Biography for Xavier Samuel

Xavier Samuel is an Australian actor who was born in Hamilton, Victoria, although he grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. Xavier's parents are Clifford and Maree Samuel. He has an older sister named Bridget and a younger brother named Benedict. Bridget is a stage manager, and Benedict is an actor, producer, and writer.

He completed his high-school years at Rostrevor College and graduated from that institution in 2001. He played Tom Snout in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in his final year at Rostrevor. Samuel enrolled at Christian Brothers College in 2001, studying drama under the guidance of Amanda Portus. He also began attending Flinders University Drama Centre in 2005, playing Hamlet in his graduate production. He studied under Professor Julie Holledge, a well-known acting teacher at Flinders.

He is best known for his role as Riley Biers in the 2010 movie "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." He has also played leading roles in "A Few Best Men,""Further We Search," "Newcastle," "The Loved Ones," and "September." Samuel's professional acting debut was in the role of Jason in 2003 on the Australian television show "McLeod's Daughters." He also played Belvile in "The Rover," a 2005 CBC production. His professional stage performances include the role of Colin in the Windmill Performing Arts production of "Two Weeks with the Queen" in 2006. He also performed in "Osama the Hero" at The Old Fitzroy Theatre in 2006. Samuel's next stage role was in "Mercury Fur" at the Griffin Theatre.

He has primarily acted in movies since 2006. He played Theo in "2:37" and Will Turner in "Angela's Decision," which were both released in 2006. His next movie was the 2007 production "September," in which he played Ed Anderson. Samuel played the part of Fergus in the movie "Newcastle" and Boyd in "Dream Life," both of which were released in 2008.

Samuel starred in three productions during 2009. The first was a short work entitled "Drowning," in which he appeared as Dan. "Drowning" was directed by Craig Boreham and also starred Miles Szanto, star of "Elephant Princess." His next film was the horror/thriller "The Loved Ones," appearing in the lead role of Brent. "The Loved Ones" received several nominations for awards, although it failed to win any. Samuel also played Age in the 2009 feature "Further We Search."

His breakout performance was in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" as Riley Biers, a role for which he was cast in early 2010. This movie was a blockbuster that provided Samuel with international exposure. GQ Australia interviewed him in November 2010 regarding the casting process. Samuel stated that he sent an audition tape to the producers and was surprised to receive a response. He also said that it was bizarre and wonderful that the gamble paid off.

His performance in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" earned him several award nominations. He won the 2011 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight, which he shared with Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Pattinson. He was also nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. Additional award nominations for Samuel include the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Star, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Male Breakout, and the Scream Awards for Best Male Breakthrough Performance.

Samuel's next performance was the lead role of Marcus in the 2010 Australian horror flick "Road Train," which was released as "Road Kill" in the United States. He also appeared as Henry Wriothesley in the 2011 production of "Anonymous." The 2012 movie "A Few Best Men" starred Samuel as David, and he also appeared in the 2012 movie "Bait." Additional features in which he has appeared include the short movie "Sanctuary" in which he played Brother. He also played Jimmy Fisher in "Drift" and Ian in the Australian-French drama "Adore."

He will appear in two other movies that are currently in post-production. The erotic thriller "Plush" is scheduled for release in September, 2013, and Samuel plays the lead role of Enzo opposite Emily Browning's Hayley. Enzo is a troubled guitarist who attempts to seduce Hayley and becomes a threat to her and those around her when she refuses his advances. The Australian drama "Healing" will star Xavier Samuel and is scheduled for release in 2014. This movie also stars Laura Brent, Justine Clarke, Anthony Hayes, Robert Taylor, and Hugo Weaving. It's directed by Craig Monahan, who also wrote the screenplay along with Alison Nisselle.