Chris Sullivan

Chris Sullivan was born on July 19, 1980, in Palm Springs, California. He spent his formative years in Sacramento and later pursued his higher education at Loyola Marymount University, where he earned a BFA in Theater Arts. After completing his studies, Sullivan relocated to Chicago, diving into the city’s renowned improvisation and stage communities. His early career on the stage included performances in “Defending the Caveman” at the Lakeshore Theater and “The Ballad of Emmett Till” at The Goodman Theatre. He further honed his theatrical skills, performing “Defending the Caveman” over 1000 times before moving to New York.

Sullivan’s transition to New York marked his Broadway debut in “Lombardi,” where he was part of the original cast. He subsequently joined the long-running revival of “Chicago the Musical,” followed by “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” performing alongside Matthew Broderick. In 2016, he starred in the off-Broadway original production of “Hadestown,” which earned him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. On screen, he gained significant recognition for his portrayal of Tom Cleary in Steven Soderbergh’s drama series “The Knick” (2014-2015), where he contributed to the cast winning a Satellite Award for Best Ensemble.

His career significantly expanded with roles in popular television series like “Stranger Things” (2016) as Benny Hammond. However, his most prominent role to date is Toby Damon in NBC’s “This Is Us” (2016-2022), which garnered him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. On the big screen, Sullivan is also known for his role as Taserface in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and appearances in films such as “The Drop” (2014) and Ryan Murphy’s TV movie “The Normal Heart.” His voice-over work includes Caleb the Camel in Geico’s “Hump Day” ad, multiple characters in Disney’s “Amphibia,” and commercial work for Jack Daniels and Destination XL. Recently, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s film “Presence” (2024), and is set to star in “Mercy” (2026) and a comedy pilot “The Son in Law” (2022) at ABC.