The Crowded Room: Who is real-life Danny Sullivan? All you need to know about Tom Holland’s character

Tom Holland flexed his acting skill outside of the MCU in the psychological drama The Crowded Room. The series The Crowded Room revolves around Tom Holland, who plays the character Danny Sullivan. The character is inspired by Daniel Keyes’ biography of The Minds of Billy Milligan. Fans went gaga watching their favorite Spider-Man in a dark character. But, do you know who the real-life Danny Sullivan, Tom Holland’s character from The Crowded Room is? Read on 

Who is the real-life Danny Sullivan?

Daniel Keyes popularized Milligan in his award-winning non-fiction book The Minds of Billy Milligan. The Crowded Room tells the real life story of a criminal called William Stanley Milligan who is also known as The Campus Rapist. In the late 1970s, Milligan was involved in a highly publicized court case in Ohio after committing armed robbery and three rapes on the campus of Ohio State University. In 1975, he was imprisoned at Lebanon Correctional Institution.

During the preparation of his defense, Dr. Willis C. Driscoll diagnosed Milligan with acute schizophrenia. He was the first person in US history to raise such a defense, suffering from dissociative identity disorder, and was acquitted of a major crime because of it, instead spending a decade in a mental hospital.

Milligan was then sent to the Athens State Hospital, where he received little help. During his stay at this hospital, Milligan reported growing ten different personalities which are known to psychologists only. But later, an additional 14 personalities were discovered which are labeled as ‘The Undesirables.’ 

After spending a decade in a mental hospital, Milligan was released in 1988. It is also known that in 1996 he owned Stormy Life Productions while living in California. He planned to make a short film but could never do it. Ultimately, he died of cancer at the age of 59 at a nursing home in Columbus, Ohio on December 12, 2014. 

Why did Billy Milligan’s case deserve a series?

If you search Billy Milligan on various streaming platforms, multiple documentaries will pop up. However, the Apple TV+ series showcased a new dimension with an outstanding star cast. 

In regards to The Crowded Room, the makers have confirmed that facts of events might differ from the original and each character was given a fictitious name. 

Meanwhile, the cast ensemble of The Crowded Room includes Tom Holland as Danny Sullivan, Amanda Seyfried as Rya Goodwin, Sasha Lane as Ariana, Will Chase as Marlin Reid, Emmy Rossum as Candy, and Christopher Abbott as Stan. The first episode of the series dropped on June 9. 

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