Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner Bio

Taylor Daniel Lautner (born February 11, 1992) is an American actor and martial artist best known for portraying Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga film series. He first trained in martial arts as a child and transitioned to film and television, rising to teen-idol status during the late 2000s and continuing to work in both film and television projects that emphasize action and physical performance.

Early Life and Background

Taylor Daniel Lautner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and raised in Hudsonville, Michigan, the son of Deborah and Daniel Lautner. His father worked as an airline pilot and his mother has worked in software, and he has a younger sister named Makena.

Lautner began practicing martial arts at age six, training under Michael Chaturantabut and earning a black belt by around age eight; he won multiple junior martial arts championships during his youth. The family traveled frequently to Los Angeles for auditions while he balanced karate, school athletics and dance, and in 2002 the Lautner family relocated to Santa Clarita, California so he could pursue acting opportunities more consistently.

Path to Celebrity

Lautner’s early exposure to performing came through martial arts demonstrations, local competitions and youth dance and athletics, which helped him develop the physical skills and discipline that guided his transition into screen work. He began booking small television parts and voice roles while still a child, appearing in series such as The Bernie Mac Show and My Wife and Kids and in animated projects during the mid-2000s.

His first substantial film roles came in 2005, when he played Sharkboy in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D and appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen 2; these projects introduced him to a broader film audience and showcased his willingness to choreograph fight sequences and perform physically demanding work. Continued television and film bookings followed, positioning him to compete for larger studio features and franchise parts toward the end of the decade.

Taylor Lautner Career

Early Career (2001–2007)

Lautner’s professional career began in 2001 with small television roles, commercials and voiceover work, and he steadily built credits through guest appearances and family films. In 2005 he achieved his first high-profile film exposure with Sharkboy and Lavagirl and a role in Cheaper by the Dozen 2; for Sharkboy he choreographed his own fight scenes and earned a Young Artist Award nomination for his performance.

Through the remainder of the decade Lautner continued to work in television and movies, taking supporting roles and earning experience on sets that blended family comedy with action-oriented staging. His training in martial arts and comfort with stunt choreography became an important credential as he pursued larger studio features and more physically challenging roles.

Breakthrough (2008–2009)

Lautner’s breakthrough came when he was cast as Jacob Black in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight, a role that elevated his public profile and established him as a central figure in a major young-adult franchise. The first Twilight film introduced his character to a wide audience and set the stage for larger parts in subsequent films in the series, while his association with the franchise brought extensive media attention and fan visibility.

Between the first film and the sequel, Lautner undertook a notable physical transformation to match the character’s development in the books, gaining significant muscle to portray the more mature Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. That transformation and the character’s increased prominence in the sequel contributed to Lautner’s rise as a teen idol and sex symbol and were credited with helping the series’ continued commercial success during its peak years.

Notable Works and Milestones

Lautner’s signature work remains his portrayal of Jacob Black across The Twilight Saga films, which defined his early career and his mainstream recognition. He followed the franchise with leading roles in action and comedy features such as Abduction and Grown Ups 2 and later expanded into television comedies and genre work, reflecting an effort to diversify his screen resume while continuing to draw on his athletic background.

Taylor Lautner Award Nominations

Across his career Lautner has received several industry nominations recognizing his breakout performances and popular appeal; among the verified nominations, he was nominated for Male Breakthrough Performance at the 2009 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Other nominations and recognitions have accompanied his franchise work and commercial profile from the late 2000s through the early 2010s.

Taylor Lautner Awards Won

Taylor Lautner’s verified award wins highlight his popularity with mainstream and fan-based voting bodies. He won Favorite Breakout Movie Actor at the 2010 People’s Choice Awards, Best Fantasy Actor at the 2010 Scream Awards, and Choice Action Actor at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards for Abduction, each reflecting public and fan support during the peak years of his franchise and action-film visibility.

Taylor Lautner Family

Taylor Lautner is the son of Deborah and Daniel Lautner and has a younger sister named Makena. His family supported his early training and travel between Michigan and Los Angeles for auditions, and they relocated to California in 2002 to allow him greater access to acting opportunities.

Personal Life

Lautner has maintained a public personal life at various points, including several widely reported relationships during and after his time on The Twilight Saga films. He was romantically linked to Taylor Swift in 2009 and later dated Lily Collins from 2010 to 2011, was in a relationship with Marie Avgeropoulos from 2013 to 2015, and dated Billie Lourd beginning in late 2016 before their split in 2017; these relationships received media coverage and are part of his public biography.

In 2018 Lautner began a relationship with Taylor Dome, and the couple married in California in November 2022, with Lautner noting that his spouse would take his last name upon marriage. Outside of relationships, he continues to train in martial arts, follows a disciplined fitness routine first publicized during his preparation for the Twilight films, and has described himself as drug- and alcohol-free while maintaining an interest in action-oriented and comedic screen roles.