Xavier Samuel

XAVIER SAMUEL

Date of Birth: December 10, 1983

Australian actor Xavier Samuel became part of the international phenomenon that is Twilight when he won the role of Riley, Victoria's accomplice in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Samuel made his TV debut on a 2003 episode of the popular Australia TV drama, McLeod's Daughters. Following graduation from Adelaide's Flinders University Drama Centre in 2005, he made his film debut in the highly-acclaimed independent feature 2:37 (2006). The film received a standing ovation after screening in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festiva.

Following this, Samuel was cast alongside Mia Wasikowska in the feature September (2007), a moving story of friendship and racial division, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival to rave reviews. The film was also selected to screen in both the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals.

Additionally, Samuel co-starred in Newcastle (2008), a coming-of-age surfing drama set in the Australian town of its title. This standout performance saw him play a conflicted gay teenager troubled by his family and dealing with adolescence. Newcastle premiered at the Tribeca International Film Festival.

Since filming The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Samuel played a starring role in the historical drama Anonymous (2011) for director Roland Emmerich, alongside Vanessa Redgrave. He has also appeared in Road Train, a supernatural thriller set in the Australian outback and Adore (2013). Following a role as Reginald DeCourcy in Love & Friendship (2016), opposite Kate Beckinsale, he has appeared in Australian films such as A Few Less Men (2017) opposite Dacre Montgomery and Bad Blood (2017).

He also starred on the award-winning Australian TV series Seven Types of Ambiguity in 2017, sharing an award for best ensemble cast at the 2018 Equity Ensemble Awards.

Next up he'll star alongside Ana de Armas, Bobby Cannavale and Adrien Brody in Blonde (2020), a fictionalized account of the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Samuel is also a talented singer, and while at university, sang lead vocals for a rock band.