David Sullivan's childhood in Longview, Texas, an east Texas town of approximately 70,000 residents, was marked by his early curiosity and imaginative nature. As a child, he was drawn to the stage, performing in one-act plays at Spring Hill High School, where he quickly discovered his natural talent in front of live audiences. Upon graduating high school in 1996, he was offered a theater scholarship at Kilgore Junior College, but instead chose to accept an academic scholarship to Baylor University, where he majored in business and graduated in 2000.
During his college years, Sullivan remained active in the performing arts, participating in plays and productions through the Baylor theater department. He was also a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and played one year of football. Despite never formally studying acting, Sullivan's postgraduate years have been dedicated to working on small-budget films, often collaborating with friends on both sides of the camera.
David Sullivan's breakthrough role came in 2004, when he starred as "Abe" in the independent film Primer, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Although the film was shot in Dallas in 2001, it took two years to complete post-production. Following the debut of Primer, Sullivan relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, subsequently appearing in several television shows, including Joey and Big Love, and filming multiple movies.
Primer marked Sullivan's first official casting call and his first leading role in a feature film.
