Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington | |
|---|---|
 Worthington in 2022 | |
| Born | Samuel Henry John Worthington 2 August 1976 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is known for playing Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, and Perseus in Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans.[1]
He has taken other dramatic roles, appearing in The Debt (2010), Everest (2015), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), The Shack (2017), Manhunt (2017), and Fractured (2019). He has received Australia's highest film award three times for his leading roles in Bootmen (2000), Somersault (2004), and Avatar (2009).
On television, Worthington appeared in his native Australia as Howard in Love My Way and as Phillip Schuler in the television drama mini-series Deadline Gallipoli, for which he was also an executive producer. He voiced the protagonist, Captain Alex Mason, in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010), as well as its sequels Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012), and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018).
Early life and education
[edit]Samuel Henry John Worthington was born to English parents in Godalming, Surrey, in South East England, UK.[citation needed] They moved to Perth, Western Australia, when he was an infant.[citation needed] He was raised in Warnbro, a suburb of Rockingham. His mother, Jeanne J. Worthington (née Martyn), is a housewife, and his father, Ronald W. Worthington, is a power plant laborer.[2] He has a sister, Lucinda.[3][4]
Worthington attended John Curtin College of the Arts, a high school specialising in the dramatic arts, located in Fremantle, Western Australia, where he studied drama but did not graduate. When he left the college, his father gave him $400 and sent him on a one-way trip to Cairns, Queensland, telling him to "work his way home". He began working on construction and odd jobs, eventually settling in Sydney. At age 19, while working as a bricklayer, he auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art and was accepted with a scholarship.[5]
Career
[edit]2000–2008: Early roles
[edit]Worthington played a small role alongside Adam Garcia in the Australian dance film Bootmen (2000).[6] He played a lead role in the low-budget Australian comedy Gettin' Square.[7][8]
Worthington had a major role in Somersault (2004), for which he won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor. He was well known in Australia for his role as Howard in the acclaimed TV series Love My Way, in which he played the main love interest of the female lead. In 2006, he played the lead in a modern retelling of Macbeth.
Worthington's international film career began with a series of small roles in Hollywood production The Great Raid (2005), which was filmed in Australia. He auditioned for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, but lost the role to Daniel Craig.[9] He starred in the Australian creature-feature film Rogue (2007), which gained a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.[10]
2009–present: Avatar franchise and other work
[edit]In 2009, Worthington starred in James Cameron-directed science-fiction film Avatar, in which he played the role of Jake Sully, a paraplegic former U.S. Marine who is at the centre of a war between his own species and the indigenous Na'vi people of Pandora. The film was a success, amassing critical acclaim and several accolades. It became the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing more than $2.8 billion ($3.9 billion adjusted for inflation) worldwide.[11]
In November 2010, Worthington told GQ Australia[12] that when he auditioned for the role, he was not told what it was for, which annoyed him. "I was a bit pissed off, and I think that came across. I think Jim saw a spark and liked it because that's Sully's character – a guy who doesn't like to be bullied and a guy who just wants to set things right."[13] He later said that Cameron "changed his life" and he will always be grateful to him.[14]
After auditioning for Cameron, Worthington consequently landed the part in 2009's science fiction action film Terminator Salvation, thanks to Cameron's personal recommendation to fellow filmmaker McG.[15] In the film, Worthington co-starred alongside Christian Bale and played Marcus Wright, a human-terminator hybrid. Terminator Salvation was released on May 21, 2009 and grossed over $371.4 million and received mixed reviews.
In early 2010, Worthington appeared in Clash of the Titans, an action fantasy film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Worthington headlined the film. It received generally negative reviews from critics, but grossed $493 million worldwide and was the 11th highest grossing film of 2010.[16] He provided voice work for Captain Alex Mason, the protagonist in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops. Some gamers criticised Worthington's inability to mask his Australian accent, as in Avatar.[17] In November 2010, The Hollywood Reporter named Worthington as one of the young male actors who are "pushing – or being pushed" into taking over Hollywood.[18] Also in 2010, Forbes named Worthington among Hollywood's highest grossing actors.[19] He was selected as one of the entrants to the Who's Who in Australia 2011 edition.[20]
In 2012, Worthington starred in Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to Clash of the Titans. The film received mostly negative reception from critics and although it grossed $302 million at the box office, the film underperformed compared to its predecessor. He reprised his role as Alex Mason in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.[21] Also in 2012, Worthington starred as Nick Cassidy in Man on a Ledge, a suspense-thriller film directed by Asger Leth. Though the film received mixed reviews from critics, Worthington's performance received praise, with The New Zealand Herald describing him as "suitably terrified".[citation needed]
In 2013, Worthington worked in Drift (2013), an Australian film about the birth of the surf industry in the 1970s. He starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Hollywood action thriller film Sabotage (2014).[22] A loose adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, it received generally negative reviews and was a box office bomb. Worthington next appeared in the drama film Cake (2014). Headlined by Jennifer Aniston, it debuted in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[23] In the same year, he played a supporting role in the western film The Keeping Room.[24]
In 2015, Worthington starred in Paper Planes, an Australian 3D children's drama film directed by Robert Connolly. The film tells a story about Dylan, a young boy who lives in Australia, who finds out that he has a talent for making paper planes and dreams of competing in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.[25] He followed it up by playing Willem Holleeder in Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (2015), based on the 1983 kidnapping of Freddy Heineken. He portrayed a character in Baltasar Kormákur's Everest, based on the 1996 Mount Everest disaster;[26] the film was a commercial success, grossing $203 million worldwide.[27]
In 2016, he played Captain Jack Glover, a stern army officer, in the Mel Gibson directed biographical war film Hacksaw Ridge. The film focuses on the World War II experiences of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic who refused to carry or use a weapon or firearm of any kind. Hacksaw Ridge was released in the United States on November 4, 2016, grossing $180.4 million worldwide, and received critical acclaim. The film was awarded several accolades.[28][29][30]
Worthington worked with Stuart Hazeldine on The Shack, a 2017 American Christian drama film. Based on the 2007 novel of the same name, it opened to mixed critical reviews and was a success as it grossed over $96 million worldwide. That year, Worthington portrayed Jim Fitzgerald in the Discovery Channel television series Manhunt: Unabomber.[31]
In 2018, he starred in the Netflix original science fiction thriller film The Titan. In 2019, Worthington starred as Ray Monroe in the Netflix thriller film Fractured.[32]
Worthington reprised his role as Jake Sully in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Much like its predecessor, it was a critical and commercial success. Upon release, it broke multiple records and grossed over $2.320 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2022 and the third-highest-grossing film of all time.
In 2024, Worthington returned to work with Giovanni Ribisi, his co-star from the Avatar series, in the Kevin Costner-directed western-drama film series Horizon: An American Saga as First Lt. Trent Gephardt.[33]
Personal life
[edit]
Worthington has reported that, when he was about 30, he sold most of his possessions, bought a car with the proceeds, and was living in it before he auditioned for Avatar.[34][35]
On 18 October 2013, Worthington confirmed his relationship with model Lara Bingle.[36][37] They married on 28 December 2014 and have three sons born in 2015,[38] 2016[39] and 2020.[40]
Worthington is a Christian[41] and recovering alcoholic. He says that he began drinking heavily as a means to cope with his loss of privacy following his increase in popularity after Avatar's release, and stopped after his wife Lara gave him an ultimatum.[42] He has been sober since 2014.[43]
Legal issues
[edit]On 23 February 2014, Worthington was arrested in New York City for assault, after punching a paparazzo, Sheng Li, who followed Bingle to get a "perfect picture". After the incident Worthington claimed that Sheng Li kicked Bingle and he had to step in. Video footage of the incident depicts Worthington referring to Bingle as his "wife", furthering speculation about the pair's marital status.[44] Worthington was initially released on a desk appearance ticket, while Li was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, assault, and harassment.[45]
On 26 February 2014, Worthington appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court, where he was ordered to stay away from Li for six months. The case was adjourned until 8 May 2014, with the actor to face charges of assault in the third degree, attempted assault, and harassment.[46]
On 1 April 2014, Li blamed Bingle for starting the fight and called for her to be arrested.[47] Later that month, Worthington secured a conditional discharge deal on a misdemeanour assault charge, thereby avoiding any jail time, while the charges against Li were dismissed "in the interest of justice".[48] Li then filed a $3.7 million civil lawsuit against Worthington, which was settled out of court before going to trial in September 2015.[49]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bootmen | Mitchell Okden | |
| 2001 | A Matter of Life | Our Hero | Short film |
| 2002 | Hart's War | Corporal B.J. "Depot" Guidry | |
| Dirty Deeds | Darcy Ryan | ||
| 2003 | Gettin' Square | Barry "Wattsy" Wirth | |
| 2004 | Enzo | - | Short film; Director, Writer, Music and Cinematography |
| Somersault | Joe | ||
| Thunderstruck | Ronnie | ||
| 2005 | The Great Raid | Private First Class Lucas | |
| Fink! | Able | ||
| 2006 | Macbeth | Lord Macbeth | |
| 2007 | Rogue | Neil Kelly | |
| 2009 | Terminator Salvation | Marcus Wright | |
| Avatar | Jake Sully / Tom Sully | ||
| 2010 | Clash of the Titans | Perseus | |
| Last Night | Michael Reed | ||
| Love & Distrust | Miles | Segment: "Blue Poles" | |
| The Debt | Young David Peretz | ||
| 2011 | Texas Killing Fields | Detective Mike Souder | |
| 2012 | Man on a Ledge | Nick Cassidy | |
| Wrath of the Titans | Perseus | ||
| 2013 | Drift | J.B. | |
| 2014 | Sabotage | DEA Agent James "Monster" Murray | |
| Cake | Roy Collins | ||
| The Keeping Room | Moses | ||
| 2015 | Paper Planes | Jack Webber | |
| Kidnapping Freddy Heineken | Willem Holleeder | ||
| Everest | Guy Cotter | ||
| 2016 | Hacksaw Ridge | Captain Jack Glover | |
| 2017 | The Shack | Mack Philips | |
| The Hunter's Prayer | Stephen Lucas | ||
| 2018 | The Titan | Rick Janssen | |
| 2019 | Fractured | Ray Monroe | |
| 2021 | Lansky | David Stone | |
| The Last Son | Isaac Lemay | ||
| 2022 | 9 Bullets | Jack | |
| Avatar: The Way of Water | Jake Sully | ||
| 2023 | Transfusion | Ryan Logan | |
| Simulant | Kessler | [50] | |
| 2024 | Lift | Huxley | |
| Breathe | Lucas | ||
| Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 | First Lt. Trent Gephardt | ||
| The Exorcism | Joe | ||
| The Killer | Finn | ||
| Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 | First Lt. Trent Gephardt | ||
| Relay | TBA | ||
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash † | Jake Sully | Post-production |
| 2029 | Avatar 4 † | Filming | |
| 2031 | Avatar 5 † | ||
| TBA | Alphas †[51] | TBA | Post-production |
| Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 † | First Lt. Trent Gephardt | Filming | |
| Fuze † | TBA | Filming |
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | JAG | Dunsmore | Episode: "Boomerang: Part 1" |
| Water Rats | Phillip Champion | Episode: "Able to Leap Tall Buildings" | |
| Blue Heelers | Shane Donovan | Episode: "Bloodlines" | |
| 2004 | Love My Way | Howard Light | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | The Surgeon | Dr. Sam Dash | 8 episodes |
| 2006 | Two Twisted | Gus Rogers | Episode: "Delivery Man" |
| 2015 | Deadline Gallipoli | Phillip Schuler | 4 episodes; Miniseries Executive producer |
| 2017 | Manhunt: Unabomber | Jim Fitzgerald | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Fires | Glen Findlay | 2 episodes; Miniseries |
| 2022 | Under the Banner of Heaven | Ron Lafferty | 7 episodes; Miniseries |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | Alex Mason | |
| 2012 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | ||
| 2018 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | Specialist HQ and Blackout Character |
Awards and nominations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Avatar first reviews, Sam Worthington next Hollywood star in the making". The Daily Telegraph. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
- ^ Lipworth, Elaine (4 February 2012). "Sam Worthington on 'Man on a Ledge'". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Jeanne J. Worthington". MyHeritage. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Sam Worthington Interview for Terminator". Screencrave.com. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Film.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ "Getting Square". urbancinefile.com.au. 16 October 2003. Archived from the original on 31 August 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ "Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ "Bard arse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 September 2006.
- ^ "Rogue". Rotten Tomatoes. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Worldwide Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "Sam Worthington". GQ. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014.
- ^ "Sam Worthington - GQ". Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2017., GQ Australia November 2010, Sam Worthington
- ^ Dasgupta, Priyanka. "I can still live in my car: Sam Worthington". The Times of India.
- ^ "Here's How 'Avatar' Star Sam Worthington Went from Living in His Car to A $30 Million Net Worth". 23 September 2020.
- ^ "Clash of the Titans".
- ^ "How an Australian Man Nearly Ruined Black Ops for Me". Archived from the original on 19 November 2010.
- ^ Blank, Emily; Schutte, Lauren. "Hollywood's A-List Redefined". (slide 9 of 10 in slideshow) The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- ^ "In Pictures: Hollywood's Highest-Grossing Actors". Forbes.
- ^ "Who's Who pack now boasts Siddle, Hamish and Andy and the Masterchef judges". heraldsun.com.au. 9 December 2010.
- ^ John Gaudiosi (13 November 2012). "'Call of Duty: Black Ops II': Treyarch's Dave Anthony on Directing Sam Worthington, Michael Keaton (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (7 May 2012). "Arnold Schwarzenegger to Star in David Ayer's 'Ten'". Collider.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ Punter, Jennie (22 July 2014). "Toronto Film Festival Lineup Includes Denzel Washington's 'Equalizer,' Kate Winslet's 'A Little Chaos'". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ Punter, Jennie (22 July 2014). "Toronto Film Festival Lineup Includes Denzel Washington's 'Equalizer,' Kate Winslet's 'A Little Chaos'". Variety. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Paper Planes - Penguin Books Australia". penguin.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ Pulver, Andrew (2 September 2015). "Everest: how Jake Gyllenhaal got to grips with the world's highest mountain". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ "Everest". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (24 January 2017). "Oscars: 'La La Land' Ties Record With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (9 January 2017). "BAFTA Awards: 'La La Land' Leads Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Critics Choice Awards – Critics Choice Awards". Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ McLennan, Cindy (28 March 2017). "Manhunt: Unabomber: Scripted Discovery Series Debuts in August". TV Series Finale.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (12 November 2018). "Sam Worthington Set as Lead in Brad Anderson-directed Netflix Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ Little, Sarah (18 May 2024). "1 Horizon Scene Proves Kevin Costner's Character Isn't Just Yellowstone's John Dutton With A Mustache". ScreenRant. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "Watch The Jay Leno Show Online at Hulu". Hulu. [dead link]
- ^ "I was living in my car before 'Avatar': Sam Worthington". Associated Press. 25 December 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Aussie actor 'smitten' with Bingle".
- ^ "Sam Worthington says he is smitten with new squeeze Lara Bingle".
- ^ Anya Leon (27 March 2015). "Sam Worthington and Lara Bingle Welcome Son Rocket Zot". People. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ Ellie McDonald (1 November 2016). "CONFIRMED! Lara and Sam Worthington have welcomed their second son". Woman's Day. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- ^ "Lara Worthington confirms she's pregnant with her third child and it's a boy!".
- ^ "Actor Sam Worthington Says 'The Shack' Helped Him Understand Relationship With God (Interview)". www.christianpost.com. 5 March 2017.
- ^ Lang, Brent (17 December 2022). "'Avatar,' Sobriety and Hollywood Clashes: How Sam Worthington Lost and Found His Star Power". Variety. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ^ "Sobriety Surprises: Lena Dunham, Jason Biggs and Other Stars Who Revealed They Got Sober". US Weekly. 28 December 2023.
- ^ "So are Sam Worthington and Lara Bingle really married?". News.com.au. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "'Avatar' actor Sam Worthington arrested in NYC". Yahoo. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Sam Worthington ordered to stay away from photographer". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Photographer blames 'Avatar' star's girlfriend for starting fight". Reuters. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ Peter Mitchell (9 May 2014). "Paparazzo walks free as Sam Worthington assault case dropped". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ Ebony Bowden (4 September 2015). "Sam Worthington settles $5 million lawsuit with photographer over scuffle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (22 February 2022). "'Hello Stranger': Simu Liu Joins Sam Worthington and Robbie Amell in Sci-Fi Thriller". Collider. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ Collinson, Gary (4 March 2020). "Sam Worthington to star in Shark vs Killer Whale thriller Alphas". Flickering Myth. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "2000 AACTA Awards Winners and Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "2004 AACTA Awards Winners and Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ George, Sandy (13 December 2010). "Animal Kingdom leads Australian Film Institute Awards". Screen International. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (25 February 2010). "In Full: Empire Awards 2010 nominees". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Wrath of the Titans Production Notes" (PDF). Uproxx. p. 22. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "The 2013 FCCA Awards for Australian Film". Film Critics Circle of Australia. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Giffoni Film Festival 2010 Diary". Giffoni Film Festival. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (12 May 2010). "2010 MTV Movie Awards: Avatar vs The Hangover vs Twilight Saga: New Moon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "In Full: Kids' Choice 2010 - Winners". Digital Spy. 29 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "2022 Satellite Awards Nominees". International Press Academy. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Saturn Awards open Pandora's box". Variety. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (6 December 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Breakout Performance – Male | Scream 2009". Spike TV. Archived from the original on 6 December 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "ShoWest awards". Reuters. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "'Twilight' leads Teen Choice 2009 nominees". The Portsmouth Herald. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2010: Winners and Nominees". The Morning Call. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Stransky, Tanner (9 August 2010). "2010 Teen Choice Awards winners announced". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "WAFCA Critics Googly-Eyed Over 'Everything Everywhere'". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
External links
[edit]
- Living people
- Australian Christians
- Australian male film actors
- Australian male television actors
- Australian male video game actors
- Australian male voice actors
- Best Actor AACTA Award winners
- English emigrants to Australia
- Male actors from Perth, Western Australia
- Male motion capture actors
- National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni
- Naturalised citizens of Australia
- People educated at John Curtin College of the Arts
- People from Godalming
- 21st-century Australian male actors
- 1976 births