Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on February 11, 1992, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He is an American actor and former martial artist best known for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga.
Who is Taylor Lautner?
Taylor Lautner is an American actor who rose to global fame playing the werewolf Jacob Black across five Twilight Saga films. He first won the role in 2008 and appeared in every installment through Breaking Dawn Part 2 in 2012.
Before Twilight, Lautner built a career as a competitive martial artist. He earned his black belt by age 10 and became a four-time junior world karate champion by 14.
That athletic background helped him land his first major film role in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D in 2005. Lautner later expanded into television, starring in the BBC comedy Cuckoo and the Fox series Scream Queens.
He is now married to Taylor Dome, a registered nurse, and the couple announced in March 2026 that they are expecting their first child together.
Early Life of Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Deborah and Daniel Lautner. His mother worked for a software development company, while his father flew as a pilot for Midwest Airlines.
He grew up in nearby Hudsonville, Michigan, alongside his younger sister, Makena. Lautner has said he was bullied in school because of his acting career, but he chose to stay focused on the work he loved.
He began karate training at age six after his parents enrolled him in a local class. Within a year, he attended a national tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, where he met martial arts instructor Michael Chaturantabut, who later encouraged him toward acting.
For several years, Lautner’s family flew back and forth between Michigan and Los Angeles so he could attend auditions while still finishing school at home. He eventually enrolled at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, California, before the family relocated permanently.
Taylor Lautner Age
Taylor Lautner is 34 years old as of 2026, born on February 11, 1992. His zodiac sign is Aquarius.
He landed his breakthrough role in Twilight at age 16, just as the franchise turned him into one of the highest-paid teen actors in Hollywood.
Lautner has spent more than two decades in the entertainment industry since his first small television roles in 2003.
Taylor Lautner Ethnicity and Nationality
Taylor Lautner is American, born and raised in Michigan. He was raised Roman Catholic and has described his heritage as a mix of Dutch, French, and German ancestry.
He has also spoken about having distant Native American ancestry through his mother, specifically Odawa and Potawatomi heritage.
That connection drew added attention when he was cast as Jacob Black, a character written as Quileute in the Twilight novels.
Taylor Lautner Height and Weight
Taylor Lautner is commonly listed at around 5 feet 9 inches tall, or about 1.75 meters. His weight has fluctuated over his career depending on physical training for specific roles, and no current figure is publicly confirmed.
He built significant muscle for his return in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, reportedly gaining around 30 pounds to match the character’s transformation.
Lautner has maintained an athletic build tied to his martial arts background throughout his acting career.
Taylor Lautner Education
Lautner attended public school in Valencia, California, at Valencia High School through his sophomore year. His education was shaped heavily around his acting schedule, with frequent travel between Michigan and Los Angeles for auditions during his early career.
He has said that if acting work slowed down, he would consider returning to school. In a 2010 interview, Lautner noted that he had finished high school and enrolled in a local community college.
Taylor Lautner Career
Taylor Lautner’s acting career began with small television roles in the early 2000s. He appeared in The Bernie Mac Show in 2003 and My Wife and Kids in 2004 before moving into voice work.
Early Career
Lautner voiced characters in the animated series Danny Phantom and What’s New, Scooby-Doo? in 2005. That same year, he landed his first lead role in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, directed by Robert Rodriguez.
His martial arts training helped him secure the physically demanding role. Lautner also appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 in 2005, expanding his profile in family-oriented films before his teenage years ended.
Twilight and Breakthrough
Casting for Jacob Black in Twilight began in 2007, with an open call held in Portland, Oregon, in January 2008. Lautner had not read the books beforehand, but his agent encouraged him to audition anyway.
He read opposite Kristen Stewart, who had already been cast as Bella Swan, performing scenes drawn from later books in the series. Twilight opened in November 2008 and grossed $392 million worldwide, launching Lautner into international fame.
He returned for New Moon in 2009 and Eclipse in 2010, the latter becoming the franchise’s highest-grossing installment. Lautner completed the series with both parts of Breaking Dawn, released in 2011 and 2012, earning an estimated $45 million total from the franchise.
Recent Work
After Twilight, Lautner starred in the 2011 action film Abduction and later appeared in Grown Ups 2 in 2013. From 2014 to 2018, he starred in the BBC Three sitcom Cuckoo, taking over the lead role from Andy Samberg.
In 2016, Lautner joined the second season of Fox’s Scream Queens as Dr. Cassidy Cascade, working alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and John Stamos. He has largely stepped back from major screen roles since then, though Amazon MGM Studios confirmed in 2025 that a scripted series called Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter is in development.
Lautner now co-hosts a podcast called The Squeeze alongside his wife, Taylor Dome. In July 2023, he appeared onstage during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Kansas City for the premiere of her music video for “I Can See You.”
Taylor Lautner Awards and Recognition
Lautner has received several honors tied primarily to his work in the Twilight franchise. His accolades include a Scream Award, an MTV Movie Award, two People’s Choice Awards, and seven Teen Choice Awards.
He won Best Fantasy Actor at the 2010 Scream Awards for his performance as Jacob Black. Lautner was also nominated for Favorite Movie Actor at the 37th People’s Choice Awards.
Taylor Lautner Wife
Taylor Lautner married Taylor Dome, a registered nurse, on November 11, 2022, at Epoch Estate Wines in Paso Robles, California. His younger sister, Makena, introduced the couple in 2018 during a Nashville game night.
The two began dating later that year and got engaged in November 2021. Following their wedding, Dome legally took Lautner’s surname, making both partners publicly known as Taylor Lautner.
In March 2026, the couple announced they are expecting their first child together. They later revealed in June 2026 that the baby will be a girl.
Taylor Lautner Net Worth
Taylor Lautner’s estimated net worth is $40 million as of 2026. His income comes primarily from his earnings across the Twilight franchise, along with subsequent film and television roles.
He earned roughly $45 million total from the five Twilight films, with his per-film salary rising from $1 million for the first installment to $12.5 million each for the two Breaking Dawn films.
Lautner has also generated income through real estate investments, including properties in Agoura Hills and Castaic, California.
Taylor Lautner Social Media
Lautner is active on Instagram under the handle @taylorlautner, where he shares updates about his family, football fandom, and his podcast. He also maintains a presence on Facebook through his official page.
He regularly promotes The Squeeze, the podcast he co-hosts with his wife, across his social platforms. Lautner has used Instagram to share major personal milestones, including his engagement, wedding, and pregnancy announcements.
The Bottom Line
Taylor Lautner became a global star playing Jacob Black across all five Twilight Saga films, released between 2008 and 2012. That role made him one of the highest-paid teen actors in Hollywood at the height of the franchise’s popularity.
Lautner built his early physical discipline through competitive karate, becoming a four-time junior world champion before he turned to acting full time. He later starred in the BBC series Cuckoo and Fox’s Scream Queens.
Lautner and his wife, Taylor Dome, are expecting their first child, a daughter, following their 2022 wedding in Paso Robles. We hope you enjoyed reading about Taylor Lautner. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!