Joel Edgerton

Joel Edgerton: biography

Joel Edgerton is the actor of the “antagonist’s charm” that is so valuable in action movies, fantasy projects, and philosophical dramas. Joel not only acts but also creates movie scenarios.

Childhood and youth

Joel Edgerton was born in Australia in summer 1974. His father Mitchell (in some sources Michael) was a wealthy lawyer who earned the family’s living; the mother Marianne kept the house and brought up the children: Joel and his elder brother Nash.

It was clear the boys were going to enter the world of cinematography. The brothers went to The Hills Grammar School where Edgerton participated at school performances. At the age of 16, Joel and the school theater visited America; at that time, the young man decided to devote his life to acting.

The future star graduated from the Nepean Drama School at the Western Sydney University and took his first steps in movies.

Movies

Joel debuted in the family fantasy Spellbinder and played Bazza. As the story ran, the group of teenagers went camping and accidentally opened the portal to the parallel universe.

The latter projects were average: Water Rats, Fallen Angels, Sample People, and Race the Sun, the young man mastered his skills and simultaneously watched his colleagues Hugh Jackman, James Belushi, Scott Burgess, and Billy Brown play.

The next project, the action movie Ned Kelly, told the story of the Irish sent to the southern continent; Edgerton got the role of Aaron Sherritt. At this period, Joel met Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts.

In 2002, the actor starred in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, the part of the iconic space opera. He played Owen Lars, Anakin Skywalker’s brother who brought up Anakin’s son Luke. Edgerton also appeared in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

In Joe Carnahan’s crime action movie Smokin' Aces, Joel got the role of Hugo and co-starred with Andy Garcia and Ryan Reynolds. The movie described the life of the young illusionist eager to become the leader of the Las Vegas criminal world. However, the man had a conflict with the city’s mobster and had to implement the backup plan.

Later on, several lead roles followed. In the historical drama King Arthur, Joel personified the king’s nephew; in the horror Whisper, the actor played Vince Delayo. The prequel of John Carpenter’s The Thing was another horror; Edgerton gained the role of the helicopter pilot Sam Carter.

The actor got another lead part in the sports drama Warrior: he played Brendan, one of the two brother wrestlers. At the end of fighting, Edgerton’s character has to face his brother (Tom Hardy). The movie gained many positive reviews and was nominated for the Academy Award.

Edgerton’s antiheroic charm manifested itself in the image of Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby. Bradley Cooper and Luke Evans auditioned for this role. The movie won the British Academy Film Award and the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

In 2014, Ridley Scott invited Edgerton to the screen adaptation of the biblical plot Exodus: Gods and Kings; the actor received the role of Ramesses II rejected by Javier Bardem and Oscar Isaac. Joel learned he was going to play the great pharaoh from his fans.

Next year, Edgerton appeared in the crime drama Black Mass and biographical movie Life telling the story of two friends, the photographer and the Hollywood star James Dean who died tragically.

At that period, Joel debuted as a movie director: his thriller The Gift came out. Edgerton also took the lead part, produced the movie, and created the script. The movie describes the weird situation: Gordo appears in his classmate’s family and changes the ordinary life.

In the western movie Jane Got a Gun, Edgerton co-starred with Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. The actor was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for the role of Richard in the drama Loving about the racial discrimination; Ruth Negga played Richard’s lover.

Joel not only stars in movies but also works at the Sydney Theatre Company.

Personal life

In one of his interviews, Joel said work replaced a wife for him. At the same time, the list of the actor’s girlfriends is quite long: the Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, designer Lexi Blake, and the actress Robin McLeavy.

Edgerton is a very private person; his name is not involved in scandals, and he does not comment on the rumors about his new women. However, the actor uses social networks; although there are not many posts on his Instagram and Twitter, thousands of people follow Edgerton.

Present days

At the end of 2017, Netflix launched the most expensive project: the fantasy action movie Bright. Many unusual creatures, such as orcs, centaurs, and elves, accompanied Will Smith’s character; for instance, Joel Edgerton played the orc police officer. Some critics rushed to label the project the worst movie of the year. However, the administration of Netflix liked Bright immensely and arranged the sequel.

Red Sparrow based on Jason Matthews’s novel became the next project; Francis Lawrence directed the movie. Edgerton played the CIA agent Nathaniel Nash who is being seduced by the Russian spy Dominika (Jennifer Lawrence).

Joel also starred in the comedy action movie Gringo created by his brother; it was Nash Edgerton’s debut as a full-length movie director. Joel took the part of the businessman who partnered with the thievish character of Charlize Theron.

Edgerton applied his skills of directing and scriptwriting in the drama Boy Erased with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. The movie tells the story of the pastor’s homosexual son; the premiere will take place in fall 2018.

Filmography

• 2002 - Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
• 2003 - Ned Kelly
• 2004 – King Arthur
• 2007 - Smokin' Aces
• 2011 – Warrior
• 2013 – Great Gatsby
• 2014 - Exodus: Gods and Kings
• 2015 – The Gift
• 2016 - Loving
• 2017 - Bright
• 2018 – Red Sparrow

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