Like Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe before him, Sullivan Stapleton launched his career in his native Australia prior to making his mark in Hollywood as the breakthrough star of the Academy Award-nominated film "Animal Kingdom" (2010). Sullivan landed his first onscreen acting appearance in the Australian TV-movie "Baby Bath Massacre" (1994). A string of little-seen features and homegrown dramas followed before the actor joined the cast of Australia's long-running soap opera "Neighbours" (Network Ten, 1985- ), which followed the lives of various families residing in Melbourne. On the popular program, Stapleton landed a recurring role in 1998 as the boyfriend of an aspiring swimmer (Emily Milburn). Sullivan equally charmed Australian viewers on another televised serial, the cult favorite "The Secret Life Of Us" (Network Ten, 2001-05). While "Neighbours" tackled the lives of suburban families, "The Secret Life Of Us" centered on a group of young professionals living in the same apartment building in the Australian beachside town of St Kilda.