Allen Cutler was born and raised in Whittier California. He took his first acting class to satisfy a prerequisite: "I didn't want to make pots and I couldn't draw to save my life so... I thought, hey, acting could be cool. There was this beautiful girl that I really liked who was into actors, and I wanted to impress her... So I auditioned for the lead in the school play". He got the part and he got the girl - he was hooked. Wanting to learn more, he auditioned for an intensive workshop at the Pacific Resident Theater and was accepted. "I was the youngest person in the class - definitely the only one in high school." There, Allen was introduced to acting principles that would shape his artistic approach and ultimately, the course of his life. He immersed himself in theater, reading about Stanislavsky, Lee Strasberg, and the Actor’s Studio.
Restless and rebellious, Allen left high school early to attend Fullerton Community College, drawn by its well known theater department. He performed in productions of “The Crucible”, “Six Degrees of Separation”, “True West”, and many more. His goal of transferring to a 4 year acting program was interrupted when, through a series of chance circumstances, he was invited to audition for The Gage Group, a well established talent agency. He was signed to a contract and soon began working in film and television.
Still searching for the keys to unlock his creative potential, he enrolled at the Los Angeles acting studio of his mentor Howard Fine. After several years of intensive training, he was invited to participate in Fine’s Master Class, to which he still returns whenever time allows. Allen has appeared in more than 30 film and television productions including “Cold Case”, “Without a Trace”, and a recurring role on Lifetime’s “The Division”. "
By the time he married his Wife Jennifer in 2003, Allen had begun to back off from his acting pursuits, preparing for his new role as a Husband and soon after, a Father. The couple's Daughter Jordan was born in 2007 . "I began to re-evaluate my life. I had responsibilities now, I needed to be a provider. A big part of me wanted to get off of the merry go round and find some stable ground". But somehow the restlessness remains and talking to Allen it's clear to see that his greatest passion, aside from his family, is his craft. "Once it's alive in you, the fire never really dies. It’s always there... burning. Life works in funny way, when I got the job on Cold Case, I hadn't worked in months.. Next thing I know I'm being directed by a talent like Mark Pellington and playing the best part I've ever had based on the music of one of my all time heroes (Bruce Springsteen). You never know where life's going to lead you, you just have to walk the long road and stay true to who you are".
Written by Eric Gordon: Free Lance Entertainment Journalist
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