Xavier Samuel
| Xavier Samuel | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Born |
10 December 1983 Hamilton, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Xavier Samuel (born 10 December 1983) is an Australian actor. He has appeared in leading roles in the feature films September,[1][2][3] Further We Search,[4] Newcastle,[5] The Loved Ones,[6] Frankenstein, A Few Best Men, and played Riley Biers in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and as Billy in Spin Out.
Early life and education
Samuel was born in Hamilton, Victoria, the son of Maree and Clifford Samuel.[7] He grew up in Adelaide, South Australia and graduated from Rostrevor College in 2001. He has a younger brother, Benedict, a writer, producer and actor,[8] as well as an older sister, Bridget, a stage manager.
Despite completing his senior secondary years at Rostrevor College, Samuel undertook final year drama at Christian Brothers College under the tutelage of Amanda Portus, where he played the part of Tom Snout (the wall) in Rostrevor College's production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as playing "Belvile" in CBC's production of Aphra Behn's The Rover (The Banished Cavaliers).
Samuel later attended Flinders University Drama Centre in 2005, where he studied under renowned acting teacher Professor Julie Holledge. He played Hamlet in the graduate production.
Acting debut and international breakthrough
Samuel made his debut on the Australian TV show McLeod's Daughters in 2003. He starred in the Australian horror movie Road Train as Marcus, and also acted in the Australian movie Drowning with Elephant Princess star Miles Szanto, directed by Craig Boreham.[9] In 2009, he was cast as Brent in the Australian horror/thriller movie The Loved Ones in the lead role opposite Robin McLeavy. Although it received several award nominations, the film was a financial failure.
In early 2010, Samuel was cast as Riley Biers in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The film gave Samuel his first blockbuster film worldwide. Samuel received his first award nomination and win at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. In an interview with GQ Australia in November 2010, Samuel described the process of his shock Twilight casting. "I sent off the audition tape from Sydney, which landed in a big pile on someone's desk. So then to actually hear something back was kind of unusual. I guess I was a bit of a gamble, but it's bizarre and wonderful."[10]
Samuel appeared in the 2011 film Anonymous. He plays a lead role in A Few Best Men (2011/2012). He was cast in 3D feature Bait, released in September 2012 and short film Sanctuary, which was also released in 2012. In 2013 he played Ian in Adore/Two Mothers alongside Robin Wright and Naomi Watts. In 2016, Samuel plays the titular character in Cris Jones' The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, with Rachel Ward and her daughter, Matilda Brown. The film is set to open the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Personal life
Samuel follows Australian rules football and is a supporter of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League.[11]
Career
Theatre
| Year | Play | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Two Weeks with the Queen | Colin | Windmill Performing Arts |
| Osama the Hero | Unknown | The Old Fitzroy Theatre | |
| 2007 | Mercury Fur | Unknown | Griffin Theatre |
Filmography
| Year | Film Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2:37 | Theo | |
| Angela's Decision | Will Turner | ||
| 2007 | September | Ed Anderson | |
| 2008 | Newcastle | Fergus | |
| 2009 | Drowning | Dan | Short film |
| The Loved Ones | Brent | ||
| Further We Search | Age | ||
| 2010 | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Riley Biers | MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Robert Pattinson and Bryce Dallas Howard) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated – Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Male Breakout Nominated – Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Movie Star Nominated – Scream Awards for Best Breakthrough Performance Male |
| Road Train (a.k.a. Road Kill) | Marcus | ||
| 2011 | Anonymous | Henry Wriothesley | |
| A Few Best Men | David | ||
| 2012 | Bait 3D | Josh | |
| Drift | Jimmy Kelly | ||
| 2013 | Adore | Ian | |
| Plush | Enzo | ||
| 2014 | Healing | Paul | |
| Fury | Lt. Parker | ||
| 2015 | Frankenstein | ||
| 2016 | Love & Friendship | Reginald DeCourcy | |
| Mr. Church | Owen | ||
| Spin Out | Billy | ||
| The Death and Life of Otto Bloom | Otto Bloom | ||
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite movie actor | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Nominated |
| 2010 | Scream Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance Male | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Nominated |
| 2011 | MTV Movie Awards | "Best Fight" | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (with Robert Pattinson and Bryce Dallas Howard) | Won |
| "Best Breakout Star" | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Breakout: Male | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Schembri, Jim (29 November 2007). "September (Film reviews)". The Age. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ↑ Maddox, Gary (27 November 2006). "Tender tale takes shape in the dust". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ↑ Edwards, Russell (14 September 2007). "September (Australia)". Variety. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ Further We Search Archived 23 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine., subcultureentertainment.com; accessed 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Dunn, Emily; Josephine Tovey (14 April 2008). "Baby face surfs into Big Apple". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ↑ "Xavier Samuel". xaviernews.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ↑ Profile Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine., au.lifestyle.yahoo.com; accessed 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Benedict hammers home talent in Summer Bay". Herald Sun. Australia: The Herald and Weekly Times. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ↑ Twilight Convention Dallas, TX | Creation Entertainment
- ↑ , GQ Australia – Twilight's Xavier Samuel.
- ↑ Bowden, Kate (23 December 2011). "Xavier Samuel is a Tony Modra fan", Adelaide Now. Retrieved 22 March 2013.