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Xavier Samuel (born 10 December 1983) is an Australian film and theatre actor. He has appeared in leading roles in the feature films '' Adore'', '' September'', ''Further We Search'', '' Newcastle'', ''
The Loved Ones Loved Ones, Loved One, The Loved Ones, or The Loved One may refer to: Films * ''The Loved One'' (film), a 1965 American satire based on Evelyn Waugh novel * ''The Loved Ones'' (film), a 2009 Australian horror film by Sean Byrne Literature *''The ...
'', ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...
'', '' A Few Best Men'', and played
Riley Biers The following is a list of characters in the Twilight (novel series), ''Twilight'' novel series by Stephenie Meyer, comprising the books ''Twilight (Meyer novel), Twilight'', ''New Moon (novel), New Moon'', ''Eclipse (Meyer novel), Eclipse'' an ...
in '' The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'', and Billy in '' Spin Out''. He also starred as Cass Chaplin in Blonde.


Early life and education

Samuel was born in Hamilton, Victoria, the son of Maree and Clifford Samuel. He grew up in
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...
, South Australia, and graduated from Rostrevor College in 2001 where he boarded. When Samuel was 13, his family spent a year in
Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...
due to his parents' teaching jobs. He has a younger brother, Benedict, a writer, producer and actor, as well as an older sister, Bridget, a stage manager. Despite completing his senior secondary years at Rostrevor College, Samuel undertook final year drama at Christian Brothers College, where he played the part of Tom Snout (the wall) in Rostrevor College's production of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...
'' as well as playing Belvile in CBC's production of
Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...
's '' The Rover'' (''The Banished Cavaliers''). Samuel later attended Flinders University Drama Centre and graduated in 2006.


Career

Samuel made his debut on the Australian TV show ''
McLeod's Daughters ''McLeod's Daughters'' is an Australian drama television series created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton for the Nine Network, which aired from 8 August 2001, to 31 January 2009, lasting List of McLeod's Daughters episodes, eight seas ...
'' in 2003. He starred in the Australian horror movie ''
Road Train A road train, land train or long combination vehicle (LCV) is a trucking vehicle used to move road freight more efficiently than semi-trailer trucks. It consists of two or more trailers or semi-trailers hauled by a prime mover. History Ear ...
'' as Marcus, and also acted in the Australian movie ''Drowning'' with ''
Elephant Princess ''The Elephant Princess'' is an Australian children's television series that first screened on Network Ten in 2008. The series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions. A second season began screening in 2011. The series revolves around a ...
'' star Miles Szanto, directed by
Craig Boreham Craig Boreham is an Australian film director, producer, and writer. Career To date, Boreham has focussed his attention on short film works that explore issues of marginalised sexuality and the politics of desire. Craig Boreham graduated from bo ...
. Alongside Mia Wasikowska, Samuel was in 2007 the Australian film September, set in 1968 where two young boys who share a passion for boxing are friends. In 2008, Samuel starred in the Australian surfing movie '' Newcastle'', opposite Reshad Strik. In 2009, Samuel was cast as Brent in the Australian horror/thriller movie ''
The Loved Ones Loved Ones, Loved One, The Loved Ones, or The Loved One may refer to: Films * ''The Loved One'' (film), a 1965 American satire based on Evelyn Waugh novel * ''The Loved Ones'' (film), a 2009 Australian horror film by Sean Byrne Literature *''The ...
'' in the lead role opposite Robin McLeavy. In early 2010, Samuel was cast as Riley Biers in '' The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''. The film was Samuel's first high-profile film. Samuel was nominated for, and won, his first film award at the
2011 MTV Movie Awards The 2011 MTV Movie Awards were held on June 5, 2011 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California and were hosted by Jason Sudeikis. On May 3, the nominees were announced. '' The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'' lead the nominations with eight ...
. In an interview with '' GQ Australia'

in November 2010, Samuel described the process of his shock ''Twilight'' casting. "I sent off the audition tape from Sydney, which landed in a big pile on someone's desk. So then to actually hear something back was kind of unusual. I guess I was a bit of a gamble, but it's bizarre and wonderful."''Twilight'''s Xavier Samuel
gq.com.au; accessed 29 May 2017.
Samuel appeared in the 2011 film '' Anonymous (2011 film), Anonymous''. In 2012 Samuel played a lead role in '' A Few Best Men'' with other notable stars, Rebel Wilson and
Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
. The film is about a wedding. Eventually forming a relationship with co-star Phoebe Tonkin, Samuel was cast in 3D feature ''
Bait Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hu ...
'', released in September 2012. In 2013 he played Ian in '' Adore'' beside Robin Wright and Naomi Watts, which is based on Doris Lessing's book and directed by Anne Fontaine. The film is about two middle-aged mothers who become the lovers of each other's sons. Anne Fontaine coaxed Samuel through rehearsals of the love scenes in a hotel room using a paid actress who stood in for
Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...
. The film was shot in Seal Rocks in New South Wales and premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
under its original name of Two Mothers. Alongside
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts A ...
and an owl, Samuel was cast in the movie ''Healing'' in 2014. The film is about a prison program where the inmates rehabilitate birds. When speaking about Doris the owl, Samuel stated that he grew rather fond of her as she was easy to play with and was a real diva. In 2014, Samuel was cast alongside
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
and Shia LaBeouf in the $80 million blockbuster '' Fury'', about a group of Americans in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
at the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. In 2016, Samuel played the titular character in '' The Death and Life of Otto Bloom'', with Rachel Ward and her daughter,
Matilda Brown Matilda Brown (born 9 June 1987) is an Australian actress, writer and director. Career Matilda Brown is best known for her work in the short film series, ''Lessons From The Grave'' where she stars opposite her father Bryan Brown. Her mother is ...
. In the same year, Samuel performed alongside Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny,
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...
, and James Fleet in the critically-acclaimed film ''Love and Friendship'', adapted from Jane Austin novel '' Lady Susan''. Starring alongside
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts A ...
yet again, Samuel played the role of Simon Heywood in the Australian TV series,
Seven Types of Ambiguity ''Seven Types of Ambiguity'' is a work of literary criticism by William Empson which was first published in 1930. It was one of the most influential critical works of the 20th century and was a key foundation work in the formation of the New Crit ...
in 2017. The series was based on ''
Seven Types of Ambiguity ''Seven Types of Ambiguity'' is a work of literary criticism by William Empson which was first published in 1930. It was one of the most influential critical works of the 20th century and was a key foundation work in the formation of the New Crit ...
'', a 2003 novel by Australian writer
Elliot Perlman Elliot Perlman (born 7 May 1964) is an Australian author and barrister. He has written four novels (''Three Dollars'', '' Seven Types of Ambiguity'', ''The Street Sweeper'' and ''Maybe the Horse Will Talk''), one short story collection (''The Re ...
. Samuel played Kit Parker in the
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
thriller series '' Tell Me Your Secrets'' in 2021. In 2022, he starred in the
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
bio-pic '' Blonde'', written and directed by Andrew Dominik and adapted from the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. It stars Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, Adrien Brody,
Bobby Cannavale Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in '' Third Watch'', '' Vinyl'', and '' Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in '' Will & Grace'', whic ...
, Julianne Nicholson, and
Evan Williams Evan Williams may refer to: __NOTOC__ People In sport * Evan O. Williams (c. 1889–1946), American football and basketball coach * Evan Williams (footballer) (born 1943), Scottish football goalkeeper * Evan Williams (jockey) (1912–2001), horse ...
. The film is produced by
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
,
Dede Gardner Dorcas Wright "Dede" Gardner (born October 16, 1967) is an American film producer and the president of Plan B Entertainment. She is a two-time Oscar winner for ''12 Years a Slave'' and ''Moonlight'', the first woman to win two Oscars for Best ...
, and Jeremy Kleiner. It premieres on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in September 2022.


Personal life

As a child, Samuel wanted to be an Australian rules football star like his hero Tony Modra, and is a supporter of the
Adelaide Football Club The Adelaide Crows (officially the Adelaide Football Club) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1990. The Crows has fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) sinc ...
. Samuel regularly moves between America and Australia to take on roles. From 2010 to 2011 Samuel dated German model
Shermine Shahrivar Shermine Shahrivar (born 17 September 1982) is a German model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Europe 2005. Early life and education Shahrivar was born to Iranian parents. Her family moved to Germany when she was one year old. Her m ...
. In 2012, Samuel dated his '' Bait 3D'' co-star, Phoebe Tonkin. From 2012 to 2015, Samuel dated his
Plush Plush (from French ) is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or ...
co-star
Emily Browning Emily Jane Browning
. Celebritywonder, retrieved 30 June 2011
(born 7 December 1988
. Model Jessica Gomes was in a relationship for two years with Samuel that started in 2016. In 2018, Samuel and actress Marianna Palka started dating.


Acting work


Theatre


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuel, Xavier 1983 births Living people 21st-century American male actors Australian expatriate male actors in the United States Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Male actors from Victoria (Australia) People educated at Rostrevor College People from Hamilton, Victoria