Summary
Robert John Taylor OAM (born 1963) is an Australian actor who has appeared in many films and television series in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. On television, he is known for playing the lead role of Walt Longmire in the A&E/Netflix television series Longmire. His film credits include Agent Jones in The Matrix (1999), and also had roles in Vertical Limit (2000) and The Meg (2018).
Robert Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert John Taylor 1963 (age 60–61) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life edit
Taylor was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia.[1] His parents separated when he was nine, and he moved to a mining town in Western Australia to live with his aunt and uncle.[1][2][3]
He attended university three times.[1][2][4]He worked as a miner when he was a teenager,[1][3] and he later had jobs including lifeguard and bouncer.
At age 21, Taylor went to work on an oil rig in the Indian Ocean.[1][2][3] His ship collided with another and sank off the west coast of Australia, but he and two crew mates escaped on a lifeboat.[4] Taylor suffered a broken arm and ribs.[4]
While recovering in the hospital, he saw an advertisement for auditions for drama school in Perth, at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA),[4] which he joined after a successful audition at the age of 24.[1][2][3]
Career edit
Taylor started acting professionally in 1988 after graduating from WAAPA. His first major role was in 1989 as Nicholas Walsh in the Australian television soap Home and Away.[5] His first lead role came in 1993 when he was cast as David Griffin in the Australian miniseries The Feds.[6][7] He then appeared in various guest roles and on TV movies in Australia, such as Blue Heelers and Stingers, often being cast as a police officer.
Taylor's big break in Hollywood came when he was cast as one of the Agents in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix.[8] In 2000, he appeared in the action thriller Vertical Limit.[9] His other film credits include The Hard Word (2002), Storm Warning (2007), Rogue (2007), and Coffin Rock (2009).[9]
In 2000, Taylor played Father Vincent Sheehan in Ballykissangel, a British television drama set in Ireland.[10] His television credits after that include MDA (2002), Satisfaction (2010), Cops L.A.C. (2010) and Killing Time (2011).[9][11] In 2011, Taylor was cast for the lead role of Walt Longmire in A&E's crime drama series Longmire.[12] The series moved to Netflix after the third season. Its sixth and final season was released in 2017.[13][14]
In 2024, as his upcoming film Kid Snow under post-production, Taylor was cast as Jackson Gibbs in NCIS Orgins[15]
Personal life edit
Taylor is married to producer Ayisha Davies; they have a daughter, Scarlet.[1][4]
Taylor co-founded Veg Out, a farmer's market and community gardens in St Kilda, Victoria.[16]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Phage | Calhoun | |
| 1999 | The Matrix | Agent Jones | |
| 2000 | Muggers | Detective Constable Porter | |
| 2000 | Vertical Limit | Skip Taylor | |
| 2000 | After the Rain | Jack Behring | |
| 2002 | The Hard Word | Frank Malone | |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | Sherritt Trooper | |
| 2003 | Roundabout | Police officer 1 | Short film |
| 2007 | Storm Warning | Rob | |
| 2007 | Rogue | Everett Kennedy | |
| 2007 | The Bloody Sweet Hit | Lindsay | Short film |
| 2008 | Long Weekend | Bartender | |
| 2009 | Coffin Rock | Rob Willis | |
| 2012 | The Balibo Night | Private Benjamin Cook (voice) | Short video |
| 2014 | Healing | Vander | |
| 2014 | Turkey Shoot | Ramrod | |
| 2014 | The Menkoff Method | Clive Struthers | |
| 2015 | Focus | McEwen | |
| 2015 | What Lola Wants | Jed | |
| 2015 | Downriver | Wayne | |
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Captain of the Boat | |
| 2017 | Don't Tell | Robert Brewster | |
| 2018 | The Meg | Dr. Heller | |
| 2019 | Into the Ashes | Frank Parson | |
| 2019 | Blood Vessel | Captain Malone | |
| 2022 | We Are Still Here | Riley |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Flying Doctors | Lachlan McGregor | Season 3, episode 15: "Clapped Out" |
| 1988 | Reed Down Under | King | Television movie |
| 1988 | Something Is Out There | 1st officer | |
| 1988 | The Clean Machine | Constable Ron Healy | Television movie |
| 1988 | The Rocks | Constable Gottlieb | Television movie |
| 1989 | Brotherhood of the Rose | Pollux | |
| 1989 | Home and Away | Nicholas Walsh | 20 episodes |
| 1990 | Yellowthread Street | Detective Peter Marenta | 7 episodes |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | Johnny Coates | |
| 1992 | Steel Justice | Detective Lieutenant David Nash | Television movie |
| 1993–1996 | The Feds | David Griffin | Lead role |
| 1995 | The Last Bullet | Sergeant Caldwell | Television movie |
| 1996 | Twisted Tales | Peter | Season 1, episode 12: "A Sure Thing" |
| 1996 | Flipper | Season 1, episode 11: "Fish Out of Water" | |
| 1996 | The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years | Jack Cleary | Television movie |
| 1998 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Andrew Costello | Season 2, episode 12: "Blood is Thicker Than Walter" |
| 1999 | Wildside | Clayton Clark | Season 2, episode 8 |
| 1999 | Blue Heelers | Detective Barry Craig | Season 6, episode 10: "Dirty Money" Season 6, episode 12: "Web of Lies" |
| 1999 | Stingers | Detective Sergeant Mick Foley | Season 1, episode 20: "Proving Ground" Season 1, episode 21: "Cast Off" Season 1, episode 22: "Dead Man's Throw" Season 2, episode 8: "White Lies" |
| 1999 | First Daughter | Mason | Television movie |
| 2001 | Ballykissangel | Father Vincent Sheehan | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | MDA | Paul Bennett | 8 episodes |
| 2004 | The Mystery of Natalie Wood | Nicholas Ray | Television movie |
| 2005 | Hercules | Chiron | |
| 2008 | City Homicide | Kevin Steele | Season 2, episode 12: "Spoils of War" |
| 2010 | Satisfaction | John McCoy | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | Cops L.A.C. | Tom O'Neill | Season 1, episode 1: "The Learning Curve" |
| 2011 | Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer was Here | Deputy Commissioner Graham Sinclair | Television movie |
| 2011 | Killing Time | Tim Watson-Munro | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Twentysomething | Trevor | Season 1, episode 6 |
| 2012–2017 | Longmire | Sheriff Walt Longmire | Lead role |
| 2013 | Mr & Mrs Murder | Alistair Travers | Season 1, episode 8: "A Flare for Murder" |
| 2016 | Wolf Creek | Roland Thorogood | Season 1, episode 1: "Billabong" |
| 2021–present | The Newsreader | Geoff Walters | Lead role |
| 2024 | Apples Never Fall | William | Episode: "Joy" |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g "Week of March 3, 2014: Ballykissangel's Robert Taylor". Tea with Heather. Maryland Public Television.
- ^ a b c d Myskow, Nina (2 March 2001). "The Real Me: Robert Taylor". The Mirror. UK.
- ^ a b c d Moore, Frazier (23 May 2013). "Robert Taylor: arresting as TV lawman 'Longmire'". AP.org. Associated Press.
- ^ a b c d e Lee, Luaine (1 June 2012). "Robert Taylor stars in new A&E series 'Longmire'". North Jersey. McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
- ^ "Aussie star at home in west". news.com.au. 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Four decades of Aussie cop shows". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 September 2004.
- ^ "The Feds : Abduction". austlit.edu.au. AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource.
- ^ Barron, Frank (8 July 2012). "'Longmire' stars Robert Taylor on A&E – Big Sky country setting for modern western Longmire". Entertainment Today.
- ^ a b c "Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire". ninemsn.com.au.
- ^ Pennells, Steve (13 August 2000). "Ballykissangel Answers Actor's Prayers". The Sun-Herald – via WA Television.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (16 February 2011). "'The Matrix' star joins A&E pilot". Digital Spy.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (14 February 2011). "'Matrix' Actor Robert Taylor Gets The Lead In A&E's Pilot 'Longmire'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2 November 2016). "'Longmire' Renewed For Sixth & Final Season By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ Dietz, Jason (2 June 2016). "2016-17 TV Season Scorecard". Metacritic.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ "Robert Taylor NCIS Origins cast: Meet Longmire star playing Gibbs' dad". Express.
- ^ Tomazin, Farrah (1 February 2003). "Community gardeners veg out in the suburbs". The Age. Australia: Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 3 June 2016.