Samuel Henry John Worthington[1] (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in Avatar, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, and Perseus in Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans. He later took more dramatic roles, appearing in The Debt (2010), Everest (2015), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), The Shack (2017), Manhunt: Unabomber (2017), and Fractured (2019).
Sam Worthington | |
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Born | (1976-08-02) 2 August 1976 (age 46) |
Nationality | Australian |
Alma mater | National Institute of Dramatic Art |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2000–present |
Spouse | Lara Bingle (m. 2014) |
Children | 3 |
On television, he 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). In 2022, he starred in the true crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven.
In 2004, Worthington received Australia's highest film award for his lead role in Somersault.
Worthington was born to English parents in Godalming, Surrey, in South East England, and moved to Perth, Western Australia, when he was six months old. He grew up in Warnbro, a suburb of Rockingham. His mother, Jeanne J. (née Martyn), is a housewife, and his father, Ronald W. Worthington, is a power plant employee.[2] He has a sister, Lucinda.[3][4]
He attended John Curtin College of the Arts, a 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]
Worthington played a small role alongside Adam Garcia in the Aussie dance film Bootmen (2000).[6] He also played a lead role in the low-budget Aussie comedy Gettin' Square.[7][8]
Worthington had a major role in Somersault (2004), and played the lead in a modern Australian retelling of Macbeth (2006). He won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor for his role in Somersault. He was well known in Australia for his role as Howard in the acclaimed Australian TV series Love My Way, in which he played the main love interest of the female lead.
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), as a man named Neil, which gained a 100%% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.[10]
In Terminator Salvation, Worthington played cyborg Marcus Wright, who assists humans despite their suspicions of him. Worthington's next project was the James Cameron-directed science-fiction film Avatar, in which he played Jake Sully, a paraplegic former U.S. Marine who finds himself at the centre of a war between his own species and the indigenous Na'vi people of the moon Pandora. The film became the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing more than $2.8 billion ($3.4 billion adjusted for inflation) in box-office receipts worldwide.[11] In November 2010, Worthington told GQ Australia[12] that he went to audition, but wasn't told what it was for and got annoyed. So he did his part, left, forgot about it – and was called back. "I was a bit pissed off, and I think that came across," he says. "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 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.[14] 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 as the new "A-List".[15]
He was selected as one of the entrants to the Who's Who in Australia 2011 edition.[16]
In 2012, Worthington starred in the sequel to Clash of the Titans, called Wrath of the Titans, alongside Liam Neeson. As in the first film, Worthington played the demigod and son of Zeus, Perseus. He also reprised his role as Alex Mason in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.[17] 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 poor reviews from critics, Worthington's performance received praise, with The New Zealand Herald describing him as "suitably terrified".
Worthington portrayed Jim Fitzgerald in the Discovery Channel television series, Manhunt: Unabomber.[18]
In 2019, Worthington starred as Ray Monroe in the Netflix thriller film Fractured.[19]
Worthington has said that when he was about 30, he sold most of his possessions and ended up with around $2,000 to his name. He says he bought a car with the proceeds and was living in it before he auditioned for Avatar.[20] He then found a place to live.[21]
On 18 October 2013, Worthington had confirmed rumours of a relationship with fellow Australian, model Lara Worthington (née Bingle).[22][23] They married on 28 December 2014 and had a son in 2015.[24] In 2016, Bingle and Worthington had their second child, another son.[25] In 2020, the couple announced the birth of their third child, another son.[26]
Worthington is a Christian.[27]
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". Video footage of the incident depicts Worthington referring to Bingle as his "wife", furthering speculation about the pair's marital status.[28] Worthington was initially released on a desk appearance ticket, while Li was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, assault, and harassment.[29]
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.[30]
On 1 April 2014, Li blamed Bingle for starting the fight and called for her to be arrested.[31] Later that month, Worthington secured a conditional discharge deal on a misdemeanour assault charge, therefore, avoiding any jail time, while the charges against Li were dismissed "in the interest of justice".[32] Li then filed a $3.7 million civil lawsuit against Worthington, which was settled out of court before going to trial in September 2015.[33]
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 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 | |
Alphas [34] | TBA | Post-production | |
Avatar: The Way of Water | Jake Sully | ||
2024 | Avatar 3 | ||
2026 | Avatar 4 | Filming | |
TBA | The Georgetown Project | Joe | Post-production |
TBA | Horizon | Filming |
Denotes works that have not yet been released |
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 |
2022 | Under the Banner of Heaven | Ron Lafferty | Miniseries |
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 |
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | AFI Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Bootmen | Nominated |
2002 | FCCA Award | Best Supporting Actor – Male | Dirty Deeds | Won |
2004 | AFI Award | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Somersault | Won |
FCCA Award | Best Actor – Male | Somersault | Won[35] | |
IF Award | Best Actor | Somersault | Won | |
2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Fresh Face Male | Terminator Salvation | Nominated |
Australians in Film Breakthrough Award | Australians in Film[36] | Avatar | ||
2010 | Saturn Award | Best Actor | Avatar | Won |
AACTA Awards | Best Actor | Avatar | Won | |
Empire Award | Best Actor | Avatar | Won | |
Giffoni Award | Won | |||
Kid's Choice Awards | Cutest Couple (shared with Zoe Saldana) | Avatar | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight (shared with Stephen Lang) | Avatar | Nominated | |
Best Kiss (shared with Zoe Saldana) | Avatar | Nominated | ||
ShoWest Award | Male Star of the Year | Won | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Fight (shared with Stephen Lang) | Avatar | Nominated | |
Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi | Avatar | Won | ||
Choice Movie Actor: Fantasy | Clash of the Titans | Nominated |
General | |
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National libraries | |
Other |
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