Robert John Taylor (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).

Early life and education

Robert Taylor was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. His parents separated when he was nine, and he moved to a mining town in Western Australia to live with his aunt and uncle. He attended university three times. He worked as a miner when he was a teenager. At age 21, Taylor went to work on an oil rig in the Indian Ocean. His ship collided with another and sank off the west coast of Australia, but he and two crew mates escaped on a lifeboat. Taylor suffered a broken arm and ribs. While recovering in hospital, he saw an advertisement for auditions for drama school in Perth, at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), which he joined after a successful audition at the age of 24.

Career

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. His first lead role came in 1993 when he was cast as David Griffin in the Australian miniseries The Feds. He then appeared in various guest roles and on television films in Australia, such as Blue Heelers and Stingers, often being cast as a police officer. Taylor's big break in Hollywood came when he was cast as one of the Agents in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix. In 2000, he appeared in the action thriller Vertical Limit. His other film credits include The Hard Word (2002), Storm Warning (2007), Rogue (2007), and Coffin Rock (2009). In 2000, Taylor played Father Vincent Sheehan in Ballykissangel, a British television drama set in Ireland. His television credits after that include MDA (2002), Satisfaction (2010), Cops L.A.C. (2010) and Killing Time (2011). In 2011, Taylor was cast for the lead role of Walt Longmire in A&E's crime drama series Longmire. The series moved to Netflix after the third season. Its sixth and final season was released in 2017. In April 2024, as his film Kid Snow was in post-production, Taylor was cast as Jackson Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. He plays Colin Lawson in the 2024 Netflix drama series Territory.

Personal life

Taylor is married to producer Ayisha Davies; they have a daughter, Scarlet. Taylor co-founded Veg Out, a farmer's market and community gardens in St Kilda, Victoria.

Filmography

Film

Television