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Travis Fimmel

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Travis Fimmel
Fimmel at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born (1979-07-15) 15 July 1979 (age 45)
Echuca, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
  • Actor
  • model
Years active2002–present
Modeling information
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Hair colorBlonde
Eye colorBlue

Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor and former model. He is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series Vikings (2013–2017),[1][2] and as Anduin Lothar in the live-action adaptation of Warcraft (2016). He also starred in the HBO Max science fiction series Raised by Wolves (2020–2022).

Early life and modelling

Fimmel was born near Echuca, Victoria, Australia. He was raised on a 5,500-acre dairy farm in Lockington. The youngest of three brothers, he is the son of Jennie, a recreation officer for disabled people, and Chris, a cattle farmer.[3] Aspiring to be a professional Australian rules footballer, Fimmel moved to Melbourne to play for the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL, but a broken leg sidelined him before the season began.[4][5] He was accepted into RMIT to study commercial architecture and engineering but later deferred to travel abroad.[6][7]

Fimmel's modelling career began when he was spotted working out at a gym in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn by the flatmate of Matthew Anderson, a talent scout for the Chadwick Models agency.[8]

Fimmel headed to the United States and was signed on the spot with agency LA Models in 2002 after walking into their office broke and barefoot.[9] Cast by Jennifer Starr, he became the first male in the world to secure a six-figure deal to model exclusively for Calvin Klein for a year, and the last to be personally contracted by the brand's eponymous designer.[10][11] He fronted CK's Crave men's fragrance campaign and modelled the brand's famous underwear. It was reported that one of his London billboards had to be pulled down after complaints from an auto club of traffic congestion and accidents by 'rubbernecking' female drivers, but Fimmel insisted the story started with a rumour spread on the internet.[12]

He was named one of the world's sexiest bachelors by America's People magazine in 2002 and at the time was regarded as "the most in-demand male model in the world".[13][14] It has been suggested by some journalists that Fimmel was the inspiration for Sex and the City heartthrob 'Jerry' Smith Jerrod.[15]

Fimmel appeared on various magazine covers, including France's Numero Homme and America's TV Guide,[16] turning down an offer from Australia's Seven Network to be a guest judge on the TV series Make Me A Supermodel.[17]

Acting career

Fimmel began his career by appearing in the music videos for Janet Jackson's song "Someone to Call My Lover" [18] and "I'm Real" (original version) by Jennifer Lopez (both 2001).[19] He studied under Hollywood acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, taking two years to pluck up the courage to audition for his first role, saying "half of acting is overcoming your fears [and] letting yourself be vulnerable in front of people".[7] He landed the title lead in The WB series Tarzan (2003), described by CNN as one of the "five hottest things happening in entertainment right now”, in which he did most of his own stunts.[20][21][22] In addition, he appeared in two television pilots: The WB's drama Rocky Point with Lauren Holly in 2005,[23] and the Fox crime thriller Southern Comfort with Madeleine Stowe in 2006.[24]

Fimmel has played a diverse range of characters on the small and big screens. In 2008, he portrayed a murderer in Restraint and a party boy in Surfer, Dude with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. In 2010, he portrayed a compassionate cowboy in Pure Country 2: The Gift and a forensic photographer in Australian horror film Needle, co-starring Ben Mendelsohn.[25]

He depicted a talented classical pianist in Ivory, a "creative, edgy, out-of-the box" independent film that was an Official Selection in the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival and the Strasbourg International Film Festival.[26] Produced by Academy Award-winner Gray Frederickson and co-starring Martin Landau and Peter Stormare, Ivory "details the troubled lives of classical pianists at a major American conservatory as they confront personal and professional rivalry during the rigors of training".[27]

Fimmel played Helweg, a prison guard in the 2010 film The Experiment. It was reported that the role originally went to Elijah Wood, who pulled out of shooting for reasons unknown, so Fimmel instead took the job.[28] The film is based on a real-life experiment on volunteers by Stanford University that was cut short after spinning out of control, with 'guards' exhibiting sadistic behaviour and 'prisoners' suffering depression.[29]

Fimmel starred opposite Patrick Swayze in A&E's 2009 series The Beast.[30] He played rookie undercover FBI agent Ellis Dove partnered with a hardened veteran cop, Swayze's Charles Barker. Production ceased after 13 episodes due to Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer.[31]

He played fugitive Mason Boyle in two episodes of NBC's 2010 action-adventure Chase (season 1, episodes 1 and 8), produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.[32][33]

Fimmel appeared in FX's TV pilot Outlaw Country in 2011 with Luke Grimes, described as a "modern drama set against the back drop of a southern organized crime family".[34] According to Variety magazine, he plays a rugged, "hard-drinking gang member and the main character's best friend".[34]

He co-starred with Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria in the 2013 redneck Southern comedy flick The Baytown Outlaws, playing one of the three hapless Oodie brothers who bites off more than he can chew when he agrees to help a woman get her godson back from her deadbeat ex-husband.[35]

Fimmel played the lead in 2012's Harodim, originally titled The Lazarus Protocol, with Peter Fonda as a former intelligence officer trained in black ops tracking down the world's most wanted terrorist who is compromised by his own chain of command.[36]

Fimmel was signed as the lead character for four seasons in the drama television series Vikings, co-starring Alexander Ludwig, Katheryn Winnick, Gabriel Byrne and Linus Roache. Premiering in 2013, the show chronicles "the extraordinary and ferocious world of the mighty Norsemen who raided, traded and explored during The Middle Ages."[37] He played a character loosely based on Ragnar Loðbrók, the legendary Viking leader who is frustrated by the unadventurous tendencies of his local chieftain and strikes out to pillage new lands.[38][39] USA Today described Fimmel's performance as "engaging", while The Huffington Post called it his "breakout role".[1][40][41]

Fimmel starred as military commander Anduin Lothar in Warcraft (2016), a live-action film adaptation of the Warcraft video game franchise. It was reported that a horse spooked by a wind fan collapsed on Fimmel while performing one of his own stunts but he emerged unscathed.[42][43]

He was cast as a quirky hipster in romantic comedy Maggie's Plan with Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore, and a loving but irresponsible father in Lean on Pete with Charlie Plummer and Steve Buscemi.

Named as the Actor of the Year in GQ Australia's 2017 Men of the Year Awards, Fimmel told the audience in his characteristic self-deprecating style, "I'm not sure how I got this, but I demand a recount".[44]

In February 2018, Fimmel was announced as the lead actor in the upcoming film Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, playing the role of Major Harry Smith who led soldiers under his command against the Viet Cong during the Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War. It is based on the historic account of 105 Australian soldiers and 3 New Zealand soldiers who defeated an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers in a rubber plantation near Nui Dat on 17 August 1966.[45][46][47]

He co-stars opposite fellow Australian Margot Robbie in the indie film Dreamland. Set in the 1930s Dust Bowl, the story follows a teenage boy on his quest to beat out the FBI to capture a fugitive bank robber in order to claim a bounty and save the family farm.[48] His next film was El Tonto, a comedy written, directed by and starring Charlie Day.[49]

From 2020-2022, he appeared in HBO Max's science fiction drama Raised by Wolves from director Ridley Scott and Scott Free Productions.[50][51]

Personal life

Fimmel's favourite recreational activities include Australian rules football, fishing, camping, horse riding, surfing, riding motorbikes and going to the beach.[12][52][53][54]

Fimmel also played a celebrity cricket match in the 2009 Australia vs England Hollywood Ashes with fellow Australian actors Jesse Spencer from House, Cameron Daddo, celebrity chef Curtis Stone, INXS bass guitarist Garry Gary Beers and cricket fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz.[15][55]

Fimmel is an Atheist.[56]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Surfer, Dude Johnny Doran
Restraint Ronald 'Ron' Jason Beron
2010 Pure Country 2: The Gift Dale Jordan
Needle Marcus Rutherford
Ivory Jake
The Experiment Helweg
2011 Supremacy Garrett Tully Short film
2012 The Baytown Outlaws McQueen Oodie
Harodim Lazarus Fell
2015 Maggie's Plan Guy Childers
2016 Warcraft Anduin Lothar
2017 Lean on Pete Ray Thompson
2019 Finding Steve McQueen Harry Barber
Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Major Harry Smith
Dreamland George Evans
2020 Here Are the Young Men TV Presenter
2021 Die in a Gunfight Wayne McCarthy
Zone 414 Marlon Veidt
2022 Delia's Gone Stacker Cole
One Way Will
2023 Fool's Paradise Not credited
Kandahar Roman Chalmers[57]
TBA Rust † Fenton "Preacher" Lang Post-production[58][59]

|- |}

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Tarzan John Clayton/Tarzan 8 episodes
2005 Rocky Point Taj Walters TV pilot
2006 Southern Comfort Bobby TV pilot
2009 The Beast Ellis Dove/Carlson 13 episodes
2010 Chase Mason Boyle 2 episodes
2012 Outlaw Country Feron Television movie
BlackBoxTV Ted Episode: "AZEP: The Reawakening"
2013−2017 Vikings Ragnar Lothbrok Main role (seasons 1–4); 45 episodes
2020–2022 Raised by Wolves Caleb/Marcus 18 episodes
2022–present That Dirty Black Bag Anderson 3 episodes
2023 Black Snow James Cormack [60]
2023 Caught Dingo [61]
TBA Boy Swallows Universe † Lyle Orlik Filming[62]
TBA Dune: The Sisterhood † Desmond Hart Filming[63]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 IGN Awards Best TV Hero Vikings Nominated [64]
2021 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series Raised by Wolves Nominated [65]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Prudom, Laura Vikings On History: Travis Fimmel Previews The Journey Of Ragnar Lothbrok The Huffington Post, 4 March 2013
  2. ^ Vikings Renewed for Season 2 by History, The Huffington Post, Retrieved 5 April 2013
  3. ^ "Travis Fimmel". People. 3 November 2003. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017.
  4. ^ Kee, William K.C. Talents from Down Under The Star, 14 June 2010
  5. ^ SPE Networks-Asia, Sony Entertainment official website, "The Beast | India AXN". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011., Retrieved 25 March 2011
  6. ^ Official Website [1] Retrieved 5 May 2011
  7. ^ a b Lee, Luaine 'The Beast's' Travis Fimmel is Happy Down on the Farm The Denver Post, 28 January 2009
  8. ^ Lewis, Felicity Model Hunter, The Age Melbourne Magazine, 29 February 2008
  9. ^ "Travis Fimmel - Biography". Hello!.
  10. ^ Epaminondas, George, Naked in New York, The Age, 27 January 2002
  11. ^ Blasberg, Derek, In Conversation: Calvin Klein, Gagosian Quarterly, 23 February 2018
  12. ^ a b Tai, Elizabeth Partners in Crime Drama Archived 6 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine 10 May 2009
  13. ^ People Magazine, 24 June 2002
  14. ^ Herald Sun, Former Calvin Klein Model Travis Fimmel Films Horror Movie with Jessica Marais, Luke Wilson" 21 December 2009 [2]
  15. ^ a b The Daily Telegraph Travis Fimmel Shows Off His Body at Hollywood Ashes 11 May 2009
  16. ^ The Age, With Stars In Their Eyes 21 August 2003
  17. ^ The Daily Telegraph Don't Make Me A Supermodel Judge: Travis Fimmel 6 July 2008
  18. ^ Hello Magazine, [3] Retrieved 25 March 2011
  19. ^ "Travis Fimmel". ShareTV. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  20. ^ Hello! Magazine Profile: Travis Fimmel Retrieved 9 May 2011
  21. ^ CNN, Five of the Hottest Things Happening in Entertainment Right Now 18 September 2003
  22. ^ McDaniel, Mike From Jockeys to the Jungle, 20 July 2003
  23. ^ "Rocky Point (WB)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Southern Comfort (FOX)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  25. ^ The Telegraph, Ben Mendelsohn ties the knot with British writer and Hollywood 'it' girl Emma Forrest in Los Angeles 10 June 2012
  26. ^ Official Website [4] Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  27. ^ Price, Matthew, [5] The Oklahoman, Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  28. ^ Sony Lockdown on 'Experiment' The Hollywood Reporter, 4 August 2009
  29. ^ Zimbardo, Philip Simulation Experiment of the Psychology of Imprisonment Conducted at Stanford University, Retrieved 18 March 2012
  30. ^ Salem, Rob Watching, Waiting and Hoping for Swayze, 12 January 2009
  31. ^ Sydney Morning Herald Patrick Swayze Dead 15 September 2009
  32. ^ "Travis Fimmel". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  33. ^ "NBC Announces Jerry Bruckheimer's 'Chase' for Fall Lineup". Access Hollywood. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010.
  34. ^ a b Kroll, Justin Travis Fimmel to Star in FX's 'Outlaw Country' Archived 13 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 9 September 2010
  35. ^ McClintock, Pamela Billy Bob Thornton Redneck Comedy 'Baytown Disco' Adds Three New Stars Hollywood Reporter, 28 April 2011
  36. ^ "Harodim". Terra Mater Factual Studios. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  37. ^ "Fimmel, Gilsig join 'Vikings' cast". United Press International. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  38. ^ Goldberg, Lesley 'Glee's' Jessalyn Gilsig to Co-Star in History Channel's 'Vikings' Drama Hollywood Reporter, 28 June 2012
  39. ^ "Minister Deenihan Visits Set Of Irish Film Board Supported TV Series VIKINGS". Irish Film Board. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  40. ^ Bianco, Robert Vikings takes the pillage, raises it to derring-do USA Today, 26 February 2013
  41. ^ Callaghan, Greg (6 October 2016). "Vikings star Travis Fimmel: meet the Victorian farm boy dazzling Hollywood". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  42. ^ Kroll, Justin (26 October 2013). "'Vikings' Actor Travis Fimmel Joins 'Warcraft' (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety". Variety.
  43. ^ "Warcraft". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  44. ^ "Travis Fimmel: "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t"". GQ Australia. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018.
  45. ^ "Vikings actor Travis Fimmel starring in Long Tan movie to be filmed in Queensland". ABC News. 28 February 2018.
  46. ^ "Hollywood Vietnam War movie Danger Close to be filmed in Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says". The Courier-Mail. 28 February 2018.
  47. ^ "The Battle of Long Tan". Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  48. ^ Kroll, Justin (13 October 2017). "Margot Robbie's Dreamland Casts Finn Cole, Travis Fimmel". Variety.
  49. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (22 October 2018). "Ray Liotta, Ken Jeong, Adrien Brody, Travis Fimmel & More Round Out Cast For Charlie Day's 'El Tonto'". Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  50. ^ Goldberg, Leslie (29 October 2019). "Ridley Scott's 'Raised by Wolves' Moving From TNT to HBO Max". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  51. ^ Nemetz, Dave (10 January 2019). "Vikings Alum Travis Fimmel to Star in TNT Sci-Fi Drama Raised by Wolves". TVLine. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  52. ^ "TRAVIS FIMMEL - STAR OF HISTORY CHANNEL'S 'VIKINGS'". travisfimmel.com.
  53. ^ Ellis, James Travis Fimmel Metro UK, Retrieved 2 May 2011
  54. ^ Warcraft: 8 things we learnt from director Duncan Jones Archived 25 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine 22 June 2016
  55. ^ Aussies Defeat England in Hollywood Ashes 2009 Archived 19 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 14 May 2009
  56. ^ Franich, Darren (28 December 2016). "Vikings creator and star talk about the shocking 'All His Angels'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  57. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (21 September 2022). "Open Road Lands U.S. Rights To Gerard Butler Action Pic 'Kandahar' In Eight-Figure Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  58. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (17 May 2023). "Cannes: 'Rust' Producer Is "Realistic" About Film's Future Sales". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  59. ^ Paul, Larisha (23 May 2023). "Alec Baldwin Reaches End of 'Long and Difficult Road' as 'Rust' Wraps Filming". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  60. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (11 July 2022). "'Vikings' Star Travis Fimmel To Lead Limited Series 'Black Snow' For Streamer Stan, Production Underway In Australia". Deadline. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  61. ^ "Everything you need to know about Stan's comedy series C*A*U*G*H*T". nine.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  62. ^ Whittock, Jesse (31 August 2022). "Netflix's 'Boy Swallows Universe': Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker & Phoebe Tonkin To Front Aussie Drama From Brouhaha Entertainment, Anonymous Content & Chapter One". Deadline. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  63. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (8 November 2022). "Travis Fimmel To Star In 'Dune: The Sisterhood' HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  64. ^ "Best TV Hero - IGN's Best of 2013 Wiki Guide - IGN". Retrieved 14 December 2019 – via www.ign.com.
  65. ^ Hammond, Pete (19 November 2020). "'Palm Springs', 'Lovecraft Country' Top Movie And Series Nominations For Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards; Netflix Lands 35 Nods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
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