Dark-haired and good-looking with an understated charisma and onscreen appeal, actor Kohl Sudduth moved to NYC following his college days in Ohio and landed a role on ABC's "All My Children" in 1997, playing Rick, a waiter. A role on the NYC-lensed series "Sex and the City" (HBO) followed, featuring the young actor as one of the titular suitors in the 1998 episode entitled "Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys". That same year he was one of the hunky bartenders in the disappointing fact-based drama feature "54" and appeared alongside Edward Norton and Matt Damon in "Rounders". Despite these roles and a cameo in John Turturro's acclaimed "Illuminata" (also 1998), Sudduth was considered an unknown when he landed a breakthrough featured supporting role in Steve Martin's Hollywood-spoofing comedy "Bowfinger" (1999). Here he acted opposite Martin, Eddie Murphy and Heather Graham, playing Slater the heartthrob leading actor of the ridiculous film effort by the eponymous nobody director (Martin). The role proved a good score for Sudduth, who increased his appeal and widened his audience with his capable and charming portrayal of the slacker actor. He was next featured in the crass but amiable hit summer comedy "Road Trip" (2000).
Having previously appeared in a 1999 episode of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" that featured him as a particularly distasteful star basketball player and primary murder suspect, Sudduth made his regular series debut on The WB's "Grosse Pointe" (2000-01), portraying Quentin King, an actor too long in the tooth (and thin in the hair) to be playing high school rebel Stone Anders on the sitcom's show-within-a-show. Produced by Darren Star and obviously based loosely on his previous project "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox), "Grosse Pointe" went behind the scenes of a popular teen drama, and Sudduth's Quentin/Stone seemed inspired by the Fox series' Luke Perry/Dylan McKay. Playing one of the more likable (if hopelessly vain) characters on the series would help the actor raise his profile even further, and his take on the potentially cool but ultimately sputtering Quentin King, added to his impressive dramatic turn in the "Masterpiece Theater" presentation "Cora Unashamed" (PBS, 2000), would showcase notable talent and a screen presence that could vault Sudduth to a successful acting career.