Noah Taylor

Noah George Taylor (born 4 September 1969) is an English-Australian actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Award, and four AACTA Awards. Taylor is best known for his roles as teenage David Helfgott in Shine, Locke in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Darby Sabini in the BBC One series Peaky Blinders, Mr. Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Danny in the Australian cult film He Died with a Felafel in His Hand. Taylor also starred as Adolf Hitler in both the American television series Preacher and the 2002 film Max. In 2023, he starred as Dr. Friedrich "Fritz" Pfeffer in A Small Light.

Early life Taylor, the elder of two sons, was born on 4 September 1969 in London to Australian parents, Maggie (née Miller), a journalist and book editor, and Paul Taylor, a copywriter and journalist. His parents returned to Australia when Taylor was five, and he grew up in Clifton Hill and St Kilda, suburbs of Melbourne.

After performing in plays at St Martins Youth Arts Centre in South Yarra for a year, Taylor gained the attention of director John Duigan, who cast him in the 1987 film The Year My Voice Broke, the first part of a planned trilogy. Taylor also appeared in its sequel, Flirting (1991), alongside Thandiwe Newton with Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts in supporting roles.

Career Film Taylor's early screen roles included playing the lead in the critically acclaimed The Year My Voice Broke and Flirting, and he gained significant international attention playing the tormented young pianist David Helfgott in the 1996 film Shine. Taylor's résumé includes action movies (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life), comedies (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), psychological thrillers (Vanilla Sky and Predestination) and historical dramas (Max, in which he played the young Adolf Hitler). He also played the role of Adolf Hitler in AMC's series Preacher.

Taylor once commented in an interview that he was sick of acting out the nostalgic reminiscences of other people. He has done this in a number of films including The Nostradamus Kid, which was based on the early life of the Australian author Bob Ellis, a young David Helfgott in Shine, the protagonist in John Birmingham's memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, and Almost Famous, based on the memories of the film's writer and director, Cameron Crowe.

In 2005, Taylor appeared in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Five years later, Taylor starred in Simon Rumley's mystery thriller Red White & Blue, which had its world premiere as part of the SXSW Film Festival in March 2010.

Television In 2013, Taylor appeared in both the third and fourth seasons of HBO's epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin. In the adaptation, Taylor plays the character of Locke, an original character of the television series, who serves as a condensed version of several characters of the books, most notably the ruthless and sadistic mercenary leader Vargo Hoat.

Music video appearances Taylor has appeared in a small number of music videos. One of his earliest screen performances was in the video for Beargarden's song The Finer Things. This video was directed by Richard Lowenstein, who then cast Taylor in a supporting role in the film Dogs in Space. Much later, he appeared in the video of "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow", a song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, along with the video for M.O.R. by British alternative rock group Blur. Taylor also played a young Romeo in the video "Romeos" from Alphaville.

Music Taylor has also performed and recorded as a musician. In 2001, he released an album Popular Music for All Peoples under the name 'C.B.M.' (Cardboard Box Man) and in 2011, an EP Live Free or Die!!! as Noah Taylor & the Sloppy Boys on Z-Man Records.

Personal life When not acting, Taylor draws and paints, and is also an accomplished musician, playing viola and French horn as a young teenager, and guitar from age 16. He plays the piano by ear. Taylor has sung and played guitar in several of his own bands, including Honky Tonk Angels, Cardboard Box Man, Flipper & Humphrey, Access Axis, and The Thirteens, a country-western rock band described by Taylor as, "three manic depressives playing sad angst and western music for sad people." He names Johnny Cash and Lou Reed as two of the artists he admires.

On 14 November 2012, Taylor married Dionne Harris, an Australian fashion designer. They have a daughter and live in Brighton, East Sussex.

Filmography Film

Television

Music video appearances Year Title Artist Role 1989 Romeos Alphaville Romeo 1997 M.O.R. Blur Truck Passenger 2001 Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dancer

Music Year Title Artist Type 2001 Popular Music for All Peoples 'C.B.M.' (Cardboard Box Man) Album 2011 Live Free or Die!!! Noah Taylor & the Sloppy Boys EP on Z-Man Records

Awards and nominations