Who is Australian actress Eliza Taylor? 10 facts to know!

Eliza Taylor is making huge waves in terms of her acting career. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be an actress, sharing her talents with the audience and hoping to become a household name. Yet, there's more to Eliza than meets the eye as she expands in other ventures.

Before feeling the spotlight's warmth, Eliza wanted to be a marine biologist as she was "infatuated with sea life, the conservation of the reefs, and [the] mammals such as dolphins." While this is an awarding occupation in itself, acting was Eliza's passion, and as such, she followed its path, leading to new directions and opportunities. Needless to say, her career switch paid off splendidly.

Whether you're an old fan of Eliza, a new one, or just even a little curious, here are five facts about the actress and what she embodies as an individual.

10 facts to know about Eliza Taylor

Eliza was born and raised in Australia

Eliza was born Eliza Jane Taylor-Cotter on October 24th, 1989, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She's the eldest of three children and the daughter of Lucinda 'Lucy' Cotter and Paul Taylor. Her mother is a talented artist, while her father owned pubs/bars across Melbourne. Her brother, Patrick, is a filmmaker, and her sibling, Riley, is a successful musician in Australia.

She got her start in childhood and young adult acting projects in Australia

As a way to combat her shyness, Eliza's mother signed her up for acting classes. She landed her first role in 2003 as Sarah Redding in the children's adventure series Pirate Islands. In the show, Eliza and her siblings are sucked into a computer game and must work with explorers to seek out the treasure, which holds the key to get back home.

Following the Pirate Islands finale, Eliza stepped into the fashionable and dramatic world of Janae Timmons on the Australian soap Neighbours. She portrayed the role from 2003-2008, respectively. Many actors and actresses get their start on Neighbours, or the equally popular Home and Away. Since Australia has a smaller entertainment spectrum than its Hollywood counterpart, it has limited parts to choose from. However, with the invention of streaming, recognition has rolled out and raised acting opportunities across the globe.

Eliza changed network standards with her role as Clarke Griffin on the CW's dystopian series The 100

Before landing the coveted role as Clarke Griffin on The 100, Eliza was heading back to Australia as she was robbed and believed her time was up in Hollywood. But as we know, a funny little thing called fate happened, and poof! Eliza's the lead in one of the CW Network's longest-running shows in 2014.

But being Clarke Griffin served a greater purpose and did not just give us incredible and intense chemistry with Bellamy Blake, played by the equally talented Bob Morley. She was the first bisexual lead in network broadcasting, which set the wave for more inclusion of LGBTQ characters on television. For the audience, having a bisexual female lead allowed them to embrace and accept their true selves, that love has no boundaries. We're all uniquely different.

"People want to be loved and need [a] connection to survive in this world, and whether that comes from a man or a woman doesn’t really matter," Eliza revealed to Entertainment Weekly in 2016 on her relationship with Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey). "I think that was just a really lovely thing to hear and a really lovely thing to play."

Eliza portrayed Clarke up until The 100's series finale in 2020. But thanks to die-hard fans and new ones, Clarke's legacy will live on eternally.

Eliza joins the cast of Quantum Leap for season 2

In 2023, Eliza continued her love of the sci-fi genre when she landed the role of Hannah Carson in the NBC series Quantum Leap. She is just more than an intellectual who's a math whiz and a pretty face (and her electrifying chemistry with Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) can't be ignored). Still, Hannah also holds the critical equation of bringing Ben home, something the QL team is wracking their brains about.

Each leap teaches us more about Hannah, her drive, and her unique love for Ben. Their romance should be a textbook example of proper character structure and dynamic. It's not every day we get to have this narrative, so it must be enjoyed. Eliza opened up about playing Hannah and what drew her to the role with NBC Insider.

"Just reading Hannah for the first time when I got those audition scenes, there was something so special about her."

- Eliza Taylor

If season 3 happens, then Hannah's return and reuniting with Ben would be the ultimate dream. She has so much potential for many more stories.

Eliza founded the US-based Conageddon convention in 2018 with her fellow The 100 stars, Bob Morley and Zach McGowan. Their purpose was to have an intimate con experience with the fans, as many other pop cult cons don't have this luxury.

The 3-day event, filled with panels, photo ops, meet and greets, and much more, is held during the St. Patrick's Day weekend in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Conageddon was pushed back to August 2022, but the three-year gap made it even more memorable. For the fans, personal connections were made and ingrained forever.

This year, Conageddon is happening again for the fourth time and is going to be bigger than ever.

Eliza is all about body acceptance and positivity

In the entertainment industry and life in general, the human body is constantly ridiculed, objectified, and judged. Even Kate Winslet, well known for her role as Rose Dewitt Bukater in the Box Office hit historical romantic drama, Titanic, was harshly criticized for her body, albeit she was a size four and only twenty-two at the time. Despite the crtiques from others, Kate reigned Titanic and her wardrobe was one of the film's highlights.

The late 90s was when the internet exploded, becoming a cesspool of negativity and psychological conflict. Social media wasn't around, but it took one word to change perspective. Whether it be on AOL Chat, message forum, or even a comment on a media site, it causes a negative shift in our psyche.

Yet, Eliza defined the Hollywood norms and wouldn't allow studios to coerce her into losing weight so she could be a specific size. Per a 2014 Instagram post, she elaborated she "loves" her body and that it fits her. Eliza also advised women on the importance of accepting oneself.

Continuing with body positivity, Eliza got a whole body scan done at the Prenovu Center in Los Angeles in 2023. It's the same one that Kim Kardashian and her family underwent to detect for nefarious diseases and cancer.

As someone who struggles with their body image, strong advocation on a delicate subject is much needed in society. While I'm far from perfect, I've accepted my body on a level that is mentally satisfying.

Eliza starred in some feature projects

Along with her television credits, Eliza has a few movie titles added to her resume, including those of which she was executive producer. The latter expanded her creative field while learning the intricate details of filmmaking. The audience then sees another degree of Eliza's talent, not just onscreen. They're witnessing her story interpretation.

In 2023's It Only Takes A Night, one of the two films she produced, Eliza pours out her comedic side as her character Ruby sets off on a wild night with her friends and something happens that inexplicably changes her life.

Then, Eliza and (real-life husband) Bob Morley ignited their onscreen chemistry once again in the sci-fi thriller I'll Be Watching. The film focuses on a troubled married couple whose marriage is driven further apart by technology, thanks to Marcus's (Morley) elaborate home security system.

We didn't get a happy ending with Julie and Marcus, but seeing them together onscreen again made it worthwhile.

Eliza additionally appeared as Pierce Brosnan's daughter, Sarah, in the 2014 action film The November Man. It was followed by her role as Kat in the Indie production, Thumper, and Eliza brought some holiday cheer as Ellen Langford in the 2017 Netflix flick Christmas Inheritance. The character was a beam of light contrasting Eliza's darker performances.

Eliza's always joyous to meet fans

Eliza has become a favorite in the convention circuit due to her loyalty to her expansive fanbase. She spends time getting to know each one; in return, the fans are grateful for it. She recalled her first experience with San Diego Comic-Con with Bello Magazine in 2014.

"Comic-Con is just a whole other world. It's just such a bizarre, fun bubble. I had an amazing time, and I felt very welcomed, which was lovely."

- Eliza Taylor

Establishing strong fan bases gives performers a better concept of their characters and see how others see them in a different lens. As fans, we want to invest and relate to characters as they're centerpieces to the story.

Eliza's for giving children education

Aside from her acting career, Eliza opened two schools to aid impoverished countries' educational systems. The first one was on the Koh Tao Island of Thailand. Originally called Koh Tao Primary (now Right To Learn), she launched the school in 2017, with nearly $150,000 fundraised by her fans. Eliza frequently visited the school and taught some of its classes.

Eliza and Bob launched the nonprofit Little Hearts Learning to open her second school in Papua New Guinea, a country just north of Australia. LHL partnered with another nonprofit, NTF NGO, to restructure youth education. The school was built through generous donors, giving the young students better and hopeful futures. Donors received special incentives like Zoom calls and a Kokoda Track event for their gratuity.

Eliza's star is only brightening, and we can't wait to see her lucrative future.