Sam Worthington

Sam Worthington is an Australian actor best known as Jake Sully in James Cameron's Avatar franchise. He broke through in 2009 with Avatar and Terminator Salvation, and returned to the role in Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the series, released in December 2025. Born in England and raised in Perth, he is 49, married to Lara Worthington, and based between Los Angeles and Australia.

By Alexandre Le Hégarat · datastats · Updated July 18, 2026

Who is Sam Worthington?

Sam Worthington is an Australian actor who became one of the most recognisable leading men in blockbuster cinema almost overnight. Born in Godalming, Surrey, England, on August 2, 1976, he moved to Australia as a baby and grew up in Perth, Western Australia. After leaving school he drifted through manual work, including a stint as a bricklayer, before auditioning on impulse for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. He got in, trained as an actor, and built a solid reputation in Australian films such as Somersault through the early 2000s.

Everything changed in 2009. James Cameron, searching for a relative unknown to anchor his long-gestating science-fiction epic, cast Worthington as Jake Sully, the paraplegic former Marine who is drawn into the world of the Na’vi in Avatar. The film became the highest-grossing movie ever made at the time, and in the same period Worthington also appeared in Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans, cementing his status as a go-to action lead almost before audiences knew his name.

Rather than stay locked into blockbusters, Worthington broadened his range. He earned strong reviews as Captain Glover in Mel Gibson’s WWII drama Hacksaw Ridge (2016), carried the Netflix thriller Fractured (2019), and took on darker, character-driven television in Manhunt: Unabomber and Under the Banner of Heaven, where he played detective Bill Taba opposite Andrew Garfield. Through it all, the Avatar saga remained his anchor: he has reprised Jake Sully in each sequel.

In December 2025 he returned to the role once more in Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in Cameron’s planned five-part series, again leading alongside Zoe Saldaña, with Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Away from the screen, Worthington has been married to model Lara Worthington since 2014, and the couple are raising three sons between Los Angeles and Australia. At 49, and turning 50 in August 2026, he remains inseparable in the public mind from the blue-skinned hero who made him a star. Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb, Deadline, People.

People also ask

Sam Worthington is based largely in **Los Angeles**, where he bought a home in 2018, and he keeps strong ties to Australia, the country where he grew up. He and his wife, Lara Worthington, have moved between the two over the years while raising their children, and he tends to keep his exact address private. Sources: Wikipedia, People.

Sam Worthington is **Australian**. He was born in England, in Godalming, Surrey, on August 2, 1976, but his family emigrated to Australia when he was a baby and he grew up in Perth, Western Australia. He is therefore Australian, with British origins by birth. Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb.

Sam Worthington was born on August 2, 1976, which makes him **49 years old in July 2026**; he turns 50 on August 2, 2026. Before acting he worked in manual jobs, including as a bricklayer, before training at Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb.

Sam Worthington is about **5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)** tall. Sources: IMDb.

He is best known for playing **Jake Sully** in James Cameron's Avatar films, the paraplegic ex-Marine who leads the Na'vi. He first took the role in the record-breaking Avatar (2009) and has reprised it in each sequel, including Avatar: Fire and Ash in 2025. He is also known for Terminator Salvation, Clash of the Titans and the war drama Hacksaw Ridge. Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb.

Yes. Worthington returns as **Jake Sully** in Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the Avatar series, released in **December 2025**. He again leads the cast alongside Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, with Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet, and the film introduces a new, more aggressive Na'vi clan. Sources: Deadline, IMDb.

James Cameron cast the then little-known Worthington after an extensive search for the lead of Avatar. Cameron wanted an actor who was not yet a star, and Worthington, who had built a reputation in Australian film with movies like Somersault, won the part that turned him into a global name overnight when Avatar opened in 2009. Sources: Wikipedia, Deadline.

Yes. He has been married to model **Lara Worthington** (formerly Lara Bingle) since December 2014. The couple have three sons and generally keep their family life out of the spotlight. Sources: Wikipedia, People.

Beyond Avatar, his credits include Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans (both 2009-2010), the acclaimed WWII drama Hacksaw Ridge (2016), the Netflix thriller Fractured (2019), and the miniseries Manhunt: Unabomber and Under the Banner of Heaven, where he played detective Bill Taba. Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia.

Before his breakthrough he worked a series of manual jobs in Australia, including as a bricklayer, and famously auditioned for NIDA, the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, on a whim. He was accepted, trained there, and went on to a strong run in Australian cinema before Hollywood came calling. Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb.