Maxwell Phillip Cullen[1] (born 29 April 1940) is an Australian stage and screen actor. He has appeared in many Australian films and television series but is best known for his role in the film Spider and Rose and the television series The Flying Doctors, Secret Valley and Love My Way.
Max Cullen | |
|---|---|
 Cullen in Acute Misfortune | |
| Born | Maxwell Phillip Cullen 29 April 1940 Wellington, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Spouse | Colleen Anne Fitzpatrick |
| Children | 2, including Katharine Cullen |
Early life edit
Cullen was born on 29 April 1940, in Wellington, New South Wales, to Alec Cullen, an electrical linesman and Lila Mary (nee Yale), when he was one year old his family moved to Lawson in the Blue Mountains. His younger brother Fred Cullen was also an actor better known professionally as Cul Cullen (1934-1982)[1]
Career edit
Cullen began his career as a painter and sculptor after training at Sydney's National Art School in 1956 and later studied at the Julian Ashton Art School with Brett Whiteley in 1959. His works have been exhibited regularly in solo and in group exhibitions and he has worked as an illustrator, cartoonist and layout artist on several magazines and newspapers.[2]
After seeing a play, he became interested in the acting profession and spent his formative years training under Hayes Gordon at the Ensemble Theatre, where he would subsequently appear in productions over a ten-year period, he also worked at the then newly established Nimrod Theatre.[1]
Cullen was a regular arts reporter on the Sunday current affairs television program. He has also worked as a professional and motivational speaker.
Since 2007, Cullen has performed Lawson, a one-man show based on the life of Australian poet Henry Lawson.[3][4]
Cullen had a role in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, alongside fellow Australian actors Hugh Jackman and Asher Keddie. He played "Owl Eyes" in the 2013 film, The Great Gatsby.
Personal life edit
Cullen been married three times and has two daughters, one from each of his first two marriages. Married to actress Colleen Fitzpatrick from 1973–1987, they have one daughter, actress Katharine Cullen, born 9 June 1975, and one grandson William Richards, born 17 August 2013.
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Nightwait | Milkbar customer | |
| 1969 | You Can't See 'round Corners | Peeper | Feature film |
| 1971 | Stockade | Rafaello Carboni | Feature film |
| 1972 | The Office Picnic | Paddy | Feature film |
| 1974 | The Hotline | TV movie | |
| 1975 | Sunday Too Far Away | Tim King | Feature film |
| 1977 | Summerfield | Jim Tate | Feature film |
| 1978 | Bit Part | TV movie | |
| 1978 | Blue Fin | Pensioner | Feature film |
| 1978 | Cass | TV movie | |
| 1979 | The Odd Angry Shot | Warrant Officer (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1979 | My Brilliant Career | Mr. McSwatt | Feature film |
| 1979 | Dimboola | Mutton | Feature film |
| 1980 | Hard Knocks | Newman | Feature film |
| 1981 | Hoodwink | Factory clerk | Feature film |
| 1982 | Starstruck | Reg | Feature film |
| 1982 | Running on Empty | Rebel | Feature film |
| 1983 | Midnite Spares | Tomas | Feature film |
| 1983 | With Prejudice | Krawczyk | Feature film |
| 1983 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Italian Man | Feature film |
| 1984 | Stanley: Every Home Should Have One | Berger | Feature film |
| 1986 | Charley's Web | Charley O'Keefe | TV movie |
| 1986 | Norm and Ahmed | Norm | Short film |
| 1988 | Incident at Raven's Gate | Taylor | Feature film |
| 1988 | Boundaries of the Heart | Blanco White | Feature film |
| 1989 | Luigi's Ladies | Chef | Feature film |
| 1990 | Call Me Mr. Brown | Fibreglass Factory Foreman | Feature film |
| 1990 | The Returning | Father Donohue | Feature film |
| 1991 | As Happy as Larry | Bert | |
| 1992 | Garbo | Wal | Feature film |
| 1992 | Mad Bomber in Love | Sergeant Meggs | Feature film |
| 1992 | Greenkeeping | Tom | Feature film |
| 1993 | Shotgun Wedding | Rev. Arthur Hickey | Feature film |
| 1994 | Lightning Jack | Bart | Feature film |
| 1994 | Spider and Rose | Jack | Feature film |
| 1995 | Rough Diamonds | Magistrate Roy | Feature film |
| 1995 | Billy's Holiday | Billy Apples | Feature film |
| 1997 | Kiss or Kill | Stan | Feature film |
| 1999 | In a Savage Land | Douglas Stevens | Feature film |
| 2002 | The Nugget | Wally | Feature film |
| 2006 | Jindabyne | Terry | Feature film |
| 2007 | December Boys | Narrator / Adult Misty | Feature film |
| 2008 | Australia | Old Drunk | Feature film |
| 2009 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Travis Hudson | Feature film |
| 2009 | Possession(s) | Paul | |
| 2010 | Anyone You Want | Glen | |
| 2010 | Santa's Apprentice | Humphrey (voice) | Animated feature film
(English version) |
| 2013 | The Great Gatsby | Owl Eyes | Feature film |
| 2016 | Broke | Cec | Feature film |
| 2016 | Goldstone | Old Timer | Feature film |
| 2018 | Acute Misfortune | Kevin Cullen | Feature film |
| 2020 | Never Too Late | Hank | Feature film |
| 2020 | The Skin of Others | Henry Lawson | Documentary film |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-76 | Homicide | 8 roles | TV series, 8 episodes |
| 1967 | Contrabandits | Allen | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968 | Skippy | Keeler | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Riptide | Gus / Chris / Rod | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1969 | Woobinda, Animal Doctor | Johnno | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Link Men | Mario Costello | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | Dead Men Running | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1970-71 | Mrs. Finnegan | Hilton Harper | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1971 | The Comedy Game | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1972 | Birds in the Bush | The Miner | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969-72 | Division 4 | Joe Kennedy / John Brody / Tom Shaw | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Boney | Glen Shannon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Number 96 | Ralph Finlayson | TV series, 11 episodes |
| 1971-73 | Spyforce | Barrow / Osgood | TV series, 27 episodes |
| 1973 | Over There | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1973 | The Evil Touch | Policenan | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Silent Number | Cohen | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Unisexers | TV series | |
| 1975 | Scattergood: Friend of All | Scattergood | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1975 | Shannon's Mob | Vossif | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973-76 | Matlock Police | The Mouth / Taylor / Brian Young | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Rush | Billy Adams | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | McCloud | Putney | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Luke's Kingdom | Tom Shipton | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Bluey | Walter Curran | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Young Ramsay | Alec Thompson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Harry | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Kingswood Country | Donger Jackson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Australian Theatre Festival | Terry | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Trial by Marriage | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1980 | The Timeless Land | Byrne | TV miniserie, 3 episodes |
| 1980-83 | Secret Valley | Claude Cribbins | TV series, 15 episodes |
| 1981 | Tickled Pink | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1981 | Cornflakes for Tea | Stan | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 1981 | Sunday | Arts reporter | TV current affairs series |
| 1983 | Kings | TV series | |
| 1983 | Scales of Justice | Roach | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1983 | A Country Practice | Arnold Mortimer | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | Eddie Ward | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1984 | The Cowra Breakout | Private Hook | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Carson's Law | Wally Oates | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Chooka (The Reporter) | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Possession | Harry Keane | TV series |
| 1985 | The Flying Doctors | Hurtle Morrison | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1986-87 | The Flying Doctors | Hurtle Morrison | TV series, 22 episodes |
| 1987 | Vietnam | Journalist | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1987 | Frontier | Clark | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Rafferty's Rules | Mr Lee | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1988 | Act of Betrayal | Quinn | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Grim Pickings | Inspector Toby | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Police Rescue | Ernie Kemp | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Boys from the Bush | Ted | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 / 1995 | G.P. | Basil Meagher / Eric Mackie | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Prime Minister Jim Hammond | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995-2012 | RPA | Narrator | TV series |
| 1998 | Kings in Grass Castles | Mr Costello | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2001 | McLeod's Daughters | Sid Connolly | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004-07 | Love My Way | Gerry Jackson | TV series, 26 episodes |
| 2004-09 | All Saints | Moses / Barney / Fawcett | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2009 | City Homicide | Ray Stairmont | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2014 | Rake | Judge Coote | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2014 | Old School | Des | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2014 | Devil's Playground | Father Joyce | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Secret City | Les Gordon | TV series |
| 2016 | Doctor Doctor | Martin | TV series, 1 episode |
As crew edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Rate of Exchange | Writer | Short film |
Stage edit
As actor edit
As crew edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Training Run | Director / Designer | Bondi Pavilion |
| 1978 | Kitty Howard | Director | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | Logie Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 1986 | The Flying Doctors | Penguin Award | Best Performance by an Actor | Won |
| 1990 | The Tempest | Sydney Theatre Critics Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 1994 | Spider and Rose | Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 1994 | Spider and Rose | AFI Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 2005 | Love My Way | AFI Television Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy | Won [10] |
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Max Cullen - Max's Method | AustLit".
- ^ Personalities-Max Cullen Archived 8 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stateline NSW Max and Henry
- ^ Lawson album website Lawson Archived 28 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Max Cullen - Max's Method | AustLit".
- ^ "Bartleby | Stage Whispers".
- ^ "The bards are back in song and verse". 15 January 2016.
- ^ https://glamadelaide.com.au/fringe-review-dead-men-talking/
- ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2511
- ^ "Television categories 1986–2009". AFI Award Winners. Australian Film Institute. 2009. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
External links edit
- Max Cullen at IMDb