Lewis Pullman Bio
Lewis James Pullman (born January 29, 1993) is an American actor who has built a versatile career across independent films, major studio productions, and television. The son of acclaimed actor Bill Pullman, Pullman established his own identity in the entertainment industry through carefully chosen roles in critically acclaimed projects. He gained wider recognition for his performance in Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), earning a Saturn Award nomination, and has since appeared in high-profile films including Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry Thunderbolts (2025). Beyond acting, Pullman is also a musician who plays drums for the indie pop rock band Atta Boy.
Early Life and Background
Lewis James Pullman was born in Los Angeles, California, to actor Bill Pullman and modern dancer Tamara Hurwitz. His mother is of Russian Jewish descent. He grew up alongside his siblings: sister Maesa, a singer-songwriter, and brother Jack, a puppet-maker. Pullman attended Wildwood School in Los Angeles for his secondary education. In 2015, he graduated from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. The college operates a large working farm on campus, and Pullman has spoken about spending time there, noting that he worked on the “tractor division” during his college years, joking that if acting had not worked out, he could have pursued a career in construction or road work.
Growing up as the son of a well-known actor provided both opportunities and unique challenges. Rather than immediately pursuing acting, Pullman took a different path through higher education before entering the entertainment industry. His diverse background and traditional college experience gave him perspective that would later inform his approach to acting and character work.
Path to Actor
Before launching his professional acting career, Pullman developed his musical talents. He co-founded the indie pop rock band Atta Boy alongside lead vocalist Eden Brolin in 2012. The band released their debut album Out of Sorts that same year, described by Pullman as a “whimsical experiment.” Their second album Big Heart Manners came out in 2020, followed by a third album Crab Park in 2022. The band features Pullman on drums alongside Freddy Reish and Dashel Thompson.
Pullman began his acting career with several short films, starting with The Tutor in 2013. After graduating from college in 2015, he auditioned for and was cast in Highston, a television series from Sacha Baron Cohen and Amazon Studios. The series, which received a six-episode order, starred Pullman in the lead role as a 19-year-old whose imaginary friends were real-life celebrities. Though the pilot episode featuring guest stars like Flea and Shaquille O’Neal was well received by critics, the series was canceled in December 2017 after only one episode aired. This early experience, despite the show’s brief run, provided valuable exposure and demonstrated Pullman’s ability to carry a project.
Lewis Pullman Career
Early Career (2017-2018)
Pullman made his feature film acting debut in 2017 with The Ballad of Lefty Brown, a Western film starring his father Bill Pullman in the titular lead role. This marked the beginning of his transition from television and short films to feature-length productions. That same year, he also appeared in Arnold Schwarzenegger-led drama Aftermath, the British film Lean on Pete, and the critically acclaimed Battle of the Sexes, which again paired him on screen with his father.
In 2018, Pullman took on a leading role in the slasher film The Strangers: Prey at Night. While the film received mixed reviews compared to its predecessor, it proved to be a commercial success, grossing $32.1 million against a $5 million production budget. That same year, he starred alongside an ensemble cast including Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, and Chris Hemsworth in Drew Goddard’s Bad Times at the El Royale. Director Goddard described the casting process, noting that Pullman’s audition had the rare quality of an actor who both fit the role and transcended it. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and Pullman’s performance was singled out for praise, with Den of Geek calling it a “standout” and The Seattle Times noting that he “shines as the troubled desk clerk.” For his work in Bad Times at the El Royale, Pullman earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Breakthrough (2019-2023)
The years following Bad Times at the El Royale saw Pullman steadily build his reputation through diverse roles across film and television. In 2019, he played Major Major Major Major in Catch-22, the Hulu adaptation of Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel led by George Clooney. He also starred in the thriller Them That Follow. After a small role in the independent film Pink Skies Ahead in 2020, Pullman took on the lead role of Rhett Abbott in the Amazon Prime Video science fiction neo-western series Outer Range from 2022 to 2024.
2022 proved to be a significant year for Pullman’s career. He played Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Floyd in Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 classic starring Tom Cruise. Though filming wrapped in 2019, the film faced multiple delays before its 2022 release. It went on to gross over $1.4 billion in theaters worldwide, becoming Pullman’s highest-grossing film to date and exposing him to a massive global audience. That same year, he also played the romantic lead in Press Play.
In 2023, Pullman continued to demonstrate his range by playing a youth pastor in The Starling Girl, the president of a fraternity in The Line, and taking a major role in William Friedkin’s final film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He also starred alongside Brie Larson in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lessons in Chemistry, a period drama set in the 1950s and 60s about a chemist who becomes a television host. His performance earned him critical acclaim and nominations for both the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
Notable Works and Milestones
Pullman’s career trajectory shows a consistent ability to land roles in both commercial blockbusters and independent productions. His work in Bad Times at the El Royale marked his breakthrough, while Top Gun: Maverick established him in the mainstream. The success of Lessons in Chemistry demonstrated his capability in prestige television, and Thunderbolts represents his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His versatility spans genres from Westerns and thrillers to science fiction and horror.
Lewis Pullman Award Nominations
Lewis Pullman has received multiple award nominations recognizing his supporting performances across film and television. His work in Bad Times at the El Royale earned him a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. More recently, his role in the Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry brought him dual nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
Lewis Pullman Awards Won
Based on available records, Lewis Pullman has earned nominations for his performances but has not yet reported winning major awards. His nomination count stands at three across prestigious award bodies including the Saturn Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
Lewis Pullman Family
Lewis Pullman is the son of Bill Pullman, the acclaimed actor known for roles in films including Independence Day, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and While You Were Sleeping. His mother is Tamara Hurwitz, a modern dancer. He has two siblings: sister Maesa Pullman, who is a singer-songwriter, and brother Jack Pullman, who works as a puppet-maker. The family’s artistic backgrounds span acting, dance, music, and crafts, suggesting a household that valued creative expression across multiple disciplines.
Personal Life
From September 2020 until sometime before August 2023, Pullman was in a relationship with singer and actress Rainey Qualley. As of 2025, Pullman is in a relationship with model and actress Kaia Gerber. Pullman maintains a strong commitment to privacy and does not use social media platforms. He has spoken publicly about his reasons, explaining that he protects his personal life, prioritizes his mental health, and seeks to reduce digital stimuli. In a notable disclosure, Pullman has shared that he was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) at age 12, demonstrating openness about his mental health journey while otherwise maintaining boundaries around his private life.