Brett Cullen
Acting • Born 1956-08-26
Biography
Peter Brett Cullen (born August 26, 1956) is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins (played by actor Taylor Kitsch), in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. Cullen was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Lucien Hugh Cullen, an oil industry executive, and Catherine Cullen. He graduated from Madison High School in Houston in 1974. Cullen graduated from the University of Houston, giving great credit to his highly acclaimed acting mentor and University of Houston professor, Cecil Pickett, who also mentored such Houston born actors as Dennis Quaid, Randy Quaid, & Brent Spiner among others. Cullen and Dennis Quaid's close friendship to this day dates back to the 1970s and it is Cullen who introduced Dennis Quaid to his current wife, Kimberly Buffington at a dinner in Austin, Texas. Cullen played Dan Fixx in the 1980s CBS drama Falcon Crest for two seasons (1986–1988) and Marshal Sam Cain in the ABC western series The Young Riders for one season (1989–1990). In 1980, he appeared as the second Gideon Chisholm in the last nine episodes of the CBS western miniseries The Chisholms. In the four earlier episodes, the Gideon Chisholm role was played by Brian Kerwin. Cullen was the lead actor as Ned Logan in the short-lived Legacy, which lasted for just one season (1998–1999). On the series The West Wing Cullen played Ray Sullivan, a fictional governor of West Virginia and the Republican nominee for Vice President. His guest appearances on TV include: The Incredible Hulk, Tales from the Crypt, MAS*H, V, Matlock, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ally McBeal, Walker, Texas Ranger, Once and Again, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The Mountain, Monk, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, Pepper Dennis, Lost, Ghost Whisperer, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, and Friday Night Lights. In 2009, he had a recurring role in the ABC Family television series Make It or Break It. He has played two real-life astronauts, Jack Lousma in Apollo 13 (Brett is the CapCom at the time of the explosion; at that shift Lousma was the CapCom in real life) and David Scott in the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. His most recent appearance was in the role of Barton Blaze in the movie Ghost Rider. Other movie credits include Wyatt Earp (with Kevin Costner), Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (with Kenny Rogers and Bruce Boxleitner), Something to Talk About (with Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid), The Replacements (with Gene Hackman), On Golden Pond (with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer), Nancy Drew, and Gridiron Gang. He also played Bob Cleary in the 1983 mini-series The Thorn Birds. Cullen was recently cast in the up-coming femme comedy Monte Carlo alongside Selena Gomez, Andie MacDowell and Leighton Meester and is playing the role of Tom Eckert in the upcoming war film Red Dawn. On February 8, 2011, Brett was named the official spokesman for Houston Works which helps Houston residents with job training and placement, scholarships, consulting, technical initiatives focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and summer job programs along with Youth Summits. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Filmography
140 credits
Ghost Rider
Movie • 2007
Barton Blaze
The Long Game
Movie • 2024
Judge Milton Cox
Pixel Perfect
Movie • 2004
Xander
Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story
Movie • 1986
Billy
The Runaways
Movie • 2010
Donald Currie
The Life Before Her Eyes
Movie • 2007
Paul McFee
Dead Solid Perfect
Movie • 1988
Donny Smithern
Levitation
Movie • 1997
James
By the Sword
Movie • 1991
Gallagher
The Hired Heart
Movie • 1997
Bryan
Red Dawn
Movie • 2012
Sgt. Tom Eckert
NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323
Movie • 2004
Hub Weber
The Gambler: Playing for Keeps
Movie • 1994
Sundance Kid
Stewardess School
Movie • 1986
Philo Henderson
Meat Loaf - A Celebration Of Life
Movie • 2022
Self
The Guilt Trip
Movie • 2012
Ben
Puncture
Movie • 2011
Nathaniel Price
Skateland
Movie • 2011
David Wheeler
The Image
Movie • 1990
Malcolm Dundee
Perfect Body
Movie • 1997
Coach David Blair
Beneath the Darkness
Movie • 2012
Sgt. Nickerson
Prehysteria!
Movie • 1993
Frank
42
Movie • 2013
Clay Hopper
The Expendables
Movie • 2000
Deacon
Suburban Madness
Movie • 2004
David Harris
Reunion
Movie • 2009
Jake
American Carnage
Movie • 2022
Harper Finn
The Burning Plain
Movie • 2008
Robert
In a Stranger's Hand
Movie • 1991
Peter Harmon
Mother of the Bride
Movie • 1993
Dennis Becker
The Space Between
Movie • 2011
Used Car Salesman
Leaving Normal
Movie • 1992
Kurt
Midas Valley
Movie • 1985
Brad Turner
Kill Code
Movie
Sawyer
Deceit
Movie • 2004
Sam Penny
Complex of Fear
Movie • 1993
Ed Wylie
Something to Talk About
Movie • 1995
Jamie Johnson
The Killing Jar
Movie • 1997
Michael Sanford
The Last Rescue
Movie • 2015
Captain Beckett
On Golden Pond
Movie • 2001
Charlie Martin
Shattered Mind
Movie • 1996
Sean
Apollo 13
Movie • 1995
CAPCOM 1
The Dark Knight Rises
Movie • 2012
Congressman
The Replacements
Movie • 2000
Eddie Martel
National Security
Movie • 2003
Heston
It Snows All the Time
Movie • 2022
Paul
The Shallows
Movie • 2016
Father
Learning Curves
Movie • 2003
Brad, Sr.
Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell
Movie • 2015
Self - Friend
The Omen
Movie • 1995
Jack Mann
A Kiss Goodnight
Movie • 1994
Carl Jasper
Monte Carlo
Movie • 2011
Robert
Keys
Movie • 1994
Police Chief Sam Wasser
Nancy Drew
Movie • 2002
Carson Drew
The Sitter
Movie • 1991
Jeff Harper
The Turkey Bowl
Movie • 2019
Ed
River Guard
Movie • 2016
Chuck Flynn
The Riot Act
Movie • 2018
Dr. Willard Pearrow
Joker
Movie • 2019
Thomas Wayne
Single Bars, Single Women
Movie • 1984
Duane
White Lie
Movie • 2018
Steve
Where Sleeping Dogs Lie
Movie • 1991
John Whitney
Wyatt Earp
Movie • 1994
Saddle Tramp
Brothel
Movie • 2008
Avery
Life on Liberty Street
Movie • 2004
Dr. Jake Mitchell
Gridiron Gang
Movie • 2006
Frank Torrance
Reminiscence
Movie • 2021
Walter Sylvan
Safe House
Movie • 2025
Marshall
Falcon Crest
TV • 1981
Dan Fixx
Arli$$
TV • 1996
Ryan Mason III
M*A*S*H
TV • 1972
McKegney
Castle
TV • 2009
Christian Dahl
Once and Again
TV • 1999
The Incredible Hulk
TV • 1977
Desperate Housewives
TV • 2004
Detective Burnett
Ally McBeal
TV • 1997
Professor James Dawson
Ghost Whisperer
TV • 2005
Jack Applewhite
CSI: Miami
TV • 2002
Michael Boland
The Young Riders
TV • 1989
Marshal Sam Cain
Monk
TV • 2002
James Duffy
Matlock
TV • 1986
Kevin Gilliam
Cold Case
TV • 2003
Rob Deamer (2003)
Tales from the Crypt
TV • 1989
Ronnie Price
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV • 1985
Cooper
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV • 1993
Pete Drayton
Burn Notice
TV • 2007
Lawrence Henderson
Diagnosis: Murder
TV • 1993
Tim Rutland
Private Practice
TV • 2007
Allan
V
TV • 1984
Robert
Friday Night Lights
TV • 2006
Walt Riggins
Lost
TV • 2004
Goodwin Stanhope
NCIS
TV • 2003
Todd Gelfand
Ugly Betty
TV • 2006
Ted LeBeau
The Mentalist
TV • 2008
Dane Kurtik
Pepper Dennis
TV • 2006
Jack Bell
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
TV • 2022
Bill Sharman
The Mountain
TV • 2004
Family Law
TV • 1999
Dan Fortano
Orleans
TV • 1997
Clade Charbonnet
Legacy
TV • 1998
The Thorn Birds
TV • 1983
Bob Cleary
Three Rivers
TV • 2009
Make It or Break It
TV • 2009
Mark Keeler
The Chisholms
TV • 1979
Gideon Chisholm
The Simple Life
TV • 1998
Luke Barton
Under the Dome
TV • 2013
Don Barbara
White Collar
TV • 2009
Agent Patterson
Person of Interest
TV • 2011
Nathan Ingram
Devious Maids
TV • 2013
Michael Stappord
The West Wing
TV • 1999
Ray Sullivan
Body of Proof
TV • 2011
Captain Perkins
Behind the Music
TV • 1997
Self
Point of Honor
TV • 2015
Ralston Rhodes
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Dr. James Martin
Narcos
TV • 2015
Arthur Crosby
Grapevine
TV • 1992
Ken
Revenge
TV • 2011
Jimmy Brennan
The Gates
TV • 2010
Frank Buckley
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV • 2000
John Nolan
Justified
TV • 2010
Greg Davis
From the Earth to the Moon
TV • 1998
Dave Scott
FBI
TV • 2018
Curtis Grange
Big Dogs
TV • 2020
Captain McKeutchen
Celebrity Ghost Stories
TV • 2009
Self
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
TV • 1993
Deral
Suddenly Susan
TV • 1996
Adam
The Blacklist
TV • 2013
The Stranger
True Detective
TV • 2014
Gerald Kindt
Without a Trace
TV • 2002
Greg Pritchard
I'll Take Manhattan
TV • 1987
Dennis Brady
Stalker
TV • 2014
Will Hayes
Eureka Stockade
TV • 1984
Charles Ross
The Blacklist
TV • 2013
Ilya Koslov
Criminal Minds
TV • 2005
Preacher Justin Mills
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Judge Leonard Andrews
Freddy's Nightmares
TV • 1988
Carl
Lone Star
TV • 2010
Cooper Thomas
Truth Be Told
TV • 2019
Owen Cave
Damages
TV • 2007
Wayne Sutry
Marshals
TV • 2026
Harry Gifford