Personal details
- Birth Date: 1966-08-20
- Height: 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Birth Location: Los Angeles County, California, USA
- Parents: Bill 'Willie John Hanna' Cunningham
- Professions: Actor, Writer, Director
Colin Cunningham is one of those guys who’s just everywhere, you know? Dude’s got three Gemini nominations (basically Canada’s Oscars) and a mountain of Leo Award nods—like, eleven Best Actor nominations, and he’s actually won three of those. As a director, he managed to land on the Academy Award shortlist for his film Centigrade, which is wild for a short. And critics? They eat him up—Hollywood Reporter, TIME, Rolling Stone, New York Times, all that. He’s a shapeshifter on screen—sometimes called Canada’s Gary Oldman, which is honestly pretty accurate. Five seasons on Falling Skies, chewing the scenery as John Pope, the unpredictable survivor with a serious edge. Then he flipped the script on SYFY’s Blood Drive as Julian Slink, this wild ringmaster who basically stole the whole show. Even the New York Times had to shout him out for it. He’s popped up all over—AMC’s Preacher, Universal’s Blood Drive, Kevin Costner’s Horizon. And you’ve seen him in movies too: tangling with Schwarzenegger in The Sixth Day, backing up Jennifer Garner in Elektra, going toe-to-toe with Catherine Keener in Little Pink House, and riffing with Christopher Guest in Best In Show. Centigrade made waves—over two dozen awards, broke into the iTunes Top Ten against blockbuster giants, and now it’s getting the TV treatment. Outside of acting, he directs music videos for CMT and jams on tenor sax for a funk band. Oh, and he calls New York City home now. The guy just doesn’t sit still.
Professional saxophone playernnJazz isn’t just background noise for this guy—it’s his entire life, for better or worse. He’s got gigs in dimly lit bars, pouring his heart out through the brass every night, chasing that perfect riff. Some nights, the music flows like cheap whiskey, and the crowd gets it; other times, it’s all sweat and missed notes, but he keeps going. His relationships? Messy, tangled in late-night rehearsals and missed dinners. There’s a drive in him, an itch that can’t be scratched unless he’s got a sax in his hands. Friends and lovers drift in and out, but the music stays. Sometimes he wonders if he’s sacrificing too much, but the stage lights hit, and suddenly nothing else matters. Just the sound, the rhythm, the next song. It’s a rough life, but man, when the music’s right, it’s magic.
Just go for it. That thing everyone says is impossible? Rip up that definition and write your own. Time’s the real currency—people can toss money your way, but if they show up for you, that’s the stuff. Forget waiting for someone’s green light. Ask for help, not for a golden ticket of approval. And, honestly, the “squeaky wheel” thing? Maybe it’s time for a new wheel altogether. Watch out for what you wish for because, trust me, if you hustle, you’ll get there even faster—sometimes before you’re even ready. Never forget who had your back when you were down bad. Pay it forward. Don’t even think about quitting. Filmmaking isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s a wild ride, but that’s what makes it awesome. If you want something easy, try making lunch instead. Stay locked on your goal, even if it’s just a faint glimmer. Take a breather if you have to, but never stop moving toward it.
August 20, 1966
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Los Angeles County, California, USA
Bill 'Willie John Hanna' Cunningham and Surekha
58 years old