---
name: "David Sullivan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-sullivan"
fi1m_id: "david-sullivan"
imdb_id: "nm1503383"
tmdb_id: 76625
wikidata_id: "Q5240170"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 April 1977"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-17T22:53:29.807162+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David Sullivan

## Identity

David Sullivan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-sullivan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-sullivan
- **IMDb ID:** nm1503383
- **TMDB ID:** 76625
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5240170
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sullivan_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5240170, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1503383/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/76625

Actor. Born 29 April 1977 in Tyler, Texas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 April 1977, Tyler, Texas, USA
- **Active:** 2004–2018
- **Also known as:** David Wade Sullivan
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 79 (1), 2010s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 77 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Thriller 2, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 3 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $233m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sullivan_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5240170, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1503383/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/76625

## Fi1m on David Sullivan

> David Sullivan makes the engineers’ talk in *Primer* sound routine, and time travel feel alarmingly possible. We value that quiet conviction in an actor whose subsequent career has largely kept him in supporting parts and television ensembles.

David Sullivan does not flag the important words when Abe talks science in *Primer* (2004). He lets the technical language pass as everyday conversation, without slowing down to help us catch up. Alongside Shane Carruth’s Aaron, he makes the two engineers sound as though they have spent far more time solving problems than explaining them to visitors. We felt uneasy listening to them, because their calm competence made time travel seem horribly practical. Sullivan gives us a reason to believe the premise before we have worked out how it functions.

Carruth, also the film’s writer-director, gets a performance that suits the script’s reluctance to explain itself. Sullivan resists playing discovery as astonishment, allowing Abe’s technical confidence to carry the scene. The limitation lies in the storytelling: the actors can make the conversation credible without making every turn of the plot clear. We recommend the film with that caveat, rather than pretending that being difficult to follow is an achievement in itself.

*Primer* was his first professional role, but it did not lead to a succession of comparable leads. The subsequent career has mostly been supporting film parts and television work, with Jon Titterton in *Argo* (2012) one such role. *Flaked* (2016–17) gives him a main part as Dennis opposite Will Arnett, followed by a recurring role as Chris in *Sharp Objects* (2018). His frequent casting as ordinary, recognisable men makes sense after Abe: Sullivan can sound capable without seeming to be asking for our admiration.

For us, Abe remains the clearest reason to seek Sullivan out. We would welcome another part that gives him as much to do without requiring him to advertise the effort. Start with *Primer* if a thriller that needs working out appeals. Do not expect Sullivan to explain it for us.

## Biography

David Wade Sullivan is an American actor. Born on 29 April 1977 in Tyler, Texas, he grew up in Longview and attended Baylor University, where he majored in business and graduated in 2000 while performing in student stage productions.

Sullivan's breakthrough came with the leading role of Abe in the independent film *Primer* (2004), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles and has appeared in films including *Argo* (2012) and television series such as *Flaked*, *Justified* and *Big Love*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Sharp Objects* (2018), Fi1m 84, as Chris — [page](https://film.one/tv/sharp-objects.md)
- *Argo* (2012), Fi1m 79, as Jon Titterton — [page](https://film.one/film/argo.md)
- *Primer* (2004), Fi1m 79, as Abe — [page](https://film.one/film/primer.md)

## Complete filmography (52)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Chapter 51* (2026), Actor
- *Stone Creek Killer* (2025), as Ken Goodwin
- *Cash for Gold* (2024), as Mikey
- *Leading Man* (2024), Actor
- *The Day of* (2023), as Dad
- *Fatal Attraction* (2023), series, as Frank Gallardo
- *No More Time* (2022), as Chuck
- *Sleepwalker* (2022), as Brad
- *The Big Bend* (2021), as Mac Talbott
- *Invasion* (2021), series, as Steven
- *Monuments* (2021), as Ted
- *The Wilds* (2020), series, as Daniel Faber
- *Lip Service* (2020), as Adam
- *Etheria* (2020), series, Actor
- *Small Town Wisconsin* (2020), as Wayne
- *Wendy* (2020), as The Olds
- *Whiskey Cavalier* (2019), series, as Thomas Andrews
- *Sharp Objects* (2018), series, as Chris — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/sharp-objects.md)
- *Alone Together* (2018), series, as Ray
- *The Good Doctor* (2017), series, as Mr. Ayleston
- *Snowfall* (2017), series, as Grady Williamson
- *Brockmire* (2017), series, as Rusty
- *M.F.A.* (2017), as Cavanaugh
- *Girlfriend's Day* (2017), as Sonnyboy
- *Deidra & Laney Rob a Train* (2017), as Chet
- *No Light and No Land Anywhere* (2017), as Matt
- *Goliath* (2016), series, as Spencer Jackson
- *A Knock at the Door* (2016), as Michael
- *The Veil* (2016), as Matt
- *Flaked* (2016), series, as Dennis
- *Out of Love* (2014), as Rob
- *Bigfoot Wars* (2014), as Deputy Walton
- *Argo* (2012), as Jon Titterton — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/argo.md)
- *Beauty and the Least* (2012), as Glenn Ambers
- *Love's Christmas Journey* (2011), as Homesteader
- *New Girl* (2011), series, as Duffy — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/new-girl.md)
- *Skateland* (2011), as Luther
- *Gigantic* (2010), series, as Adrian
- *Justified* (2010), series, as Jess Timmons — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, as ATF Agent Kevin Clark
- *The Lodger* (2009), as LAPD Officer #1
- *Karma Police* (2008), as Oscar
- *The Astronaut Farmer* (2007), as Young Man
- *Big Love* (2006), series, as Junior Accountant — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/big-love.md)
- *Primer* (2004), as Abe — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/primer.md)
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, as Jason Canfield — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *CSI: NY* (2004), series, as James Manning
- *Joey* (2004), series, as Guy #4
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Larry Krone — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Hotel Manager
- *Disco Fieber* (1979), Executive Producer
- *Sky Valley*, as Bernie

## Gallery

- ![David Sullivan](https://film.one/media/person/98700/gallery-31d966e64465.jpg) David Sullivan — Lyn Fairly Media, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/David_Sullivan_on_Lyn_Fairly_media.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![David Sullivan](https://film.one/media/person/98700/gallery-ced1bda166f1.jpg) David Sullivan — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-sullivan