Taylor Kitsch | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Kitsch in 2019 | |
| Born | (1981-04-08)April 8, 1981 (age 43) Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Taylor Kitsch (born April 8, 1981)[1] is a Canadian actor. He is known for portrayingTim Riggins in theNBC television seriesFriday Night Lights (2006–2011). He has also worked in films such asX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009),Battleship (2012),John Carter (2012),Savages (2012),Lone Survivor (2013),The Grand Seduction (2014),American Assassin (2017),Only The Brave (2017), and21 Bridges (2019).
Kitsch starred in the second season of theHBO seriesTrue Detective (2015) and the television filmThe Normal Heart (2014), as well as portrayedDavid Koresh in theParamount Network miniseriesWaco (2018) and aCIA Ground Branch operative in theAmazon Prime Video seriesThe Terminal List (2022).
Kitsch was born inKelowna, British Columbia. His mother, Susan (Green), worked for the BC Liquor Board, while his father, Drew Kitsch, worked in construction.[2][3] His parents separated when he was one year old, and he and his two older brothers, Brody[4] and Daman, were raised by their mother in a mobile home park.[5][6] He also has two younger maternal half-sisters. Kitsch lived inPort Moody andAnmore.[7] He attendedGleneagle Secondary School inCoquitlam.[8] Kitsch started playing ice hockey at age three,[9] and playedjunior ice hockey for theLangley Hornets in theBritish Columbia Hockey League, before a knee injury ended his career in 2002.[10] Following his injury, Kitsch took nutrition and economics courses at theUniversity of Lethbridge for a year and lived with his brother.[7]
Kitsch moved toNew York City in 2002, after receiving an opportunity to pursue modelling withIMG; he studied acting there as well. He supported himself as a nutritionist andpersonal trainer.[11] For a time in New York he washomeless and took to sleeping on subway trains in the middle of the night.[12]
In 2004, he relocated toLos Angeles, where he modelled forDiesel andAbercrombie & Fitch.[12][13] He also appeared in the limited edition coffee table bookAbout Face by celebrity photographerJohn Russo.[14]
In 2006, Kitsch was cast in his breakout role on theNBC sports teen drama television seriesFriday Night Lights, based onPeter Berg's 2004 filmof the same name and set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas. For five seasons Kitsch portrayed the role ofTim Riggins, a high school student who is thefullback/running back of the Dillon Panthers.[15] The series premiered in October 2006 to universal critical acclaim from critics and over 7.7 million viewers.[16] Kitsch has ruled out reprising his role in a potential film sequel to the television series.[17]
He played Pogue Parry inThe Covenant, alongsideSteven Strait,Sebastian Stan,Laura Ramsey,Toby Hemingway,Jessica Lucas, andChace Crawford. In February 2008, he signed on to playGambit in theX-Men franchise spinoffX-Men Origins: Wolverine, released in May 2009. Of the fan-favorite character Gambit, Kitsch states, "I knew of him, but I didn't know the following he had. I'm sure I'm still going to be exposed to that. I love the character, I love the powers, and I love what they did with him. I didn't know that much, but in my experience, it was a blessing to go in and create my take on him. I'm excited for it, to say the least."[18]
In 2010, Kitsch starred inSteven Silver'sThe Bang Bang Club, anhistorical drama set inSouth Africa that documents the final bloody days of theapartheid.[19] He had to lose 35 pounds in two months to play the role of photojournalistKevin Carter, alongsideRyan Phillippe andMalin Åkerman.[20] In November 2010,The Hollywood Reporter named Kitsch as one of the young male actors who is "'pushing – or being pushed' into taking over Hollywood as the new 'A-List.'"[21][22] In the 2012Disney filmJohn Carter, based onEdgar Rice Burroughs's fantasy novelA Princess of Mars, he played the title character, a Confederate soldier who is transported to Mars. While the film flopped at the box office, Kitsch said, "I'm very proud ofJohn Carter. Box office doesn't validate me as a person, or as an actor."[23] In May 2012, Kitsch starred inPeter Berg'sBattleship, based onHasbro's toy game, as Lieutenant Alex Hopper.[24] The film marked his reunion with Berg and formerFriday Night Lights co-star,Jesse Plemons.[25]
In July 2012, he starred inOliver Stone'sSavages, withBlake Lively,Salma Hayek andAaron Taylor-Johnson.HitFix's film critic Drew McWeeny wrote positively of Kitsch's bond with Johnson which he described as "not only credible but lived in and authentic throughout the film". McWeeny wrote that Kitsch was used the right way in this film with an ensemble cast that pushed him or challenged him in scenes which resulted in his playing them with appropriate intensity.[26]
In 2013, Kitsch starred inThe Grand Seduction, a remake ofJean-François Pouliot's French-CanadianLa Grande Séduction (2003), directed byDon McKellar.[27] He also was in another Peter Berg film,Lone Survivor, based onMarcus Luttrell'sbook of the same name.[28] He plays alongsideJim Parsons,Julia Roberts, andMark Ruffalo inRyan Murphy'sThe Normal Heart, which aired on HBO on May 25, 2014.[29] Kitsch was in negotiations for the lead role inthe American remake ofThe Raid.[30] The remake never became a reality.
Kitsch starred in the sophomore season ofTrue Detective, oppositeVince Vaughn,Rachel McAdams, andColin Farrell. Kitsch was set to write, direct and star in the dramaPieces.[31]
In 2017, Kitsch starred inAmerican Assassin andOnly the Brave. In 2018, he played cult leaderDavid Koresh in the Paramount Channel miniseriesWaco. Later that year, it was announced that Kitsch had an in-development series which landed at HBO. FromSons of Anarchy writer John Barcheski and directorMatt Shakman, the series would see Kitsch lead the cast and produce the series. In 2019, Kitsch starred in21 Bridges withChadwick Boseman andSienna Miller. Also in 2019, it was announced that Kitsch would appear as the lead inNeill Blomkamp'sInferno.
In 2020, Kitsch starred in the German TV seriesThe Defeated, which also starredMichael C. Hall,Logan Marshall-Green,Nina Hoss, andTuppence Middleton. He was tapped to replaceColson Baker, better known as Machine Gun Kelly, in the filmSavage Salvation, where he would have starred alongsideRobert De Niro andJohn Malkovich. Kitsch dropped out for unknown reasons and was replaced byJack Huston. In early 2021, it was announced that Kitsch would star as Ben Edwards oppositeChris Pratt inAntoine Fuqua'sThe Terminal List. The rest of the cast includesRiley Keough,Constance Wu, andJeanne Tripplehorn. In 2025, he stars in theNetflix television seriesAmerican Primeval alongsideBetty Gilpin.
Kitsch purchased 3.64 acres (1.47 ha) of land onLake Austin,Texas in 2012[32] and began building a house there in 2015.[33] Kitsch currently resides inBozeman, Montana.[34] While collaborating on the filmLone Survivor, he became friends with retired Navy SEALMarcus Luttrell and has since been interested in veterans' issues.[35]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | John Tucker Must Die | Justin | |
| Snakes on a Plane | Kyle "Crocodile" Cho | ||
| The Covenant | Pogue Parry | ||
| 2008 | Gospel Hill | Joel Herrod | |
| 2009 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Remy LeBeau / Gambit | |
| 2010 | The Bang Bang Club | Kevin Carter | |
| 2012 | John Carter | John Carter | |
| Battleship | Lieutenant Alex Hopper | ||
| Savages | John "Chon" McAllister Jr. | ||
| 2013 | Lone Survivor | LieutenantMichael P. "Murph" Murphy | |
| The Grand Seduction | Dr. Paul Lewis | ||
| 2016 | Bling | Sam | Voice role |
| 2017 | American Assassin | Ronnie "Ghost" | |
| Only the Brave | Christopher MacKenzie | ||
| 2019 | 21 Bridges | Ray Jackson |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Godiva's | Colm | Episode: "Flipping Switches" |
| Kyle XY | Male Camper | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2006–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Tim Riggins | 68 episodes |
| 2014 | The Normal Heart | Bruce Niles | Television film |
| 2015 | True Detective | Paul Woodrugh | 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Waco | David Koresh | Miniseries: 6 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2020 | The Defeated | Max McLaughlin | Miniseries: 6 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2022 | The Terminal List | Ben Edwards | Main role |
| 2023 | Painkiller | Glen Kryger | Miniseries: 6 episodes |
| 2025 | American Primeval | Isaac | Miniseries |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Breakout | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2008 | Choice TV Actor: Drama | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Choice Movie Fresh Face Male | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Nominated | |
| 2010 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite On-Screen Team | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Genie Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | The Bang Bang Club | Nominated |
| CinemaCon Awards | Male Star of Tomorrow | Himself | — | |
| 2014 | Online Film and Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | The Normal Heart | Nominated[36] |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Painkiller | Nominated[37] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
