Kevin Rodney Sullivan facts for kids

Kevin Rodney Sullivan (born August 3, 1958) is an American actor, film director, and television director. He is known for directing popular movies and TV shows.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Kevin Rodney Sullivan was born in San Francisco, California. He started his career as a child actor. When he was in the sixth grade, he performed in a play of A Midsummer Night's Dream. A talent scout named Ann Brebner noticed him and his classmates. She hired them to be extras in the 1970 movie They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!. This was Sullivan's first time being part of a movie.

After that, Brebner helped him get more auditions. He appeared in a commercial for Alpha-Bits Cereal and acted in small theater plays. He even got to be the Master of Ceremonies for an episode of Sesame Street that was filmed in Golden Gate Park. He said he had to "sit on this big garbage can with a microphone and introduce the various skits," while Jim Henson operated the puppets.

Sullivan also acted in a TV series called Wee Pals on the Go. The show was about a group of friends from different backgrounds. For Christmas, the show's producer gave Sullivan his first 8-millimeter camera. This gift sparked his interest in making his own films.

From High School to Hollywood

Sullivan attended an all-boys high school in San Francisco. During his senior year, he directed his first play, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men. The school was so impressed that they asked him to star in their next play, The Teahouse of the August Moon.

After high school, he went to Willamette University in Oregon on a theater scholarship. He was very talented and often got lead roles in plays. He also directed a play called Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. He eventually decided to leave college to focus on his career.

In 1987, Sullivan moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams in Hollywood. He started writing scripts and auditioning for movie roles. He landed parts in several well-known films, including:

• Lieutenant in More American Graffiti (1979)
• Tyrone in Night Shift (1982)
• March in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• John Grant in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Becoming a Director and Writer

Sullivan's first TV script was for an episode of the show Fame. This opened doors for him, and he began writing for other TV shows. In 1992, he directed a pilot for a series called Moe's World, which explored topics important to teenagers.

He then directed movies for HBO. One was Soul of the Game (1996), a film about how African American baseball players like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson moved from the Negro leagues to the Major Leagues. Sullivan said the film showed how "one man's victory is often the result of others paving the way."

His success led to more opportunities. He worked with famous filmmakers like George Lucas on a story about the Tuskegee airmen and produced several other TV shows and movies.

Major Movie Hits

Sullivan became famous for directing several popular movies that reached a wide audience.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

In 1998, Sullivan directed How Stella Got Her Groove Back. This was his first major Hollywood movie. The film is based on a popular book and tells the story of Stella, a single mom played by Angela Bassett. She goes on vacation to Jamaica and finds love with a younger man, played by Taye Diggs. The movie also starred Whoopi Goldberg as Stella's best friend. The film was a big success and won the award for Outstanding Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.

Barbershop 2: Back in Business

In 2004, Sullivan directed Barbershop 2: Back in Business. It was the sequel to the hit movie Barbershop. Most of the original cast, including Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer, returned for the second film. The movie continues the story of a barbershop in Chicago and the community that gathers there. Queen Latifah also made a special appearance.

Guess Who

Sullivan's next big film was Guess Who (2005). The movie starred Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac. The story is about a young white man (Kutcher) who wants to marry his African American girlfriend. But first, he must win the approval of her protective father (Mac). Kutcher said he and Bernie Mac chose Sullivan to direct because "he knew the movie needed was heart."

Recent Television Work

Besides movies, Sullivan has directed many popular television shows. He worked on the political drama The West Wing and the crime drama The Guardian.

One of his most famous projects was the comedy series 30 Rock. The show, created by Tina Fey, won many awards, including three Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. Sullivan was one of the producers and helped direct episodes.

Over the years, he has directed episodes for many other hit shows, including Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, and Riverdale.

Filmography

Here is a list of some of the movies and TV shows Kevin Rodney Sullivan has acted in or directed.

Acting Credits

• More American Graffiti (1979) - Lieutenant
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - March
• Night Shift (1982) - Tyrone
• The Facts of Life (1983, TV Series) - Marshall Ramsey
• The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) - John Gant

Directing Credits

• Frank's Place (1987, TV Series)
• I'll Fly Away (1991, TV Series)
• Soul of the Game (1996)
• How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
• The West Wing (2000, TV Series)
• The Guardian (2002, TV Series)
• Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
• Guess Who (2005)
• 30 Rock (2008, TV series)
• Modern Family (2010, TV series)
• NCIS (2011, TV series)
• Grey's Anatomy (2016–18, TV series)
• Dynasty (2017, TV series)
• Riverdale (2017–23, TV series)
• The Good Fight (2018-19, TV series)
• This Is Us (2021, TV series)
• Love, Victor (2021, TV series)
• Lost in Space (2021, TV series)
• Justified: City Primeval (2023, TV series)
• Elsbeth (2024, TV series)