Tom Cullen

And that is precisely what happened to the Welsh actor when he auditioned for a part in an independent two-hander called Weekend for director and former Star of Tomorrow Andrew Haigh. Playing the part of Russell, a gay man who picks up Glen (Chris New) late one drunken night only to have the meeting turn into something unexpected, Cullen displays an honesty and raw vulnerability. After premiering at SXSW earlier this year, Weekend has been picked up by Sundance Selects for the US and won Cullen the best actor award at Nashville. It is now screening at Karlovy Vary. “I’m not the most confident of people when it comes to my acting,” admits Cullen who graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2009. “But I see myself in Weekend and I start to believe that I can really do it.” And others agree: Cullen has just picked up a supporting lead role in the Tandem/Scott Free’s World Without End — sequel to The Pillars Of The Earth — to be directed by Michael Caton-Jones.

Contact: Suzy Kenway - suzy@scottmarshall.co.uk