Peter Sullivan was born and raised in Hertfordshire, into a political family and he was expected to follow a career in politics and the law. He joined the National Youth Theatre at 17 and then trained at Central before studying in New York under Uta Hagen. He was a member of the Catalan performance group La Fura Dels Baus before joining London's National Theatre. Over three decades he has played leading roles across the world in film and television and in all of London's major theatres, originating roles for everyone from debbie tucker green to Sir Tom Stoppard and Sir David Hare. He has been a National Theatre player for over 30 years.