Aaron Taylor-Johnson is an English actor who has captivated audiences with his remarkable versatility, earning a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two British Academy Film Awards since beginning his career as a child performer. Born Aaron Perry Johnson on 13 June 1990, he grew up in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and developed a passion for acting at an early age, making his screen debut in minor roles before gaining wider notice.
Taylor-Johnson began his professional acting career as a child, appearing in films such as Shanghai Knights alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, and later in the period mystery The Illusionist with Edward Norton and Jessica Biel. He also charmed audiences in the British teen comedy Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, based on the popular novels by Louise Rennison. His breakthrough came in 2009 when he portrayed a young John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, whom he married in 2012. He subsequently added her surname to his own, becoming Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
The actor achieved international recognition for his starring role as the titular vigilante in Kick-Ass, a darkly comedic superhero film directed by Matthew Vaughn. He reprised the role in the sequel Kick-Ass 2 and continued to build an impressive filmography with performances in the crime thriller Savages directed by Oliver Stone, the period drama Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley, and the blockbuster monster film Godzilla. He then joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver, in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Taylor-Johnson delivered a critically acclaimed performance as a psychopathic drifter in Tom Ford's psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has since appeared in a series of high-profile action and genre films, including Christopher Nolan's time-bending espionage epic Tenet, the ensemble action-comedy Bullet Train alongside Brad Pitt, and the stunt-driven blockbuster The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling. His recent work includes a starring role in the gothic horror film Nosferatu and the highly anticipated post-apocalyptic thriller 28 Years Later, both released in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Consistently praised for his intensity and range, Aaron Taylor-Johnson remains one of the most sought-after actors of his generation, seamlessly moving between indie dramas and major franchise spectacles.