western Flyer Show", performed at Goodspeed Opera House
1978
Cast as film director Oscar Jaffe in the Broadway musical "On the Twentieth Century"; received second Tony Award
1980
Played the lead in "Deathtrap"
1981
Starred in the one-man show "Whistler", about the American artist
1983
Played Victor in support of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in "Private Lives" on tour and on Broadway
1983
Had featured role in the ABC TV-movie "The Day After"
1986
Co-starred with Geroge C Scott in "The Boys of Autumn", about the adult Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn
1987
Starred in the ABC TV series "Buck James"
1989
Reprised his Tony-winning role in the Broadway revival of "Shenandoah"
1990
Had brief stint in the Broadway musical "Aspects of Love"
1990
Portrayed Holling Vincoeur on the quirky CBS series "Northern Exposure"
1990
TV directorial debut with an episode of NBC's "Quantum Leap"
1996
Returned to Broadway stage as Cap'n Andy in the Harold Prince-directed revival of "Show Boat"
1997
Screenwriting debut with "The Secret Life of Algernon", co-written with John Gray and Charles Jarrott; also starred in title role
1997
Played recurring role of David Green, father of Dr. Mark Green (Anthony Edwards) on "ER" (NBC)
1998
Returned to series TV as Jason Beghe's father in the CBS series "To Have & To Hold"
2000
Returned to NYC theater as co-star of Wendy Wasserstein's Off-Broadway play "Old Money"
2000
Starred in the London stage premiere of Arthur Miller's "Mr. Peters' Connections"
2001
Headlined the raucous Off-Broadway musical "Urinetown"
2006
Cast in an adaptation of Armistead Maupin's novel "The Night Listener"
2006
Cast in the HBO original film, "The Notorious Bettie Page" starring Gretchen Mol as the 1950's pin-up model
2007
Cast in the Broadway revival of "110 in the Shade"; earned a Tony award nomination
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Not one soul ever saw me in ['Private Lives']. When you're out there with Elizabeth Taylor, eyes are on her all the time, whether she's speaking or not." --John Cullum in DAILY NEWS, February 6, 1996
