Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson; born 13 June 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the title character in '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) and its sequel '' Kick-Ass 2'' (2013), as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Pietro Maximoff in '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015).

As a child actor, he performed in films including '' Shanghai Knights'' (2003), '' The Illusionist'' (2006), and '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'' (2008). He had his breakthrough performance as John Lennon in the biopic ''Nowhere Boy'' (2009), directed by Sam Taylor-Wood whom he married in 2012, adding her surname. He followed this with roles in the crime thriller '' Savages'' (2012), period drama '' Anna Karenina'' (2012), and monster film ''Godzilla'' (2014).

For his performance as a psychopathic drifter in the thriller film '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016), Taylor-Johnson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He has since appeared in the action films '' Tenet'' (2020), '' Bullet Train'' (2022) and '' The Fall Guy'' (2024), as well as the horror film ''Nosferatu'' (2024).

Early life

Aaron Perry Johnson was born in High Wycombe on 13 June 1990. His father, Robert, was a civil engineer and his mother, Sarah, "stayed at home ndworked odd jobs here and there so heycould get by." He has a sister named Gemma, who later had a small role in his film '' Tom & Thomas'' (2002). Johnson is Jewish.

He went to Holmer Green Senior School and attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, studying drama, tap, jazz, acrobatics, and singing. He left school at 15.

Career

Beginnings and rise to fame (1999–2015)

Johnson began acting at the age of six. On stage, he appeared in a London production of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', playing the son of Macduff alongside Rufus Sewell, who played Macbeth, in 1999. He appeared in Arthur Miller's ''All My Sons'' in 2000. His television roles have included Niker in the 2004 BBC adaptation of the novel '' Feather Boy'', Aaron in Danny Brocklehurst's ITV1 serial '' Talk to Me'', and Owen Stephens in '' Nearly Famous''. In 2003, Johnson appeared as a young Charlie Chaplin in '' Shanghai Knights'' alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, with Chaplin depicted as a member of a London gang of street hooligans. That year, he guest starred in " Fatal Consequences", a special live episode of the ITV drama ''The Bill''. In 2006, he appeared in '' The Illusionist'', appearing in the early flashback scenes as Edward Norton's character, Eduard Abramovicz, as a teenager. The scenes show the young Eduard as he first learns magic. To do this, Johnson had to learn how to perform the ball trick that his character performs. He learned how to balance the egg on the stick, although that was mechanically effected. Also in 2006, he starred in the film '' The Thief Lord'' as Prosper.

Johnson appeared as John Lennon in the 2009 biographical film ''Nowhere Boy'', directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, whom he later married. His performance won him the Empire Award for Best Newcomer, and he was nominated for Young British Performer of the Year by the London Film Critics' Circle. In 2010, Johnson appeared as David "Dave" Lizewski/Kick-Ass, the lead character in '' Kick-Ass'', based on the superhero comic book of the same name by Scottish writer Mark Millar. His performance in ''Kick-Ass'' saw him nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. He has also appeared as the central character, William, in Hideo Nakata's ''Chatroom''. In December 2010, Johnson joined the cast of '' Albert Nobbs'' as a replacement for Orlando Bloom. Johnson starred in R.E.M.'s 2011 music video " Überlin", which was directed by his then-fiancée.

In 2012, Taylor-Johnson played Count Vronsky in '' Anna Karenina''. Later that year, he starred as Ben in Oliver Stone's '' Savages''. HitFix film critic Drew McWeeny was positive of the bond between Johnson and co-star Taylor Kitsch, which "seems not only credible but lived in and authentic throughout the film," and noted the evolution in maturity of Johnson since ''Kick-Ass''. Taylor-Johnson starred in the ''Godzilla'' reboot, released in May 2014. Taylor-Johnson played Quicksilver in '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015), the sequel to 2012's '' The Avengers'', as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Taylor-Johnson first appeared as the character in a post-credits scene of the film '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014). The role reunited him with Elizabeth Olsen, who played his wife in ''Godzilla''.

Career progression (2016–present)

In 2016, he played Ray, a menacing Texan, in Tom Ford's thriller '' Nocturnal Animals''. For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Taylor-Johnson also became first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor winner since Richard Benjamin who did not receive an Academy Award nomination. For the role, he received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2017, he played an American soldier in Doug Liman's thriller '' The Wall'', and in 2018, he appeared in ''Outlaw King'', a British-American historical action drama about Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In 2020, Taylor-Johnson had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's film '' Tenet''. In 2022, he appeared in David Leitch's '' Bullet Train'', an action-thriller film based on the novel ''Mariabītoru'' by Kōtarō Isaka. He reunited with Leitch in the 2024 action film '' The Fall Guy''. Also in 2024, Taylor-Johnson played another Marvel character in ''Kraven the Hunter'', as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe. He featured in Robert Eggers' horror film ''Nosferatu''.

He will next star in '' 28 Years Later'', a sequel to the 2002 film ''28 Days Later'', which will be directed by Danny Boyle.

Personal life

Johnson met filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood in 2008 when he auditioned for her film ''Nowhere Boy''. They began dating soon after filming wrapped and became engaged in October 2009. Johnson stated he asked her a year after they met.

They married in the chapel at Babington House on 21 June 2012. They changed both their surnames to Taylor-Johnson. They have two daughters, born in 2010 and 2012, and Johnson is stepfather to Sam's two daughters from her previous marriage.

Taylor-Johnson was named one of '' GQ''s 50 best dressed British men in 2015. In a 2019 interview with ''GQ Australia'', he defined his style as "elegant" and "timeless". In 2024, he was named ''The Most Handsome Man Alive'' with a 93% of perfection in his face. Taylor-Johnson lives with his wife and their two daughters on a farm near Bruton, Somerset, and he is an avid vegetable farmer.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor-Johnson, Aaron
1990 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
English expatriate male actors in the United States
English male child actors
English male film actors
English male television actors
Male actors from High Wycombe
Jewish English male actors