Robert Cunningham
He/him
About
Robert T. Cunningham (they/he) is an Atlanta-born, Chicago-based actor and screenwriter whose work focuses on queering and reclaiming predominantly white and/or heteronormative spaces through a comedic lens. Select theater credits include SANCTUARY CITY (Steppenwolf Theater), the World Premiere of EVER IN THE GLADES (The Kennedy Center), and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS--performed in Bosnia & Herzegovina as part of the US Embassy Arts Ambassador program. Film credits include MOM AND DAD--alongside Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair--and Chicago-based teen noir KNIVES AND SKIN. Television credits include THE BIG LEAP (Fox) and SOUTH SIDE (HBO Max). They wrote and starred in the comedic web series, HOW TO L0VE, which received funding and support from Halsey’s Black Creators Funding Initiative as well as a Red Bull Arts Chicago microgrant; they were also a Finalist for Comedy Central's Yes And...Laughter Lab in 2022. Their feature screenplay, PIGEON, was part of the 2022 Outfest Screenwriting Lab. Their comedy pilot, LAURELS, was developed through the 2023 OTV (Open Television) Fellowship. They were awarded $12,500 in funds from the Sundance x OTV “Pitch, Please” initiative and won the Audience Award. Robert is a graduate of Northwestern University. They are represented by Stewart Talent.
At The Orchard Project
- 2024Episodic Lab
Laurels
Laurels is a serialized half-hour comedy about a washed up, former child star who uses his con-artist younger cousin and a ragtag group of Chicago community college performers to help reignite his career
