Rod Taylor

Biography

Rod Taylor was an Australian actor who appeared in more than 50 feature films. Born in Lidcombe, a Sydney suburb, he decided on acting after seeing Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He worked in Australian radio and Mercury Theatre productions, made his feature debut in King of the Coral Sea (1954), and played Israel Hands in Long John Silver. His first leading film role was the time traveler in The Time Machine (1960), and he voiced Pongo in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). Alfred Hitchcock directed him as Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), then he starred with Jane Fonda in Sunday in New York. He later took tough-guy parts, including Chuka (1967), which he produced, and appeared in The Train Robbers (1973). He appeared in Falcon Crest from 1988 to 1990, and his final film role was a cameo as Winston Churchill in Inglourious Basterds (2009).

84years old at death

Born January 11, 1930Sydney
Died January 7, 2015Los Angeles
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Rodney Taylor (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 30
Career span: 53 years1954 to 2007

Genres

Drama50%, 15 films
Romance33%, 10 films
Comedy30%, 9 films
Adventure27%, 8 films
Thriller20%, 6 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Around 1960, Taylor was asked to play James Bond in the first full-length Bond movie. He turned it down, reportedly feeling the character was "beneath him", and said he tore out his hair whenever a new Bond film was a smash hit.
A role that slipped away
Rod Taylor was reportedly considered for Roper, the martial artist, in the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973). He was supposedly thought too tall, so John Saxon got the part instead.
A change of course
After watching Laurence Olivier perform in Richard III with an Old Vic touring production, Rod Taylor made up his mind to pursue acting as a career.
Behind the award
In 1954, Taylor received the Rola Show Australian Radio Actor of the Year Award. The prize came with a ticket to London by way of Los Angeles, though he never went on to London.

Rod Taylor movies on Netflix

Kaw2007IMDb rating 4.3as Doc
The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy1998IMDb rating 5.2as General Sorenson
Welcome to Woop Woop1998IMDb rating 5.7as Daddy-O
The Deadly Trackers1973IMDb rating 5.7as Frank Brand
The Train Robbers1973IMDb rating 6.4as Grady
Zabriskie Point1970IMDb rating 6.9as Lee Allen
Dark of the Sun1968IMDb rating 6.8as Curry
Nobody Runs Forever1968IMDb rating 6.1as Scobie Malone
Chuka1967IMDb rating 6.3as Chuka
Hotel1967IMDb rating 6.6as Peter McDermott
The Glass Bottom Boat1966IMDb rating 6.5as Bruce Templeton
Do Not Disturb1965IMDb rating 5.9as Mike Harper
The Liquidator1965IMDb rating 5.9as Brian Ian "Boysie" Oakes
Young Cassidy1965IMDb rating 6.5as John Cassidy
36 Hours1964IMDb rating 7.4as Major Walter Gerber
Fate Is the Hunter1964IMDb rating 6.8as Captain Jack Savage
A Gathering of Eagles1963IMDb rating 6.1as Col. Hollis Farr
Sunday in New York1963IMDb rating 6.7as Mike Mitchell
The Birds1963IMDb rating 7.6as Mitch Brenner
The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3as Les Mangrum
One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961IMDb rating 7.3as Pongo (voice)
Colossus and the Amazon Queen1960IMDb rating 3.7as Pirro
The Time Machine1960IMDb rating 7.5as H. George Wells
Separate Tables1958IMDb rating 7.3as Charles
Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3as Garwood B. Jones
Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6as Sir David Karfrey
The Catered Affair1956IMDb rating 7.4as Ralph Halloran
World Without End1956IMDb rating 5.8as Herbert Ellis
The Virgin Queen1955IMDb rating 6.6as Cpl. Gwilym
Long John Silver1954IMDb rating 5.7as Israel Hands

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961 Adventure, Animation, Comedyas Pongovoice
IMDb rating 7.3199K votes
The Birds1963 Horror, Thrilleras Mitch Brenner
IMDb rating 7.6222K votes
The Time Machine1960as H. George Wells
IMDb rating 7.548K votes
The Glass Bottom Boat1966as Bruce Templeton
IMDb rating 6.55.8K votes
The Train Robbers1973as Grady
IMDb rating 6.47.6K votes
Dark of the Sun1968as Curry
IMDb rating 6.84.0K votes
Giant1956as Sir David Karfrey
IMDb rating 7.644K votes
Zabriskie Point1970as Lee Allen
IMDb rating 6.919K votes

Most often with

Jack Cardiff directed three of these films, Delbert Mann two. Elizabeth Taylor appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Elizabeth Taylor

Ernest Borgnine

Bette Davis

Paul Fix

Rock Hudson

Maggie Smith

Jack CardiffDirector, 3 films Delbert MannDirector, 2 films

Films together

Elizabeth Taylor3 films together, 1956 to 1963
Elizabeth Taylor's page
- The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Les MangrumTaylor as Frances Andros
- Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Garwood B. JonesTaylor as Susanna Drake Shawnessy
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Sir David KarfreyTaylor as Leslie Benedict
Ernest Borgnine2 films together, 1956 to 1967
Ernest Borgnine's page
- Chuka1967IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as ChukaBorgnine as Sgt. Otto Hahnsbach
- The Catered Affair1956IMDb rating 7.4Taylor as Ralph HalloranBorgnine as Tom Hurley
Bette Davis2 films together, 1955 to 1956
Bette Davis's page
- The Catered Affair1956IMDb rating 7.4Taylor as Ralph HalloranDavis as Agnes Hurley
- The Virgin Queen1955IMDb rating 6.6Taylor as Cpl. GwilymDavis as Queen Elizabeth I
Paul Fix2 films together, 1956 to 1970
Paul Fix's page
- Zabriskie Point1970IMDb rating 6.9Taylor as Lee AllenFix as Cafe Owner
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Sir David KarfreyFix as Dr. Horace Lynnton
Rock Hudson2 films together, 1956 to 1963
Rock Hudson's page
- A Gathering of Eagles1963IMDb rating 6.1Taylor as Col. Hollis FarrHudson as Col. Jim Caldwell
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Sir David KarfreyHudson as Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.
Maggie Smith2 films together, 1963 to 1965
Maggie Smith's page
- Young Cassidy1965IMDb rating 6.5Taylor as John CassidySmith as Nora
- The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Les MangrumSmith as Miss Mead
Jack CardiffDirector, 3 films, 1965 to 1968
All films by Jack Cardiff
- Dark of the Sun1968IMDb rating 6.8Taylor as Curry
- The Liquidator1965IMDb rating 5.9Taylor as Brian Ian "Boysie" Oakes
- Young Cassidy1965IMDb rating 6.5Taylor as John Cassidy
Delbert MannDirector, 2 films, 1958 to 1963
All films by Delbert Mann
- A Gathering of Eagles1963IMDb rating 6.1Taylor as Col. Hollis Farr
- Separate Tables1958IMDb rating 7.3Taylor as Charles
Also two films together12 more actors
- Kevin McCarthyHotel (1967) and A Gathering of Eagles (1963)
- Marjorie Bennett36 Hours (1964) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
- Doris DayThe Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and Do Not Disturb (1965)
- Richard WattisThe Liquidator (1965) and The V.I.P.s (1963)
- Eva Marie Saint36 Hours (1964) and Raintree County (1957)
- Robert F. SimonFate Is the Hunter (1964) and The Catered Affair (1956)
- Yvette MimieuxDark of the Sun (1968) and The Time Machine (1960)
- Suzanne PleshetteFate Is the Hunter (1964) and The Birds (1963)
- Calvin LockhartDark of the Sun (1968) and Nobody Runs Forever (1968)
- Nelson LeighA Gathering of Eagles (1963) and World Without End (1956)
- Mimi GibsonOne Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and World Without End (1956)
- Dennis FaltThe Train Robbers (1973) and Zabriskie Point (1970)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Rod Taylor's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$370 million

9 of the 30 films have a worldwide figure.

9Worldwide figure
3US gross only
2Never in cinemas
16Figure not found

Top grosser

One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961Pongo$303 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961as Pongo (voice)
$303M82.0% of the total
2
Giant1956as Sir David Karfrey
$33M8.9% of the total
3
The Birds1963as Mitch Brenner
$12M3.1% of the total
4
Raintree County1957as Garwood B. Jones
$9.1M2.5% of the total
5
Do Not Disturb1965as Mike Harper
$8.0M2.2% of the total
6
The Train Robbers1973as Grady
$2.6M0.7% of the total
7
Dark of the Sun1968as Curry
$1.5M0.4% of the total
8
Zabriskie Point1970as Lee Allen
$1.0M0.3% of the total