Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor known for his work in both independent Australian cinema andHollywood. He rose to prominence in Australia with acclaimed performances in films such asBootmen (2000) andSomersault (2004), latter of which won himAustralia's highest film award for Best Actor, and gained further recognition through his role in the TV seriesLove My Way. Worthington achieved international fame as the protagonist ofJames Cameron’sAvatar (2009), thehighest-grossing film of all time, and reprised his role in itssequels.[1]
Worthington attendedRockingham Senior High School andJohn Curtin College of the Arts, a high school specialising in the dramatic arts, located inFremantle, Western Australia, where he studied drama but did not graduate. After leaving high school, his father gave him $400 and sent him on a one-way trip toCairns,Queensland, telling him to "work his way home". He began working on construction and odd jobs, eventually settling in Sydney. At the age of 19, while working as a bricklayer, he auditioned for theNational Institute of Dramatic Art and was accepted with a scholarship.[6]
Worthington played a small role alongsideAdam Garcia in the Australian dance filmBootmen (2000).[7] He played a lead role in the low-budget Australian comedyGettin' Square.[8][9]
Worthington had a major role inSomersault (2004), for which he won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor. He was well known in Australia for his role as Howard in the acclaimed TV seriesLove My Way, in which he played the female lead's main love interest. In 2006, he played the lead in a modern retelling ofMacbeth. Worthington's international film career began with a series of small roles in Hollywood productionThe Great Raid (2005), which was filmed in Australia. He auditioned for the role ofJames Bond inCasino Royale but lost the role toDaniel Craig.[10] He starred in the Australian creature-feature filmRogue (2007), which gained a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.[11]
In 2009, Worthington starred inJames Cameron-directed science-fiction filmAvatar, in which he played the role ofJake Sully, a paraplegic former U.S. Marine who is at the centre of a war between his own species and the indigenousNa'vi people of Pandora. The film was a success, amassing critical acclaim and several accolades. It became (and remains)the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing more than $2.8 billion ($4 billion adjusted for inflation) worldwide.[12] It won him the Saturn Award for Best Actor and another AACTA Award.
Worthington in 2010
In November 2010, Worthington toldGQ Australia[13] that when he auditioned for the role, he was not told what it was for, which annoyed him. "I was a bit pissed off, and I think that came across. I think Jim saw a spark and liked it because that's Sully's character – a guy who doesn't like to be bullied and a guy who wants to set things right."[14] He later said that Cameron "changed his life" and he will always be grateful to him.[15]
After auditioning for Cameron, Worthington consequently landed the part in 2009's science fiction action filmTerminator Salvation, thanks to Cameron's personal recommendation to fellow filmmakerMcG.[16] In the film, Worthington co-starred alongsideChristian Bale and played Marcus Wright, a human-terminator hybrid.Terminator Salvation was released on May 21, 2009, grossed over $371.4 million, and received mixed reviews.
In early 2010, Worthington appeared inClash of the Titans, an action fantasy film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Worthington headlined the film. It received generally negative reviews from critics but grossed $493 million worldwide and was the 11th highest-grossing film of 2010.[17] He provided voice work for Captain Alex Mason, the protagonist in the video gameCall of Duty: Black Ops. Some gamers criticised Worthington's inability to mask his Australian accent, as inAvatar.[18] In November 2010,The Hollywood Reporter named Worthington as one of the young male actors who are "pushing – or being pushed" into taking over Hollywood.[19] Also in 2010,Forbes named Worthington among Hollywood's highest grossing actors.[20] He was selected as one of the entrants to theWho's Who in Australia 2011 edition.[21]
In 2012, Worthington starred inWrath of the Titans, the sequel toClash of the Titans. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, and although it grossed $302 million at the box office and emerged successful, the film underperformed compared to its predecessor. He reprised his role as Alex Mason inCall of Duty: Black Ops II.[22] Also in 2012, Worthington starred as Nick Cassidy inMan on a Ledge, a suspense-thriller film directed by Asger Leth. Though the film received mixed reviews from critics, Worthington's performance received praise, withThe New Zealand Herald describing him as "suitably terrified".[citation needed]
In 2016, he played Captain Jack Glover, a stern army officer, in theMel Gibson directed biographical war filmHacksaw Ridge. The film focuses on theWorld War II experiences ofDesmond Doss, an Americanpacifistcombat medic who refused to carry or use a weapon or firearm of any kind.Hacksaw Ridge was released in the United States on November 4, 2016, grossing $180.4 million worldwide, and received critical acclaim. The film was awarded several accolades.[29][30][31] Worthington worked withStuart Hazeldine onThe Shack, a 2017 AmericanChristian drama film. Based on the 2007novel of the same name, it opened to mixed critical reviews and was a success, as it grossed over $96 million worldwide. That year, Worthington portrayed Jim Fitzgerald in theDiscovery Channel television seriesManhunt: Unabomber.[32]
Worthington reprised his role as Jake Sully inAvatar: The Way of Water (2022). The plot features Jake Sully’s family fleeing to the sea and joining reef clans to protect their home from returning human invaders. Much like its predecessor, it was a critical and commercial success. Upon release, it broke multiple records and grossed over $2.320 billion worldwide, making it thehighest-grossing film of 2022 and thethird-highest-grossing film of all time. The same year saw him play a role in the anticipated miniseriesUnder the Banner of Heaven, which received positive reviews and high viewership ratings.[36][37][38] The following year, he received two award nominations: Best Actor at the51st Saturn Awards forAvatar, andBest Supporting Actor at the27th Satellite Awards for the aforementioned show.
2024 was a busy year for Worthington as he had supporting roles in various projects. He first played a part inKevin Hart led heist comedyLift which was released on Netflix. He followed this up with the dystopian science fictionBreathe,Joshua John Miller directorialThe Exorcism alongsideRussell Crowe,John Woo's Peacock original action filmThe Killer, andDavid Mackenzie's thrillerRelay. Additionally, he went onto work withGiovanni Ribisi, his co-star from theAvatar series, in theKevin Costner-directed western-drama filmsHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 andHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 as First Lt. Trent Gephardt.[39] Eager to reunite with the director of his previous film,Relay, Worthington collaborated with David Mackenzie on the 2025 thriller,Fuze. The film centers on the discovery of an unexploded bomb at a London construction site. Worthington, who was written into the film at his own request to Mackenzie, played X, the leader of a band of criminals.[40]Fuze premiered atToronto International Film Festival and received positive reviews.[41]
Worthington returned as Jake Sully in the third film inAvatar franchise,Avatar: Fire and Ash. In the film, the Sullys face the Ash People, a vengeful volcanic clan allied with humans, challenging their bond with Eywa.[42] Thomas Butt ofCollider described his performance as understated, noting that Worthington has fully matured in the role throughout the franchise. Butt specifically praised his ability to depict the internal conflict between Jake's human tendencies and his acquired Na'vi customs.[43]
Worthington has reported that, when he was about 30, he sold most of his possessions, bought a car with the proceeds, and was living in it before he auditioned forAvatar.[45][46]
On 18 October 2013, Worthington confirmed his relationship with modelLara Bingle.[47][48] They married on 28 December 2014 and have three sons born in 2015,[49] 2016[50] and 2020.[51] Worthington is a Christian[52] and recoveringalcoholic. He says that he began drinking heavily as a means to cope with his loss of privacy following his increase in popularity afterAvatar's release and stopped after his wife Lara gave him an ultimatum.[53] He has been sober since 2014.[54]
On 23 February 2014, Worthington was arrested in New York City for assault after punching apaparazzo, Sheng Li, who followed Bingle to get a "perfect picture". After the incident, Worthington claimed that Sheng Li kicked Bingle, and he had to step in. Video footage of the incident depicts Worthington referring to Bingle as his "wife", furthering speculation about the pair's marital status.[55] Worthington was initially released on a desk appearance ticket, while Li was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, assault, and harassment.[56]
On 26 February 2014, Worthington appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court, where he was ordered to stay away from Li for six months. The case was adjourned until 8 May 2014, with the actor to face charges of assault in the third degree, attempted assault, and harassment.[57] On 1 April 2014, Li blamed Bingle for starting the fight and called for her to be arrested.[58] Later that month, Worthington secured a conditional discharge deal on a misdemeanour assault charge, thereby avoiding any jail time, while the charges against Li were dismissed "in the interest of justice".[59] Li then filed a $3.7 millioncivil lawsuit against Worthington, which wassettled out of court before going to trial in September 2015.[60]
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