Jai Courtney

Jai Stephen Courtney (/dʒaɪ/;[1] born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film Jack Reacher (2012). He went on to star in A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), I, Frankenstein (2014) and The Exception (2016).

Jai Courtney
Courtney in 2016
Born
Jai Stephen Courtney

(1986-03-15) 15 March 1986
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Alma materWestern Australian Academy of Performing Arts
OccupationActor
Years active2005–present

Courtney had a recurring role as Varro in the television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010). He played Eric in the science fiction action film Divergent (2014), and in 2015, he reprised the role in the sequel, Insurgent. He portrayed Kyle Reese in Terminator Genisys, DC Comics villain Captain Boomerang in the 2016 film Suicide Squad and will reprise the latter role in the 2021 sequel The Suicide Squad.

Early life

Courtney was born in on 15 March 1986 in Sydney, New South Wales and grew up in Cherrybrook, a suburb of Sydney.[2] His father, Chris, worked for a state-owned electricity company, and his mother, Karen, was a teacher at Galston Public School, where Courtney and his older sister were students. He then attended Cherrybrook Technology High School and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 2008.[3][4][5]

Career
Courtney at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

Courtney's first role was in a 2005 short film titled Boys Grammar which also starred Daniel Feuerriegel and Adam J. Yeend. In 2008, Courtney had a role in the Australian series Packed to the Rafters, then a guest lead in the popular All Saints, the comedy feature To Hell & Bourke and several short films. In 2010, he played Varro in Spartacus: Blood and Sand for 10 episodes, before starring in Jack Reacher in 2012 with Tom Cruise and in A Good Day to Die Hard with Bruce Willis as John McClane's son, Jack.[6][7][8]

In 2014, he appeared in the film I, Frankenstein as Gideon, leader of the gargoyle army, and in Felony as Jim Melic.[9]

Courtney played Eric, one of the leaders of the faction Dauntless, in the film Divergent (2014). Later, he starred in Unbroken, where he played Hugh "Cup" Cuppernell and The Water Diviner as Lt. Col. Hughes.[10] He reprised his role of Eric in the sequel The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015), which began filming May 2014 and was released 20 March 2015.[11]

Courtney played one of the leads, Kyle Reese, in the science fiction action film Terminator Genisys.[12] Filming on Terminator Genisys began in April/May 2014,[13] and the film was released on 1 July 2015.[14] Courtney worked on Terminator and Insurgent concurrently.[15]

Courtney provided backing vocals on the Pinch Hitter song "All of a Sudden" from their debut album, When Friends Die in Accidents.[16]

In March 2015, Courtney signed on to play Captain Boomerang in the Warner Bros./DCEU film Suicide Squad, alongside Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie. Filming began in April 2015 and the film was released in August 2016.[17] In 2017, Courtney starred as the titular character in Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Macbeth.[18][19] He is also returning to portray Captain Boomerang in the sequel to Suicide Squad, titled The Suicide Squad.[20]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Stone Bros. Eric
2012 Jack Reacher Charlie
2013 A Good Day to Die Hard John "Jack" McClane Jr.
2014 I, Frankenstein Gideon
Divergent Eric Coulter
Felony Jim Melic Nominated – Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor - Supporting Role
Unbroken Hugh "Cup" Cuppernell
The Water Diviner Lt. Col. Cyril Hughes
2015 The Divergent Series: Insurgent Eric Coulter
Terminator Genisys Kyle Reese
Man Down Devin Roberts
2016 Suicide Squad George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang
The Exception Capt. Stefan Brandt
2019 Storm Boy Hideaway Tom
Alita: Battle Angel Jashugan Uncredited
Semper Fi Chris Callahan
2020 Birds of Prey George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang Cameo; wanted poster in the police station
Buffaloed Wizz
100% Wolf Flasheart Voice
Honest Thief Agent John Nivens
2021 The Suicide Squad George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang Post-production
Jolt Justin

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2008 All Saints Harry Avent 2 episodes
2008–2009 Packed to the Rafters Damian
2010 Spartacus: Blood and Sand Varro 8 episodes
2017 Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later Garth MacArthur
2020 Stateless Cam Sandford 6 episodes

Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
2017 Macbeth Macbeth Melbourne Theatre Company

References
  1. Corinne Heller (4 December 2014). "Jai Courtney, Terminator Genisys Star: 5 Things to Know About the Australian Hottie". E!. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. Roach, Vicky (3 December 2012). "Jai Courtney's not just a face in the crowd". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  3. Blumer, Clare (23 April 2012). "Die Hard Jai". The Global Mail. Archived from the original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. Edwards, Matt (24 February 2012). "WAAPA graduate Jai Courtney cast opposite Bruce Willis". Aussie Theatre. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  5. Naglazas, Mark (21 March 2013). "WAAPA graduate has roles to die for". The West Australian. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  6. Eisenberg, Eric (29 September 2011). "Spartacus Star Jai Courtney Joins Tom Cruise in One Shot". CinemaBlend.com.
  7. Gilchrist, Todd; McClintock, Pamela (22 February 2012). "'A Good Day to Die Hard:' Jai Courtney Cast as Bruce Willis' Son". The Hollywood Reporter.
  8. White, James (22 February 2012). "Jai Courtney Will Die Hard". Empire.
  9. "Jai Courtney Joins Joel Edgerton in Aussie Thriller 'Felony'". Deadline Hollywood. 15 October 2012.
  10. Fleming, Mike (24 October 2013). "Jai Courtney Tapped For Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken', Russell Crowe's 'Water Diviner'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  11. Tracy Brown (19 March 2015). "'Insurgent': Jai Courtney talks Eric's journey, 'Terminator'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  12. Kroll, Justin (19 February 2014). "Jai Courtney to Play Kyle Reese in 'Terminator' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  13. Rose, Tiffany (March 2014). "Jai Courtney and Miles Teller Talk 'Divergent', 'Terminator' and 'Fantastic Four'". Screen Rant.
  14. Sacks, Ethan (19 February 2014). "Jai Courtney cast in 'Terminator: Genisys'". New York Daily News.
  15. Kroll, Justin (27 March 2014). "Jai Courtney Officially Signs on to 'Terminator'". Variety.
  16. "Track by Track: Pinch Hitter : Mess+Noise". Mess+Noise. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  17. Brent Lang (17 March 2015). "Jai Courtney Says 'Suicide Squad' Will Be 'Huge'". Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  18. Clune, Richard (5 June 2017). "Jai Courtney on Recreating Macbeth: "It's Loud, Brutal And Visually Spectacular"". GQ Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  19. Woodhead, Cameron (9 June 2017). "Macbeth review: More like an action movie with supernatural themes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  20. Wampler, Scott (29 March 2019). "Jai Courtney Says He's Coming Back For THE SUICIDE SQUAD". Birth.Movies.Death. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
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