Robert John TaylorOAM (born 1963) is an Australian actor who has appeared in many films and television series in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. On television, he is known for playing the lead role of Walt Longmire in the A&E/Netflix television series Longmire. His film credits include Agent Jones in The Matrix (1999), and also had roles in Vertical Limit (2000) and The Meg (2018).
He attended university three times.[1][2][4]He worked as a miner when he was a teenager,[1][3] and he later had jobs including lifeguard and bouncer.
At age 21, Taylor went to work on an oil rig in the Indian Ocean.[1][2][3] His ship collided with another and sank off the west coast of Australia, but he and two crew mates escaped on a lifeboat.[4] Taylor suffered a broken arm and ribs.[4]
Taylor started acting professionally in 1988 after graduating from WAAPA. His first major role was in 1989 as Nicholas Walsh in the Australian television soap Home and Away.[5] His first lead role came in 1993 when he was cast as David Griffin in the Australian miniseries The Feds.[6][7] He then appeared in various guest roles and on TV movies in Australia, such as Blue Heelers and Stingers, often being cast as a police officer.
In 2000, Taylor played Father Vincent Sheehan in Ballykissangel, a British television drama set in Ireland.[10] His television credits after that include MDA (2002), Satisfaction (2010), Cops L.A.C. (2010) and Killing Time (2011).[9][11] In 2011, Taylor was cast for the lead role of Walt Longmire in A&E's crime drama series Longmire.[12] The series moved to Netflix after the third season. Its sixth and final season was released in 2017.[13][14]
In 2024, as his upcoming film Kid Snow under post-production, Taylor was cast as Jackson Gibbs in NCIS Origins[15]
Personal life
Taylor is married to producer Ayisha Davies; they have a daughter, Scarlet.[1][4]