Chris Sullivan (actor)
The character actor with a commanding presence who found mainstream fame as the deeply loyal and vulnerable Toby Damon on the hit drama This Is Us.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American television actor·Birthday: July 19·Generation X
Biography
Chris Sullivan didn't take a conventional route to television stardom. A trained stage actor with a background in music, he spent years building a reputation as a formidable 'that guy' character actor. His physical presence and rich voice made him memorable in small roles, from a bank robber in 'The Drop' to a menacing enforcer on 'The Good Wife'. His breakout came as the pragmatic ambulance driver Tom Cleary on Steven Soderbergh's 'The Knick', a role that showcased his ability to ground a period drama with gritty authenticity. But it was his casting as Toby Damon on 'This Is Us' that changed everything. Sullivan brought a surprising tenderness and complex emotional life to the role of Kate Pearson's husband, navigating weight loss, depression, and fatherhood with a rare blend of humor and raw vulnerability. The role earned him Emmy nominations and proved that a character actor's depth could carry a network television heartthrob.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Toby Damon on 'This Is Us'.
- Played a series regular role as ambulance driver Tom Cleary on the critically acclaimed period medical drama 'The Knick'.
- Performed as a musician and vocalist with the band 'The Once Was' and contributed music to the 'This Is Us' soundtrack.
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished juggler and has performed as a street performer in the past.
He provided the singing voice for the character of Tobin in the animated film 'The Star'.
He and his 'This Is Us' wife, Chrissy Metz (Kate), share the same birthday (September 29).
“I'm a character actor; I'm not here to be the leading man, I'm here to tell the story.”
