Noah George Taylor (born 4 September 1969) is an English-Australian actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Award, and four AACTA Awards. Taylor is best known for his roles as teenage David Helfgott in Shine, Locke in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Darby Sabini in the BBC One series Peaky Blinders, Mr. Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Danny in the Australian cult film He Died with a Felafel in His Hand. Taylor also starred as Adolf Hitler in both the American television series Preacher and the 2002 film Max. In 2023, he starred as Dr. Friedrich "Fritz" Pfeffer in A Small Light.
Early life Taylor, the elder of two sons, was born on 4 September 1969 in London to Australian parents, Maggie (née Miller), a journalist and book editor, and Paul Taylor, a copywriter and journalist. His parents returned to Australia when Taylor was five, and he grew up in Clifton Hill and St Kilda, suburbs of Melbourne.Noah Taylor profile, filmreference.com; accessed 5 March 2016.
After performing in plays at St Martins Youth Arts Centre in South Yarra for a year, Taylor gained the attention of director John Duigan, who cast him in the 1987 film The Year My Voice Broke, the first part of a planned trilogy. Taylor also appeared in its sequel, Flirting (1991), alongside Thandiwe Newton with Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts in supporting roles.
Career Film Taylor's early screen roles included playing the lead in the critically acclaimed The Year My Voice Broke and Flirting, and he gained significant international attention playing the tormented young pianist David Helfgott in the 1996 film Shine. Taylor's résumé includes action movies (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life), comedies (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), psychological thrillers (Vanilla Sky and Predestination) and historical dramas (Max, in which he played the young Adolf Hitler). He also played the role of Adolf Hitler in AMC's series Preacher.
Taylor once commented in an interview that he was sick of acting out the nostalgic reminiscences of other people. He has done this in a number of films including The Nostradamus Kid, which was based on the early life of the Australian author Bob Ellis, a young David Helfgott in Shine, the protagonist in John Birmingham's memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, and Almost Famous, based on the memories of the film's writer and director, Cameron Crowe.
In 2005, Taylor appeared in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Five years later, Taylor starred in Simon Rumley's mystery thriller Red White & Blue, which had its world premiere as part of the SXSW Film Festival in March 2010.
Television In 2013, Taylor appeared in both the third and fourth seasons of HBO's epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin. In the adaptation, Taylor plays the character of Locke, an original character of the television series, who serves as a condensed version of several characters of the books, most notably the ruthless and sadistic mercenary leader Vargo Hoat.
Music video appearances Taylor has appeared in a small number of music videos. One of his earliest screen performances was in the video for Beargarden's song The Finer Things. This video was directed by Richard Lowenstein, who then cast Taylor in a supporting role in the film Dogs in Space. Much later, he appeared in the video of "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow", a song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, along with the video for M.O.R. by British alternative rock group Blur. Taylor also played a young Romeo in the video "Romeos" from Alphaville.
Music Taylor has also performed and recorded as a musician. In 2001, he released an album Popular Music for All Peoples under the name 'C.B.M.' (Cardboard Box Man) and in 2011, an EP Live Free or Die!!! as Noah Taylor & the Sloppy Boys on Z-Man Records.
Personal life When not acting, Taylor draws and paints, and is also an accomplished musician, playing viola and French horn as a young teenager, and guitar from age 16. He plays the piano by ear. Taylor has sung and played guitar in several of his own bands, including Honky Tonk Angels, Cardboard Box Man, Flipper & Humphrey, Access Axis, and The Thirteens, a country-western rock band described by Taylor as, "three manic depressives playing sad angst and western music for sad people." He names Johnny Cash and Lou Reed as two of the artists he admires.
On 14 November 2012, Taylor married Dionne Harris, an Australian fashion designer. They have a daughter and live in Brighton, East Sussex.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1986Dogs in Space Bowie Fan 1987 The Year My Voice Broke Danny Embling1989 The Prisoner of St. Petersburg Jack Lover Boy Mick Short film1991 Flirting Danny Embling Dead to the World Skip 1992 Secrets Randolf 1993 Ken Elkin 1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection Joe Rudd 1996 Shine David Helfgott – Adolescent 1997 True Love and Chaos Dean1998 Woundings Journalist There's No Fish Food in Heaven Jeff1999 Simon Magus Simon Magus The Escort Gem2000 The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz Hyde Park Nutter Almost Famous Dick Roswell2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Bryce He Died with a Felafel in His Hand Daniel Kirkhope Vanilla Sky Edmund Ventura 2002 Max Adolf Hitler2003 The Sleeping Dictionary Neville Shiperly Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life Bryce 2004 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Vladimir Wolodarsky2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mr. Bucket The Proposition Brian O'Leary The New World Selway 2008 Lecture 21 Peters 2009 The New Daughter Professor Evan White2010 Red White & Blue Nate Submarine Lloyd Tate 2011 Red Dog Jack Collins 2012 Lawless Gummy Walsh2013 The Double Harris Mindscape Peter Lundgren2014 Predestination Mr. Robertson Edge of Tomorrow Dr. Carter Lost in Karastan Xan Butler Maya the Bee Movie Crawley (voice)2016 The Windmill Massacre Nicholas Cooper Free Fire Gordon The Menkoff Method Max Menkoff 2017 Paddington 2 Phibs 2018 Skyscraper Mr. Pierce 2025 Bulk Sessler 2026 Big Girls Don't Cry Leo TBA A Colt Is My Passport Post-production TBA Trash TV Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1987 Frontier Convict George Anderson Miniseries, 3 episodes 1988 Dadah Is Death Andrew Barlow Television film1989 Dolphin Cove Convict Episode: "Stormy Weather" Bangkok Hilton Billy Engels Miniseries, 3 episodes 1990 Tony Waterson 2 episodes1991 Boys from the Bush Vince Episode: "Multi Culture" Inspector Morse Dave Harding Episode: "Promised Land" The Last Crop Craig Sweeney Television film1993 G.P. Dr. Martin Lloyd Episode: "Infected" Joh's Jury Brad Television film 1997 Water Rats Ronny Jefferson Episode: "The Witness" 2010 Rake Stanley Shrimpton Episode: "R vs Lorton"2012 The Borgias Mortician 2 episodes Hatfields & McCoys Lark Varney Miniseries, 2 episodes 2013–2014Game of Thrones Locke 8 episodes 2014 Peaky Blinders Darby Sabini 6 episodes2015 Powers Johnny Royalle 10 episodes And Then There Were None Thomas Rogers Miniseries, 2 episodes 2016 Deep Water Nick Manning Miniseries, 4 episodes 2017–2019 Preacher Adolf Hitler Main role (seasons 2–4) 2019 Hanna Dr. Roland Kunek 3 episodes2023 Foundation Hetman 3 episodes A Small Light Fritz Pfeffer Miniseries, 6 episodes2024 So Long, Marianne George Johnston Supporting role Thou Shalt Not Steal Robert Senior Supporting role2027WednesdayCyrus
Music video appearances Year Title Artist Role 1989 Romeos Alphaville Romeo 1997 M.O.R. Blur Truck Passenger 2001 Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dancer
Music Year Title Artist Type 2001 Popular Music for All Peoples 'C.B.M.' (Cardboard Box Man) Album 2011 Live Free or Die!!! Noah Taylor & the Sloppy Boys EP on Z-Man Records
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult1987Australian Film Institute AwardsBest Actor in a Leading RoleThe Year My Voice Broke1988Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest Actor1995Australian Film Institute AwardsBest Actor in a Supporting RoleDad and Dave: On Our Selection1996Best Actor in a Leading RoleShine1997Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest Supporting ActorScreen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureOutstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleChlotrudis AwardsBest Actor2001Online Film Critics Society AwardsBest EnsembleAlmost FamousScreen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture2004Boston Society of Film Critics AwardsBest Ensemble CastThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou2005Critics' Choice Movie AwardsBest Acting Ensemble2012Fantasia International Film Festival AwardsBest ActorRed White & BlueFangoria Chainsaw AwardsBest Actor2017Logie AwardsMost Outstanding ActorDeep Water2025Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts AwardsBest Actor in a DramaThou Shalt Not Steal
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