AMC’s hit show Preacher courted controversy this season with its ‘last supper sex scene’ enraging Christians.
Then there was the return to the equally provocative and topical Hitler rehabilitation storyline. But who is actor Noah Taylor who plays Adolf Hitler on the show?
Noah Taylor was born in London in 1969. As the son of journalists, Taylor lived in many places as a child including New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia.
After his parents’ divorce, Taylor fell into acting at high school. His new-found passion led him to study at the St. Martins youth theatre in Melbourne.
Taylor had small roles in TV and low-budget film through the late 80s including A Country Practice and Boys from the Bush but his big break came playing the young version of tortured pianist David Helfgott in 1996’s Shine.
Co-star Geoffrey Rush won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of older Helfgott and the movie was a critical success.
Taylor trod the boards in a ’97 production of Chekhov play The Seagull and experimented with music as a member of the band The Honky Tonk Angels.
It was the early 2000s when Taylor’s career as a respected character actor started to hot up.
He played Dick Roswell in Almost Famous (2000), computer wizard Bryce in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and the impoverished Mr. Bucket in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
A continuing love of music drove Taylor to learn piano, French horn, and violin. He has also appeared in a number of music videos for artists like Blur, Alphaville and Nick Cave.
His recent movie successes have included Lawless (2012) and The Edge of Tomorrow (2014) but he is probably now most recognizable for his work on hit TV show Game of Thrones where he played Locke.
Funnily enough, Preacher is not the first time Taylor has played Hitler — having already portrayed the tyrant in 2002 drama, Max.
Taylor currently lives with his wife, Australian fashion designer Dionne Harris, in Brighton, England.