# Taylor Lautner
**Taylor Lautner** (born 1992) is an American actor best known for playing the shapeshifter [Jacob Black](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacob-black) in *The Twilight Saga*, the five-film series adapted from [Stephenie Meyer](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephenie-meyer)'s novels. Before acting, he was a championship karate competitor, and his martial arts background shaped both his early roles and his casting as the physically transformed werewolf of the series' second film.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992, Grand Rapids, Michigan[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner) |
| Martial arts | Began karate at age six; won the Junior World Forms and Weapons championship and three Junior World Championships by age 12; ranked No. 1 in the world by NASKA in four divisions in 2003[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner) |
| Breakthrough | Cast as Jacob Black in *Twilight* (2008); gained 30 pounds of muscle between the first and second films to keep the role[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner) • [2](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/taylor-lautner) |
| Box office | *New Moon* grossed $700 million worldwide[3](https://www.thewrap.com/lautners-75m-teen-based-what-15382/) |
| Peak salary | $7.5 million for Universal's planned *Stretch Armstrong*, more than Zac Efron or Shia LaBeouf had commanded at comparable career points[3](https://www.thewrap.com/lautners-75m-teen-based-what-15382/) |
| Post-Twilight work | *Abduction* (2011), *Tracers* (2015), *Grown Ups 2* (2013), BBC Two's *Cuckoo*, and Fox's *Scream Queens* (2015–16)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/taylor_lautner) |
| Personal life | Married Taylor Dome in November 2022; the couple announced in 2026 that they were expecting their first child[5](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-03-27/taylor-lautner-y-su-mujer-taylor-lautner-anuncian-que-seran-padres-de-su-primer-hijo.html) |
## Early life and martial arts
Taylor Daniel Lautner was born in [Grand Rapids, Michigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-rapids-michigan), and has one sibling, a sister named Makena[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). He began studying karate at age six and was winning tournaments within a year, later training with Mike Chat, a seven-time world karate champion[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). In 2003 he was ranked No. 1 in the world by NASKA, the North American Sport Karate Association, in Black Belt Open Forms, Musical Weapons, Traditional Weapons, and Traditional Forms[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). In 2004, at age 12, he represented the United States in the 12-and-under division of the World Karate Association and won the Junior World Forms and Weapons championship along with three gold medals[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). By that age he had accumulated three Junior World Championships[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner).
His entry into acting ran through the same circuit. Rotten Tomatoes' career summary notes that, like [Chuck Norris](https://www.edgepedia.org/chuck-norris) and [Bruce Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-lee), he came to acting after a top-ranking martial arts career, and that he was encouraged to try acting after establishing himself as a karate champion at age nine[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/taylor_lautner).
## Early acting career
Lautner's first brush with show business came at age seven, when he auditioned unsuccessfully for a [Burger King](https://www.edgepedia.org/burger-king) advertisement in Los Angeles; after three more years of failed auditions, he and his family relocated to Los Angeles when he was 10 to pursue acting[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). Television roles followed quickly: *My Wife and Kids* and *The Bernie Mac Show* in 2001, and *Summerland* and *The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour* in 2004[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner). He also did voice work, including a recurring role as Youngblood on the cartoon *Danny Phantom* and episodes of *What's New, Scooby-Doo?* and *He's a Bully, Charlie Brown*[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner).
His feature debut came as the title character in [Robert Rodriguez](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-rodriguez)'s *The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D* (2005), for which he spent nearly three months on location in [Austin, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/austin-texas)[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/taylor_lautner). Months after wrapping that film he won the part of Eliot Murtaugh, the son of [Steve Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-martin)'s character's rival, in *Cheaper by the Dozen 2* (2005)[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner).
## Twilight and stardom
In 2008 Lautner was cast as Jacob Black, the teenage son of Billy Black, an elder of the Quileute tribe, in *Twilight*, the film adaptation of Meyer's best-selling novel[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11/twilights-taylor-lautner). He had not heard of the books before being cast, and prepared by meeting real Quileute tribal members in Portland[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11/twilights-taylor-lautner). Casting director notes from the production's search for Jacob describe the producers choosing Lautner over untrained teenagers because he was the more skilled and experienced actor[7](https://www.twilightlexicon.com/Interviews/Lana2.pdf).
The role nearly changed hands before the sequel. Because of the major physical transformation Jacob undergoes between *Twilight* and *New Moon*, director [Chris Weitz](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-weitz) considered replacing Lautner with an actor who could portray "the new, larger Jacob Black"[8](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91217793-OPP-1.pdf). Rumors that the 17-year-old might be dropped circulated widely in fan communities[2](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/taylor-lautner). Lautner responded by adding 30 pounds of muscle at the gym between the two films[2](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/taylor-lautner) • [9](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taylor-lautner/bio/3000054528/), and in a 2009 interview said he had doubled his calorie intake to gain the weight[10](https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/bitstreams/5916313e-6953-43af-bc64-b8d09d80cc8b/download). He later described his preparation as combining the physical work with repeated readings of the book so he could portray the character's mental and emotional change alongside the physical one[11](https://www.twilightlexicon.com/2009/11/08/iesb-taylor-lautner-interview/).
The gamble paid off commercially. *New Moon* grossed $700 million worldwide, and while TheWrap noted that Lautner had never opened a film on his own, it credited him with a share of that result as a tabloid teen idol[3](https://www.thewrap.com/lautners-75m-teen-based-what-15382/). His market value rose sharply: Universal signed him for $7.5 million for *Stretch Armstrong*, a figure that exceeded what [Zac Efron](https://www.edgepedia.org/zac-efron) and [Shia LaBeouf](https://www.edgepedia.org/shia-labeouf) had earned at similar stages, and Paramount had pursued him for *Max Steel* before he passed due to scheduling conflicts and Universal's larger offer[3](https://www.thewrap.com/lautners-75m-teen-based-what-15382/).
The franchise itself became an awards fixture. By July 2012 the saga had won 41 surfboard-shaped trophies at the [Teen Choice Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/teen-choice-awards) since 2008, and Lautner appeared with [Kristen Stewart](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristen-stewart) and [Robert Pattinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-pattinson) to accept that year's batch, including the ultimate choice award[12](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/twilight-adds-to-awards-haul-at-teen-choice-7965704.html). His individual honors include a 2009 Scream Award for Breakout Performance and a 2012 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action[9](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taylor-lautner/bio/3000054528/).
## Life after Twilight
Lautner's first attempt to carry a film outside the franchise was *Abduction* (2011). Lionsgate spent roughly $35 million to produce it and paid Lautner around $5 million to star, a bet that he could open a movie without Twilight's built-in fan base[13](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-sep-18-la-ca-taylor-lautner-20110918-story.html). *Tracers* (2015), an action drama shot in New York, was his first starring role after the saga ended with *Breaking Dawn – Part 2* in November 2012[14](https://www.etonline.com/movies/136927_Tracers_Set_Visit_Taylor_Lautner_on_Keeping_Touch_with_Twilight_Cast). He also showed a comic side in Adam Sandler's *Grown Ups 2* (2013) and *The Ridiculous 6* (2016), and returned to television with starring roles in the British sitcom *Cuckoo* and Ryan Murphy's *Scream Queens* (Fox, 2015–16)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/taylor_lautner).
His personal life drew sustained tabloid coverage during the franchise years, including reported relationships with Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, and his *Abduction* co-star Lily Collins[13](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-sep-18-la-ca-taylor-lautner-20110918-story.html). He met Taylor Swift while filming *Valentine's Day* in 2009, and fans dubbed the pair "Taylor²"[15](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/KM37x5/har-ar-latarna-dar-taylor-swift-hamnats-pa-sina-ex). Later, he met his future wife, Taylor Dome, in 2017 on a blind date arranged by his sister Makena Moore; the relationship became public in 2018, he proposed in 2021, and they married in November 2022[5](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-03-27/taylor-lautner-y-su-mujer-taylor-lautner-anuncian-que-seran-padres-de-su-primer-hijo.html) • [16](https://los40.com/2026/09/24/tay-y-taylor-lautner-ya-son-padres-y-no-su-hija-no-se-llama-taylor-pero-casi/). In 2026 the couple announced they were expecting their first child[5](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-03-27/taylor-lautner-y-su-mujer-taylor-lautner-anuncian-que-seran-padres-de-su-primer-hijo.html).
## References
1. [Taylor Lautner Biography, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/taylor-lautner)
2. [Taylor Lautner, Interview Magazine (July 6, 2009)](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/taylor-lautner)
3. [Lautner's the $7.5M Teen — but Based on What?, TheWrap (March 17, 2010)](https://www.thewrap.com/lautners-75m-teen-based-what-15382/)
4. [Taylor Lautner Movie & TV Credits, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/taylor_lautner)
5. [Taylor Lautner y su mujer anuncian que serán padres, El País (March 27, 2026)](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-03-27/taylor-lautner-y-su-mujer-taylor-lautner-anuncian-que-seran-padres-de-su-primer-hijo.html)
6. [Q&A: Twilight's Taylor Lautner, Vanity Fair (November 3, 2008)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11/twilights-taylor-lautner)
7. [Casting interview on the search for Jacob Black, Twilight Lexicon](https://www.twilightlexicon.com/Interviews/Lana2.pdf)
8. [The Twilight Saga: New Moon development materials, USPTO TTAB filing](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91217793-OPP-1.pdf)
9. [Taylor Lautner Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taylor-lautner/bio/3000054528/)
10. [Georgia State University thesis citing Lautner's 2009 MTV interview on weight gain](https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/bitstreams/5916313e-6953-43af-bc64-b8d09d80cc8b/download)
11. [IESB: Taylor Lautner Interview, Twilight Lexicon (November 8, 2009)](https://www.twilightlexicon.com/2009/11/08/iesb-taylor-lautner-interview/)
12. [Twilight adds to awards haul at Teen Choice, The Independent (July 23, 2012)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/twilight-adds-to-awards-haul-at-teen-choice-7965704.html)
13. [A new dawn for Taylor Lautner, Los Angeles Times (September 18, 2011)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-sep-18-la-ca-taylor-lautner-20110918-story.html)
14. [Does Lautner Stay In Touch with 'Twilight' Cast?, Entertainment Tonight (August 14, 2013)](https://www.etonline.com/movies/136927_Tracers_Set_Visit_Taylor_Lautner_on_Keeping_Touch_with_Twilight_Cast)
15. [Taylor Swifts kändisex – och låtarna hon skrivit om dem, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/KM37x5/har-ar-latarna-dar-taylor-swift-hamnats-pa-sina-ex)
16. [Tay y Taylor Lautner ya son padres, Los40 (September 24, 2026)](https://los40.com/2026/09/24/tay-y-taylor-lautner-ya-son-padres-y-no-su-hija-no-se-llama-taylor-pero-casi/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Kn to La*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license