Taylor Lautner is an American actor and model, who gained popularity from his role as Jacob Black, a werewolf, in the "Twilight" film series based on the eponymous novels by Stephenie Meyer.
In the picture: Taylor Lautner
Childhood and Youth
Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on February 11, 1992, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His mother, Deborah, worked at a software development company, while his father, Daniel, was a pilot for Midwest Airlines. Taylor has a younger sister named Makena. Taylor's distinctive appearance can be attributed to his mixed heritage, which includes French, German, Irish, and Native American roots.
Taylor Lautner as a child
At the age of six, Taylor started practicing karate. His hard work paid off when he got to participate in a national tournament in Kentucky where he met Michael Chaturantabut, a Thai-American actor and stuntman. Taylor trained with Chaturantabut for several years, earning a black belt by the age of eight and winning several junior world championships.
Parallel to his karate training, Lautner also played baseball, took jazz and hip-hop dance lessons, and played for his school's American football team. However, it was karate that eventually led him to the world of cinema. His mentor, recognizing Taylor's acting potential, persuaded him to audition for a commercial. Even though Taylor didn't get the part, he enjoyed the atmosphere on set and thus, decided on his future profession.
Taylor Lautner has been practicing karate since childhood
For several years, Lautner and his parents would fly from Michigan to Los Angeles for auditions, sometimes returning to their hometown in time for school. This hectic lifestyle greatly exhausted Taylor, and his relations with his classmates were deteriorating. So, in 2002, the family decided to move to California.
Acting Career
In the early years after moving to Los Angeles, Lautner took small roles in TV shows and commercials, as well as doing voice-over work for cartoons ("What's New, Scooby-Doo?", "Duck Dodgers"). In 2005, Taylor got his first and immediately leading role in a movie: together with Taylor Dooley, he starred in Robert Rodriguez's "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D".
Taylor Lautner in 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl'
His karate skills came in handy: upon learning of the teenager's athletic abilities, Rodriguez allowed him to choreograph all of the film's fight scenes. The film flopped at the box office, but Lautner was nominated for the "Young Actor" award (the award ultimately went to 14-year-old Josh Hutcherson, future star of "The Hunger Games").
Soon Lautner appeared in the adventure comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" with Steve Martin, which was heavily criticized and called "one of the worst films of the 2000s". A more successful project was the drama series "My Own Worst Enemy" (2008), in which Lautner played the son of Christian Slater's character.
Taylor Lautner and Steve Martin in 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2'
Most of the roles that Lautner got were stereotypical. Rolling Stone magazine summed up that Lautner's early roles were invariably "the popular guy, athlete, or hooligan". But everything changed in 2008 when the actor auditioned for the role of Bella Swan's friend in "Twilight", based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Lautner had never heard of this book, but his agent convinced him to audition.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Jacob's Transformation Scene
The producers were pleased with Lautner's performance and approved him for the role of Jacob Black, a Quileute Indian who has the ability to transform into a werewolf. Other characters in the romantic saga about the conflict between vampires and werewolves were played by Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
Taylor Lautner Struggled with Body Image Issues After Twilight
The film was a commercial success, earning $392 million worldwide in its first week. In 2009, at the MTV Movie Awards, Lautner was nominated for the "Breakthrough Performance: Male" award, but the award went to his colleague Robert Pattinson.
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
When starting to film the sequel, "Twilight: New Moon" (2009), the directors planned to find another actor for the role of Jacob - he was supposed to more accurately portray the character's metamorphosis and his transformation into the "new, bigger Black". Michael Copon was considered for the role, but in the end, it remained with Lautner, who had to train intensively and gain almost 15 kg of muscle. The convincing changes in appearance delighted everyone, including Pattinson.
When I saw his body, I immediately thought, 'Oh my God, I'm definitely getting fired!' the actor shared.
The film, which hit the big screens, attracted so many viewers that it broke all box office records in its opening weekend. Lautner, Stewart, and Pattinson became "teen idols", and the athletic Taylor also earned the title of sex symbol.
Taylor Lautner on getting married, childhood fame & dealing with paparazzi
In between the second and third "Twilight" films, Lautner starred in the romantic comedy "Valentine's Day" (2010), appearing in a duo with singer Taylor Swift. The pair was nominated for the MTV Movie Awards 2010 in the "Best Kiss" category, but the award ironically went to Lautner's colleagues - Pattinson and Stewart.
Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift in 'Valentine's Day'
The third film "Twilight: Eclipse" (2010) received mixed reviews, but became the highest-grossing film of the franchise, as well as the highest-grossing romantic fantasy and werewolf and vampire film of all time in the US and Canada. Lautner's fan base grew every day, the number of awards and nominations increased, and it became increasingly difficult to lure the actor into other projects.
Nevertheless, Taylor appeared in the leading role in the action film "Abduction" (2011), working on the set with legendary Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina, and receiving a lot of negative reviews about his acting.
Lily Collins and Taylor Lautner chat Abduction
In 2011-2012, the actor starred in "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" and "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2", after which his career declined. A small role in the comedy "Grown Ups 2" (2013) with Adam Sandler, a few episodes in the British sitcom "Cuckoo" (2012-2018), low-rated films "Tracers" (2015) and "The Ridiculous 6" (2016), which didn't even make it to the box office.
Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart in 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2'
The indie film "Run the Tide" (2016) could have been a new chapter in the actor's career, but critics unanimously accused the actor of being unconvincing. "He's a flat actor, incapable of bringing spark to his roles," wrote film critics. A more successful project was the TV series "Scream Queens" (2015-2016) in the "comedy horror" genre - Taylor appeared in the second season as Dr. Cassidy Cascade.
'Getting out of the shadow of such a hit as 'Twilight' is not easy,' Lautner complained in one interview.
Then the actor disappeared from the public eye for several years. He admitted that he had become very picky about roles and was ready to wait for a truly worthwhile offer. He spent his free time with friends and loved ones, did a lot of sports, traveled, and learned DJing.
Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner's Personal Life
In high school, Taylor Lautner started dating his school friend Sarah Hicks. After three years of romance and a break, the young couple resumed their relationship until the handsome actor's heart was won over in 2013 by the actress Maika Monroe.
Taylor Lautner and Maika Monroe
Soon after, Canadian actress Marie Avgeropoulos took her place, and then Lautner moved on to model Raina Lawson.
Taylor Lautner and Billie Lourd
At the end of 2016, the actor started dating his "Scream Queens" co-star Billie Lourd, but by October 2018 confirmed a relationship with a girl named Tay Dome. Also on Taylor's list of past romances are actress Lily Collins, singers Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez.
In 2018, Taylor Lautner introduced his beloved, Tay Dome, to his fans. They met through the actor's sister - both girls were studying at medical university and are friends. Lautner often posted pictures with his girlfriend, strolling with her around Los Angeles.
Lautner loves dogs
Taylor's followers eagerly awaited when his relationship would move to the next level, and finally on November 11, 2022, Lautner and Dome got married. The beloved is six years younger than the actor, works as a nurse, and runs her own blog where she talks about mental health.
The wedding of Taylor Lautner and Tay Dome
Taylor Lautner Now
In 2022, Taylor Lautner returned to the screen, playing a high school football coach in the sports comedy "Home Game". The shooting took place in spring 2021.
A scene from the movie 'Home Game'
In 2023, he starred in a music video for Taylor Swift's song "I Can See You" alongside Joey King.
Taylor Lautner in Taylor Swift's music video
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