Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on February 11, 1992, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is most famously known for his role as Jacob Black in “The Twilight Saga” film series. As a child, Lautner was very interested in karate and even competed in a few competitions from the young age of 12 years old. He was also bullied in school for wanting to be an actor. He began his acting career in 2003, playing small roles in television series until his big break in the 2005 film “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D,” a little over two years later he was cast as Jacob Black in the first “Twilight” film, based on a book series of the same name by Stephanie Meyer.
Fast Facts
Full Name:
Taylor Daniel Lautner
Nickname:
Tay
Birth date:
February 11, 1992
Age:
32
Zodiac Sign:
Aquarius
Height:
5' 8"
Relationship Status:
Married
Net Worth:
$40 million
Background
Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on February 11, 1992, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the son of Deborah and Daniel Lautner. Deborah works at a software development company, while his father Daniel works at Midwest Airlines as a pilot. Lautner has a younger sister by the name of Makena. He was raised Roman Catholic and has Dutch, French, and German ancestry. He has stated he has distant Native American ancestry through his mother — particularly the Odawa and Potawatomi people.
Lautner spent most of his childhood in Hudsonville, Michigan, he started karate classes when he was six years old and attended the National Karate Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky where he met Michael Chaturantabut — the founder of “Xtreme Martial Arts.” Lautner was invited to be trained by Chaturantabut for several years, achieving his black belt at the age of eight and winning several junior world championships. His first television appearance was an “ISKA” karate event televised on E.S.P.N. in 2003. He later made an appearance on the sports-comedy show “Cheap Seats” in 2006.
In junior high, Lautner was part of a lot of extramural activities including karate, baseball, and hip-hop. He also won the award for ‘Best Smile’ in his local school. Lautner attended Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, California until his sophomore year when he took up acting. He began with a small talent agency where he would fly from Michigan to Los Angeles for auditions. Lautner was able to manage his acting, karate, and baseball careers while also taking up jazz and hip-hop. He eventually decided to move to Santa Clarita, California with his family in 2002.
Lautner’s first few months in Los Angeles were spent in small television and film roles, as well as a few advertising and commercials. He appeared in “The Bernie Mac Show” (2001), “My Wife and Kids,” “Summerland,” “Danny Phantom,” and “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” (2002). He then got a voice-over job in a commercial for the film “Rugrats Go Wild,” (2003). Lautner’s acting career began in 2005 with the film “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl 3-D,” directed by Robert Rodriguez, in which he played Sharkboy. In 2007 he was cast for the role of Native American shapeshifter and werewolf Jacob Black, next to Kristen Stewart who played Bella Swan in the popular “Twilight Saga” series. The first “Twilight” film was a large commercial success, earning roughly $70 million in its opening weekend, and grossing $392 million worldwide. Lautner was nominated for the ‘Male Breakthrough Performance’ for his role as Jacob Black at the 2009 M.T.V. Movie Awards with co-star Robert Pattinson.
Career timeline
He gets his big break with the hit film “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl 3-D” with famous director Robert Rodriguez.
Lautner is nominated for the Young Artist Awards for ‘Best Performance in a Feature Film’ by a Leading Actor for his role as ‘Sharkboy’ in “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl 3-D.”
Lautner acquires the role of Jacob Black — a hunky love interest and native American werewolf in the film series “Twilight.”
He is ranked second on “Glamour” magazine’s 50 Sexiest Men list.
Lautner gets his very own movie where he stars in an action/thriller film called “Abduction.”
He plays a comedic role as a frat boy alongside famous actors Chris Rock and Adam Sandler in the movie “Grown Ups 2.”
Why We Love Taylor Lautner
He does his own stunts in his movies
Lautner stars in a steamy and Jason-Bourne-inspired 2011 film called “Abduction” where he performs all his own stunts. We think this is neat!
He has a great sense of style
If it's on the red carpet, at the Oscars, or as a half-shark half-boy, Lautner has always had a great sense of fashion and dresses great for any occasion. We love a man who can dress well!
He used to date Taylor Swift
We were all in love when we heard the news, and even more heartbroken when we found out about the couple's split. They were absolutely adorable in the film “Valentine's Day.”
5 Surprising Facts
He was nearly replaced as Jacob Black
The producer of the Twilight films became concerned that Lautner wouldn't be able to bulk up for the second movie due to the extremely tight workout regimes — thus they nearly recast him.
He’s insanely good at martial arts
Lautner has been practicing Karate since he was six years old and at 12 he represented the U.S. in the World Karate Association.
He voice acted before
Besides being the hunky werewolf from “Twilight,” Lautner has also voiced the character YoungBlood in the animated show “Danny Phantom.”
He choreographs his fight scenes
Lautner is very skilled at karate and has been known to choreograph his fight scenes.
He has an amazing body
The suave actor was listed fourth in “People Magazine’s” Most Amazing Bodies list in 2010.
Taylor Lautner FAQs
Did Selena Gomez and Taylor Lautner date?
Yes, Lautner and Selena Gomez briefly dated in 2009.
How much did Taylor Lautner get paid for “Twilight?”
It is reported that he earned about $1 million for his involvement in the first “Twilight” movie. For the second film, he earned another $4 million, $7,5 million for the third, and $12.5 million each for “Breaking Dawn” Part one and two.
Why is Taylor Lautner no longer in films?
Following “Twilight,” Lautner starred in several films that either flopped at the box office or were critically derided. His 2011 action picture “Abduction” was regarded as one of filmmaker John Singleton’s worst works, and his part in” Tracers” in 2015 was likewise panned. He’s also been tied to many action films that never made it out of pre-production throughout the years.
Taylor Lautner’s birthday dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2025 | February 11 | Tuesday |
2026 | February 11 | Wednesday |
2027 | February 11 | Thursday |
2028 | February 11 | Friday |
2029 | February 11 | Sunday |