Yahoo Movies TIFF Up-and-Comers: Callan McAuliffe of ‘Beneath the Harvest Sky’
The fourth part of our TIFF up-and-comers series (a continuing look at actors who are poised to break out at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival) centres on 18-year-old Australian actor Callan McAuliffe, star of the well-reviewed drama “Beneath the Harvest Sky.” McAuliffe isn’t a household name yet, but a very high-profile Hollywood appearance in 2013 combined with a talked-about performance at TIFF 2013 are sure to help put the young actor on the map.
What do you know him from?
You might not know his name, but if you saw Baz Luhrmann’s lavish big screen adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” earlier this year, then you definitely know McAuliffe's face. The actor played the teenage version of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jay Gatsby in several flashbacks. Prior to “Gatsby,” McAuliffe was best known for his roles in Rob Reiner’s 2010 film “Flipped” and D.J. Caruso’s 2011 sci-fi thriller “I Am Number Four.” The young actor very nearly made a Hollywood breakthrough much earlier in his career, snagging a role in director Alex Proyas’ aborted “Paradise Lost” a few years ago. Based on John Milton’s epic poem and starring Bradley Cooper as Lucifer, McAuliffe would have co-starred as the Archangel Uriel.
What’s he in at TIFF 2013?
McAuliffe stars alongside Emory Cohen in "Beneath the Harvest Sky," the story of two best friends living in rural Maine whose lives take drastically different paths during the fall potato harvest. Directed by documentary filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film co-stars "Game of Thrones" actor Aiden Gillen. "Beneath the Harvest Sky" was warmly received by TIFF audiences and critics.
What does the future hold?
The young Aussie actor has some pretty big lead roles in his near future. McAuliffe will next be seen opposite Samuel L. Jackson in “Kite,” Ralph Ziman's sci-fi remake of Yasuomi Umetsu’s Japanese anime of the same name. In 2014, the actor will appear opposite Sir Ben Kingsley (“Iron Man 3, “Ender’s Game”) and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”) in Jon Wright’s “Our Robot Overlords,” a science fiction actioner that sees humanity struggling to survive an invasion of extraterrestrial robots.
Earning both indie cred thanks to his appearance at TIFF and big budget film experience with movies like "The Great Gatsby," McAuliffe is well on his way to becoming a known Hollywood quantity.
Be sure to check out our other TIFF up-and-comers Daniel Brühl, Léa Seydoux, and Megan Park.
The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival runs until Sept. 15.
More TIFF Features on Yahoo:
