Sullivan Stapleton

Sullivan Stapleton (born 14 June 1977) is an Australian actor who is best known for his roles in the television series The Secret Life of Us, Strike Back and Animal Kingdom. He also starred in the NBC crime drama Blindspot. Stapleton played the lead role, Greek leader Themistocles, in the film 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). In 2013, he was honoured with a Breakthrough Award at an exclusive Australians in Film Benefit Dinner held in Los Angeles. Early life Stapleton was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was eight years old when he and his younger sister, actress Jacinta Stapleton, six at the time, joined an acting and modelling agency. The idea first came to their aunt who signed her kids with the agency. She then asked her nephew and nieces if they would like to join and their mother signed them in. Stapleton's younger brother Joshua also launched into acting in early childhood; as well as acting, he pursued talents in dance and musical theatre. Stapleton's picture caught the attention of a director who invited him to be in his short film (about high school dropouts at a party where girls were dying, without the graphic violence). Pleased by his performance, the director said he was gifted and encouraged him to pursue acting.