Noah Taylor (b. 1969), actor, left school at sixteen to join Melbourne's St Martin's Youth Theatre. After a tiny role in Richard Lowenstein's Dogs in Space (1986), his breakthrough came when he was cast to play the lead in John Duigan's semi-autobiographical The Year My Voice Broke (1987). In 1990 he was in Bangkok Hilton with Nicole Kidman; the following year they appeared together in Flirting. His many other Australian films have included The Nostradamus Kid (1993), Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995) and Lowenstein's film of John Birmingham's share-house comedy, He Died With a Felafel in his Hand (2001). After his performance as the young David Helfgott in Shine (1996) attracted international attention, his first major Hollywood role came in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (2000). Remarking that he prefers playing character parts to straight leads because 'it's much more like a job', Taylor has since appeared as a gadgetry geek in Tomb Raider (2001) and its sequel; the 'crew experimentator' in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004); and Mr Bucket in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). His latest film is the terrifying Red White and Blue (2010).
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2010
© Ross Honeysett
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