Jai Courtney

Jai Courtney
Courtney in 2014.
Born
Jai Stephen Courtney

March 14, 1986 (age 37)
Alma materWestern Australian Academy of Performing Arts
OccupationActor
Years active2005–present
Children1

Jai Stephen Courtney (/dʒaɪ/; born 14 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film Jack Reacher (2012). He has gone on to star in A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), I, Frankenstein (2014) and The Exception (2016).

Courtney had a recurring role as Varro in the television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010). He played Eric in the science fiction action film Divergent (2014), a role he reprised in the sequel, Insurgent (2015). He played Kyle Reese in Terminator Genisys (2015) and supervillain Captain Boomerang in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad (2021), and The Flash (2023).

Early life

Courtney was born on 14 March 1986 in Sydney, New South Wales, and grew up in the suburb of Cherrybrook. His father, Chris, worked for a state-owned electricity company, and his mother, Karen, was a teacher at Galston Public School, where Courtney and his older sister were students. Courtney played Rugby and participated in drama club there. He then attended Cherrybrook Technology High School and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 2008. While in college, Courtney took a ballet course and failed.

Career

Courtney at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

Courtney's first role was in a 2005 short film titled Boys Grammar, which also starred Daniel Feuerriegel and Adam J. Yeend. In 2008, he played a role in the Australian series Packed to the Rafters, then a guest lead in the popular All Saints, the comedy feature To Hell & Bourke and several short films. In 2010, he played Varro in Spartacus: Blood and Sand for 10 episodes, before starring in Jack Reacher in 2012 with Tom Cruise and in A Good Day to Die Hard with Bruce Willis as John McClane's son, Jack. In 2014, he appeared in the films I, Frankenstein and Felony.

Courtney played Eric, one of the leaders of the faction Dauntless, in the science fiction film Divergent (2014). Later that year, he starred in Unbroken, playing Hugh "Cup" Cuppernell, and The Water Diviner, playing Lt. Col. Hughes. Courtney reprised the role of Eric in Insurgent, a sequel to Divergent, which was released in March 2015. That same year, he played one of the leads, Kyle Reese, in the science fiction action film Terminator Genisys. He worked on Insurgent and Terminator Genisys simultaneously. Terminator Genisys garnered unfavourable reviews and performed poorly at the box office. In his review, Dan Jolin of Empire described Courtney as "too buff and bland" for the role of Reese.

In March 2015, Courtney signed on to play Captain Boomerang in the 2016 DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad. Critics lambasted the film, with The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan writing Courtney "barely registers" in his role. Despite this, it had a commercially successful box office run. In 2017, Courtney starred as the titular character in Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Macbeth. Reviewing the play, Cameron Woodhead of The Sydney Morning Herald highlighted his "imperfect command of the verse". Courtney played a corrupt FBI agent in the thriller film Honest Thief, which was released in October 2020. Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised his effectiveness in the villainous role. Courtney reprised the role of Captain Boomerang in The Suicide Squad, a standalone sequel to Suicide Squad. The film was released in August 2021 to a positive critical reception. Courtney is set to star in the action thriller film Black Site as well as the thriller series The Terminal List and Kaleidoscope (under the working title Jigsaw).

Personal life

Courtney dated Australian actress Gemma Pranita for eight years before splitting in 2013. From 2015 to 2021, he dated Mecki Dent, an Adelaide-born public relations coordinator. She practices reiki and has an online thrift shop called Velvet Vintage Drive.

Courtney has a number of tattoos including a rope, a skull and a dog. His Suicide Squad co-star, Margot Robbie, has given Courtney two tattoos including an abbreviation (QLD) for Robbie's home state Queensland, after losing a State of Origin bet, as well as a tattoo that says "SKWAD" to memorialise his work in the film. A former smoker, he said in 2019 he had quit years prior. Courtney provided backing vocals on the Pinch Hitter song "All of a Sudden" from their debut album, When Friends Die in Accidents.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Stone Bros. Eric
2012 Jack Reacher Charlie
2013 A Good Day to Die Hard CIA Agent John "Jack" McClane Jr.
2014 I, Frankenstein Gideon
Divergent Eric Coulter
Felony Jim Melic Nominated – Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor - Supporting Role
Unbroken Hugh "Cup" Cuppernell
The Water Diviner Lieutenant Colonel Cyril Hughes
2015 The Divergent Series: Insurgent Eric Coulter
Terminator Genisys Kyle Reese
Man Down Devin Roberts
2016 Suicide Squad George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang
The Exception Captain Stefan Brandt
2019 Storm Boy Tom "Hideaway Tom"
Alita: Battle Angel Jashugan Uncredited cameo
Semper Fi Officer Chris "Cal" Callahan
Buffaloed "Wizz"
2020 100% Wolf Flasheart Voice
Honest Thief Agent John Nivens
Birds of Prey George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang Photograph
2021 The Suicide Squad Cameo
Jolt Justin
2022 Black Site Raymond Miller
2023 The Flash George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang Uncredited cameo

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2008 All Saints Harry Avent 2 episodes
2008–2009 Packed to the Rafters Damian 2 episodes
2010 Spartacus: Blood and Sand Varro 8 episodes
2017 Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later Garth MacArthur 4 episodes
2020 Stateless Cam Sandford 6 episodes
2022 Love, Death & Robots Spencer Episode: "In Vaulted Halls Entombed"
The Terminal List Steve Horn 3 episodes
2023 Kaleidoscope Bob Goodwin Main role
2023 The Summit Himself Host

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue
2017 Macbeth Macbeth Melbourne Theatre Company

This page was last updated at 2023-10-31 04:44 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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