Why Sarah From The November Man Looks So Familiar
"The November Man" was not warmly received by critics upon its 2014 release — today, it holds a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of just 36%. However, the action-thriller is now delighting a whole new audience on Netflix. Starring Pierce Brosnan as CIA Agent Peter Devereaux, aka The November Man, the film follows Devereaux as he finds himself removed from retirement to go on a high-stakes mission involving C.I.A. officials and the Russian President-elect.
The film, despite its lukewarm reception, holds an impressive cast, including Luke Bracey, who stars as Devereaux's protegé, Mason, Bill Smitrovich, and Olga Kurylenko, whom herself was a Bond girl — though with Daniel Craig's version of the famed character, rather than Brosnan's.
Talented actress Eliza Taylor also appears in the film as Sarah, a civilian who gets swept up in the mission against her will. Taylor is no acting newbie, and the Melbourne-born performer has shown her chops in a variety of projects. What roles, though, are you most likely to have seen her in before?
Eliza Taylor got her start as a child actress in Austrailia
Eliza Taylor got her start as a child actress in her native Australia, starring in shows like "Pirate Islands" and "The Sleepover Club." However, her first major role was on "Neighbours," a long-running Australian TV soap opera that's been on the air since 1985. She initially joined as a child, playing Jacinta Martin for two episodes in 2003, until in 2005 she was brought on as Janae Timmons, a troubled young woman who experienced the sort of drama you would expect from such a character on a soap — including a fraught marriage, steamy affairs, and the like.
Taylor was praised for her performance on the show, earning a Best Actress Nomination at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards, as reported by Digital Spy. In an interview with "Neighbours" fan site Perfect Blend, she shared how much she enjoyed the challenge of playing some of the more outrageous storylines. "One of the things that kept me going on 'Neighbours' was trying to make the script and the ridiculous storylines feel real for the audience. It was really difficult. I really tried [...] to go all out and bring some sort of reality to it."
When Taylor left the show in 2008, she was eager to try new projects — and though it would take some time, she did get her big break in Hollywood.
Eliza Taylor got her Hollywood breakout on The 100
In 2014, Eliza Taylor snagged the lead role of Clarke Griffin in The CW's "The 100." The dystopian sci-fi thriller followed the lone survivors of an apocalyptic nuclear war, who, after 97 years living on a spaceship, are sent back to Earth in the hopes of repopulating the planet. However, the group soon finds that creating a new life for the human race might just bring out the worst in them, and Clarke must struggle to make sense of her strange new existence.
"The 100" was enormously popular, running for seven seasons. It was well-regarded by critics and fans alike, holding a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh score of 76%. Taylor was thrilled to join the project, saying she was almost ready to give up on her Hollywood dreams when she got the call. Speaking with Starburst Magazine, she said, "I was ready to pack my bags and go back to Australia because I didn't know how I was going to survive in LA any longer, and then I got a call from my manager to say that an audition I'd done months ago for a film had been looked at by the producers of this TV show called 'The 100' and they wanted me to go in for a reading the next day. So I read the script that night and loved it."
Taylor also shared how much she enjoyed playing such a powerful, driven character like Clarke, remarking, "I think it's a very good time for young women in TV at the moment, there are a lot more strong female characters coming out of the woodwork and [...] I'm really proud to be playing one of them."
What's next for this talented actress?
Though "The 100" may have ended during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eliza Taylor shows no signs of slowing down.
Earlier in 2021, Deadline reported the actress signed with well-regarded talent agency Verve, and is already working on her next project. She'll be returning to her native Australia for movie "It Only Takes A Night," on which Taylor is also serving as executive producer. The film follows four best friends on a girl's night out, who end up on an unexpected path and find out it really does only take one night to change your life. Taylor shared her joy at returning to her home country, telling Deadline, "I am so humbled to have the opportunity to produce a film that not only elevates female voices but showcases Australian actors and film makers."
Taylor has certainly shown her talents in a wide variety of projects, and at only 31 years old, it's clear she is just getting started on her path of stardom.