Tom Cullen Explores Queer Identity in ITV Thriller The Party

Portraying a politically ambitious man whose complicated attachment to his best friend shapes his life, Welsh actor Tom Cullen has approached ITV's The Party with particular attention to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. The five-part thriller, adapted from Elizabeth Day's 2017 novel, pairs Cullen with Luke Evans in a story about concealed sexuality, class differences and the lasting effects of shared trauma.

Cullen plays Ben Fitzmaurice, a Conservative MP whose relationship with journalist Martin Gilmour, portrayed by Evans, is complicated by their mutual attraction and a traumatic incident from their university years. Their history resurfaces at Ben's 40th birthday party, where his political ambitions trigger a chain of events that threatens both men's lives.

Speaking to Metro during production, Cullen explained that conversations with LGBTQ+ friends had informed his understanding of the character and Martin's emotional struggles.

"I've got a lot of friends who have gone through different experiences of that spectrum," said Cullen.

The actor said those friendships had exposed him to different experiences of accepting one's identity. He also connected the drama's exploration of personal history with his understanding of trauma passed between generations.

"Some have found it easier to be their authentic self, some haven't, and I talk to them, and I've been there on those journeys with them. Then I have to attach it to my own self because this is also a story about the trauma that is passed down through generations, and I really understand that, I've experienced that," Cullen said.

His involvement also reflects a professional relationship with Evans that began before either actor joined The Party. They first met outside an audition for the 2011 film Blitz, although Evans secured the role Cullen had sought.

"We bonded over the fact we're both Welsh. Luke got the part but Aidan Gillen got mine. I'd just left drama school and it was one of my first auditions for a film. I've never watched it," Cullen recalled.

Evans, who serves as an executive producer on The Party, identified Cullen as his preferred choice for Ben. He praised the actor's ability to embody the character's compelling presence.

"He's just mesmerising as Ben, and that's exactly what we needed," Evans said.

Cullen said Evans' involvement helped establish a sense of trust around the project. He acknowledged the responsibility of contributing to a story centered on queer experiences and the emotional consequences of denying one's identity.

"Being there with Luke, an openly gay man, I was really touched that he asked me and wanted me to be part of it. I'm on him a lot, and leaning on my friends, and I don't hold it lightly. I feel that responsibility," Cullen said.

Day also drew on personal experiences when developing Martin's sense of exclusion. Growing up as an English child in Ireland during the Troubles, she experienced bullying and struggled to fit in despite receiving a scholarship to an elite English boarding school.

"My outsidership was different from Martin's," Day said.

The author explained that differences in speech initially helped her gain acceptance at school, but did not erase her feeling of being an outsider. She used those experiences to explore Martin's difficulty understanding his own sexuality and his reluctance to acknowledge his feelings for Ben.

"I ended up getting a scholarship like Martin to a boarding school in England, and from day one I was accepted because of the way that I spoke. But I still didn't fit in because I hadn't grown up knowing the codes of behaviour, and so those experiences with Martin are very much from my life, and I also wanted to explore how Martin, through his sexuality, is an outsider to himself in many ways, because he's in denial about it for much of the party," Day said.

Beyond The Party, Cullen has appeared in Downton Abbey, The Gold, House of the Dragon and Trespasses. His personal life also differs from his character's complicated relationships: he shares two daughters with longtime partner Alison Sudol, the actress and musician who played Queenie Goldstein in the Fantastic Beasts film series.

According to the Express, Cullen previously praised Sudol for managing family responsibilities while he worked away for extended periods. The couple live in Wales and have occasionally shared glimpses of their family life on social media.

The Party premiered on ITV on October 11, 2026. Its narrative moves between the birthday gathering, the police investigation that follows and flashbacks tracing Martin and Ben's relationship through school, university and their later lives in London.