Becoming a star! Taylor John Smith has nabbed a few roles over the years, but the actor has skyrocketed to stardom after being cast as Tate Walker in Where the Crawdads Sing. Based on the book by Delia Owens, the movie — which was released in July 2022 — stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya alongside Taylor’s hunky Tate. Keep reading for everything to know about the actor, including age, past roles and more. 

Who Is Taylor John Smith?

The actor is a Los Angeles native who was born on May 13, 1995. Over the years, he’s appeared in various TV roles on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Hart of Dixie, Faking It, Sharp Objects and more. Other than his Where the Crawdads Sing role, Taylor appeared in movies like Blacklight, Shadow in the Cloud and The Outpost, among others.

“I think that if I had always dreamed of becoming an actor, it would have never happened. I was at a crossroad in my personal journey, and God showed me something foreign, scary and beautiful that ended up being exactly what I needed,” he shared during a February 2021 interview with PhotoBook Magazine. “I remember in my first acting class, I hid in the back seats trying to disappear. Pamela Shae was teaching, and I was the youngest kid there, by a long shot, surrounded by mostly adults. I was incredibly nervous, and 15 minutes into the class, Pam made me come up to the front to ‘dive into the salsa,’ as she says. She changed my life that night, I’ll be forever grateful to her.”

Who Is Taylor John Smith? The Actor Plays Tate Walker in 'Where the Crawdads Sing'
Michele K Short/Sony Pictures

What Has Taylor John Smith Said About Playing Tate in Where the Crawdads Sing?

While attending the MTV Movie & TV Awards in June 2022, Taylor spoke to J-14 exclusively about his character.

“I play Tate, Daisy Edgar Jones’ love interest. We grew up together in the marsh of North Carolina and develop this beautiful relationship,” he teased at the time. “She’s accused of murder, and so, it’s about what happens from that point as she tries to fight for her life.”

Before being cast as Tate, the actor recalled being “in tears” while finishing the novel.

“During the audition process I had about two days to speed read through the audio book,” Taylor shared. “I had it at one-and-a-half speed while I was walking around the park listening to it. Wasn’t able to finish the book. Had to finish it on the flight home.”

Despite filming in Louisiana, Taylor didn’t pick up a southern accent, but his costar did.

“Daisy had so many, she can pick up accents very very quickly,” he recalled. “I can’t do it, but she was picking up people’s accents left and right.”

Scroll through our gallery for everything you need to know about Taylor. 

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