Brett Cullen

Peter Brett Cullen (born August 26, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Dan Fixx in Falcon Crest (1986–1988), Sam Cain in The Young Riders (1989–1990), Governor Ray Sullivan in The West Wing (2005–2006), Goodwin Stanhope in Lost (2005–2008), Mark Keeler in Make It or Break It (2009–2012), Nathan Ingram in Person of Interest, and Michael Stappord in Devious Maids (2013–2015). Early life Cullen was born August 26, 1956, in Houston, Texas, the son of Catherine and Lucien Hugh Cullen, an oil industry executive and part of one of the most famous and wealthiest oil families in the oil-rich history of Texas. He graduated from Madison High School in Houston in 1974, subsequently attending the University of Houston from which he graduated in 1979. His alma mater awarded him a Distinguished Alumni Award in April 2012. Cullen has given 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, and Brent Spiner. Cullen and Dennis Quaid's close friendship, which continues to this day, dates back to the 1970s; it is Cullen who introduced Dennis Quaid to his former wife, Kimberly Buffington, at a dinner in Austin, Texas. Career Cullen played Dan Fixx in the 1980s CBS drama Falcon Crest for two seasons (1986–88) and Sam Cain in the ABC western series The Young Riders for one season (1989–90). 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 (1998–99). On the series The West Wing Cullen played Ray Sullivan, a fictional former U.S. attorney, state attorney general, and governor of West Virginia and the Republican nominee for vice president.