Atlanta’s creative community pays tribute to Stuart Culpepper

Social media tributes were many and heartfelt as word spread of the June 26 death of Atlanta actor Stuart Culpepper at age 84. Culpepper was one of Atlanta’s most prominent actors and voiceover talents in a career spanning from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. His dramatic elocution, whether performing Shakespeare or advertising QuikTrip, caused many to refer to him as the “Voice of God.” Theater colleagues made note of his generous talent and spirit, as well.

A family-placed obituary in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that Culpepper embraced his native Atlanta as home, even as opportunities for a more national career unfolded: “After having brief acting forays in New York City and Hollywood, he concluded that he would rather be a big fish in a little pond.”

Fortunately, Atlanta, and especially colleagues, loved him back. On his Facebook page, former Theatrical Outfit artistic director Tom Key called Culpepper “one of Atlanta’s finest actors” and thanked his departed friend for “your wonderful life.”

Other tributes from members of Atlanta’s creative community, some citing shows and playhouses now long gone, in Key’s string included:

• Bart Hansard: “Thank you, Tom, for casting me in ‘Mortal Acts’ and giving me the opportunity to have the great good fortune to work with you and Stuart for a first time, but not the last. I learned a lot in that process and during the run, both as a performer, a cohort, and a person. He was quite a character, and I have nothing but fond memories of those days and collaborations after. I once walked with giants.”
• Rosemary Newcott: “A legendary Atlanta Artist — I spent many memorable moments with him on the Alliance stage — one of my favorite times was ‘The Seagull’.”
• Chris Kayser: “Absolutely a legend. He was always good to me. Yes, that voice!”
• Christopher Ekholm: “I can hear him saying, ‘di-a-mond’ in the way only he could.”
• Bill Murphey: “Very early on in my career he cast me in ‘The Andersonville Trial’ at Theater in the Square with some of Atlanta’s heavy hitters. What an amazing learning experience. I feel like I should go to QT and toast his life and memory with a delicious ‘cap-you-chino.’”
• Manning Harris: “Years ago I took voiceover lessons from him; and I well remember his brilliant performance in Sam Shepard’s ‘Buried Child’ at the 14th Street Theatre. For many years, Stuart WAS Atlanta theatre.”
• Scott DePoy: “I remember seeing him and Dana Ivey in Night of the Iguana at the Pocket Theatre. Riveting performance.”
• Spencer Herzog: “Stuart was bigger than life. I had the honor of recording him hundreds of times starting back in the early ‘80s up until he retired. One of my favorite Stuart stories from back in the analog days was when he started reading before I hit record, so I stopped him and said, ‘Stuart, you jumped me, can we start again?’ With his classic dry wit, he replied, ‘Spencer, you must record my every word, you never know when I might drop over dead.’ Rest well my friend.”
• Linda Stephens: “Nobody like him.”

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