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Eric Robertson Cullen (12 July 1965 – 16 August 1996) was a Scottish actor, who was famous for his role as Wee Burney in BBC's Rab C. Nesbitt.[1] Cullen was born with achondroplasia—a type of dwarfism.[1][2]

Early life

He was born to a single mother and was adopted by a family from Hamilton. He was diagnosed with achondroplasia[1][2] at the age of seven.

Acting career

Cullen began acting when he was at school. He started to find roles appearing in several theatre groups before appearing in several Scottish TV programmes in the 1980s, particularly A Kick Up the Eighties.[3] Cullen eventually found lasting fame playing the youngest son, Wee Burney, in the first three series of Rab C. Nesbitt.[3] However, he left the programme in December 1993; owing to personal problems[3] and citing ill health.[4]

Victim of abuse

Cullen was sexually abused by a violent paedophile ring from the age of thirteen,[citation needed] and since his condition meant that he looked much younger than he was, this abuse continued into his twenties. Once he became a successful actor, his abusers returned to extort money with menaces. As a result, he developed clinical depression and post traumatic stress disorder.[4]

Child campaigner

Cullen was arrested in 1993 for possession of child pornography,[2][1] and the subsequent police investigation and press coverage resulted in clinical depression when he "finally cracked under a load which had become unbearable".[5] In 1995, Cullen was convicted of child pornography offences, and his own history of being sexually abused since the age of 13 was revealed. His nine-month prison sentence was reduced to three years' probation on appeal.[3] As soon as his prison sentence had been quashed on appeal, he began to be offered acting parts again, but he was still too ill with severe post traumatic stress disorder to resume work.

Once the court case was out of the way Cullen dedicated himself to campaigning against child pornography, and to trying to bring his abusers to justice.[6] Of the three men he named as his principal abusers one, Francis Currens, was jailed during Cullen's lifetime; one, Cullen's uncle Jack Williams, was jailed after his death (both of them for sexual offences including the repeated rape of young boys);[7] and as of summer 2006 one, whom Cullen named as the ringleader, has never been prosecuted.[2]

Death

Only a day or two before his fatal heart attack, which followed on from surgery for a twisted bowel,[2] he had been asked to take up the role of Wee Burney again.[3] He was however in two minds as to whether to resume his acting career or become a clinical psychologist specialising in the treatment of abuse victims; he already had a BA in psychology, and had been accepted to begin a more advanced course in forensic psychology that autumn.[3]

Acting career

References

  1. ^ a b c d Saturday 17 August 1996 (17 August 1996). "Double curse on tragic life . Actor Eric Cullen's illegitimacy and his size tormented him throughout his career". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 24 November 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e 2003 Memorandum submitted by Claire M Jordan: on behalf of the late Eric Cullen, criticising the role of certain papers in reporting the story, including the Sunday Mail article below.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anthony Hayward (17 August 1996). "Obituary:Eric Cullen - Obituaries - News". The Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b Friday 30 June 1995 (30 June 1995). "I know what it is to scream for mercy but never to receive any". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 24 November 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ The Herald 30 June 1995 The Eric Cullen case revealed the actor's disturbing history. A victim of abuse and success
  6. ^ "More sinned against than sinner". Herald Scotland. 30 June 1995. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Wee Burney's uncle awaits sentence after pleading guilty to assaults on three boys Sex crimes admission". Herald Scotland. 13 March 1998. Retrieved 25 November 2013.

External links

  • Eric Cullen at IMDb
  • "Wee Burney - The Vile Truth" - 2000 Sunday Mail article which reports a claim that although Eric Cullen "was the victim of horrific and sustained abuse" he "crossed the line and became an abuser himself".
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