Miles Turner is the kind of detective who seems pulled straight from the pages of a classic cop drama—gritty, determined, and tough as nails. But beneath the stoic exterior lies a man grappling with questions about purpose, identity, and legacy. A decade into his career on the force, Miles is no longer content to play the role everyone expects of him, searching instead for something deeper and more meaningful.

Bringing this layered character to life in Hulu’s Interior Chinatown (Out November 19th) adapted from Charles Yu’s bestselling novel is Sullivan Jones, an actor who has built his career on subverting stereotypes and digging into the complexities of identity. This show about characters confined to background roles in a crime procedural presents Jones with a new kind of challenge: acting within a character that questions his own existence within the Hollywood machine.

Sullivan Jones isn’t just another face in Hollywood’s sea of stars. Each role he takes seems to expand his reach, but not merely in fame—Jones is determined to elevate the substance of his career in a world that often tempts actors with what he calls the “golden handcuffs.” 

Jones, who broke out in the controversial and critically acclaimed Broadway production Slave Play, has often leaned into roles that tackle stereotypes head-on, whether he’s interpreting historical icons like Muhammad Ali or playing a detective on a mock-police procedural. He sees each part as a means of exploring new sides of himself, while also questioning the broader narrative and his place in it. 

This philosophy is at the core of his latest role as Miles Turner, a hardened detective in Interior Chinatown’s fictional cop show, Black & White.

“For me, Interior Chinatown speaks to how to break out of the golden handcuffs and go down a less well traveled path.” Jones reflects, referencing not only the plot but also his own career trajectory.  It’s a conundrum that many in his industry can relate to, he says, yet few take the opportunity to interrogate. In Interior Chinatown, he’s tackling that notion directly—playing a character who exists to be typecast, only to find himself questioning the very nature of that role.

Jones’s character, Miles Turner, is the tough, dedicated cop who embodies familiar detective tropes but with a twist. In each episode, viewers get to see behind the stoic mask, revealing a man grappling with deeper questions about purpose and legacy. “Miles has been on the force for a decade, and he’s at a point where he wants more.,” Jones explains. “I wanted to bring a softness to him, a vulnerability and humor, to challenge the stereotype.”

For Jones, subverting stereotypes isn’t just about acting—it's a personal mission. He recalls the pressure of playing Muhammad Ali in Big George Foreman, a portrayal that didn’t just demand accuracy but a reverence for the cultural significance Ali holds, especially for Black Americans. But before that, Jones played the icon on the screen and portrayed him in a play. 

He had two days to prepare for the role, “I had no time to kind of be like, Oh my God, can I do this? I don't know. Am I good enough? I just had to jump in,” he laughs, a daunting task made even more surreal when Ali’s daughter May May saw the play and gave her blessing for Jones to portray him on the big screen, “I felt like I had had such a major co sign that I was like, Oh, I could do this.” 

Ali’s role in history is part of a larger legacy Jones has internalized—a legacy tied to the struggles and triumphs of Black artists in theater. For decades, Black actors and playwrights have fought to carve out space in an industry that has often sidelined or stereotyped their voices. From the early days of minstrelsy, where Black performers were forced to play caricatures of their own identities, to the systemic barriers that kept many from leading roles, the history of Black theater is one of resilience and resistance.

“There’s a rich history of Black theater, of comedy—people like Richard Pryor, and shows like In Living Color. It’s our legacy too,” he reflects. “It doesn't have to be Shakespeare or Greek tragedies. We also have part of that pedigree.”

Interior Chinatown doesn’t merely offer an examination of the roles people play on screen—it questions the very industry that constructs them. Produced by Taika Waititi, the show blends biting humor with surreal critiques of the types Hollywood so frequently reduces people to. 

Under Waititi’s guidance, Jones and his co-stars, including Jimmy O. Yang, Chloe Bennet and Lisa Gilroy, navigate a narrative that constantly blurs the lines between stereotypes and reality. 

Jones finds it fascinating to embody a character rooted in stereotypes while subtly subverting them. It requires a careful balance—leaning into familiar tropes just enough to make their critique resonate—but he trusts the audience's ability to recognize and engage with the layers of meaning beneath the surface.

This nuanced approach has defined much of his career, starting with his breakout role in Slave Play. The provocative Broadway production, which tackled hard hitting topics, not only challenged its audience but also solidified Jones’s commitment to roles that provoke discomfort and reflection—work that pushes boundaries and sparks meaningful dialogue.

“Good work is good work, whether it’s Broadway or TV,” he says. “Slave Play was about reconciling things that aren’t easy to reconcile, things like race, sex, and legacy of slavery. It wasn’t The Great British Bake Off. This is stuff that is going to hurt to think about and feel your way through. I was eager to do that.” 

The audience reactions, often polarized, reinforced to him the value of taking on roles that do more than entertain. “I would rather be in a piece that takes big swings than something that tries to keep you safe,” he said. 

There’s a strong element of authenticity that Jones brings to each performance, shaped by the legacy of Black artists before him and the real-life challenges he’s had to overcome. “Being Black in America, you’re familiar with pushing the boulder uphill,” he says. “You make progress, then sometimes you feel knocked down—but you get back up, put your shoulder to the boulder, and keep pushing forward—a true lesson in resilience and resistance.” 

It’s why, as he plays Miles Turner, he’s particularly intent on threading resilience with humor. “Comedy is so essential because it lets people put their guard down,” he notes. “You can’t laugh and stay defensive. Once people laugh, they’re more open.” The show’s cast, which includes a cast full of comedians, brings this element to life, creating moments where humor opens the door for deeper connections and reflection.

For Sullivan Jones, acting is a tightrope walk, as Ursula K. Le Guin once described about writing: a balancing act where focus and trust are essential. And with Interior Chinatown, he’s taking that walk one step further, exploring the meaning of success, the power of stereotypes, and the beauty of resilience—all while reminding audiences that each story has a little more to it than meets the eye.

Photographer: Victoria Stevens 

Styling: Kirsten McGovern

Grooming: Jamie Richmond 

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