John Cullum, winner of two Tony awards for best actor in a musical for his performances in Shenandoah (1975) and On the 20th Century (1978) was also nominated in 2002 for his role in Urinetown! The Musical. His career began on the stage of Knoxville’s South Knoxville Elementary School when he played the part of a tree. He is most broadly known for his role as Holling Vincoeur on the television show Northern Exposure (he was nominated for an
Emmy for the Vincoeur role in 1993).
A 1953 UT graduate (speech), his first college theatrical role was in the UT production of Front Page in 1948. (He was also an outstanding tennis player, winning the 1951 Southeastern Conference doubles championship with Bill Davis.) His first role in New York was as a soldier in a production of Saint Joan. He appeared in many films, including All the Way Home (1963), Hawaii (1966), and 1776 (1972). Other Broadway credits include Hamlet; On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Camelot, and Man of La Mancha. He has also appeared in several made-for-TV movies and as a guest star on many television shows.
He is a veteran of the early days of UT’s Carousel Theatre. Before leaving UT (while enrolled in a graduate finance program) he had appeared in about 30 plays. He returned to UT in fall 2004 for the 30th anniversary of the Clarence Brown Theatre, starring in The Dresser. His son, J. D. Cullum, costarred. He was presented a Founders’ Medal during 1998 Charter Day activities and received a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2010.