TOM TAYLOR

Age

__ 16

Plays

__ Jake Chambers, the teen hero of fantasy epic The Dark Tower, opposite idris Elba’s Gunslinger and Matthew Mcconaughey’s the Man in Black. “Jake has visions of other worlds, he’s bullied for it. [so] travelling to different worlds, it’s like he belongs there.”

Backstory

__ “i’m one of seven [kids] and we all went to a theatre school on saturdays to give my parents a break. an agent visited when i was about 11. i had to do some cheesy advert thing, but the buzz of doing weird stuff is what i like.”

Early Roles

__ “when i got a role in Casualty i was amazed; i was in that for a few minutes. then [BBC saxon epic] The Last Kingdom [where he played Young Uhtred] was my first big thing.”

The Big Break

__ “The Dark Tower! i had eight auditions, over four months. My first audition, i read the sides and they said, ‘Great. Can you do it in american now?’ No-one told me i needed an accent! i hadn’t read anything like it. i thought it would be all, like, fairies, but actually it’s sick.”

Next Up

__ “i have things in the pipeline, but they’re on the down-low. i’d like to play something crazy. obviously, i’m only starting, but the aspiration would be to play something meaty.”

Acting Mentors

__ “it feels real when you watch tom Hardy. i met him for something on Taboo, before this film opportunity came up and they very kindly let me off. i like robert Carlyle and paddy Considine as well.”

Hobbies

__ “i bought a few skateboards in south africa, and i would skate around the set [of The Dark Tower]. i did get evils from the producers.” THE DARK TOWER IS IN CINEMAS FROM 18 AUGUST