• Faith: Unknown
• Career: Actor
• Birthday:  April 08, 1981

Taylor Kitsch, the youngest of three sons, was born in April 1981 in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Canadian actor lived a remote, blue-collar lifestyle. His parents–Susan, who worked for the country's liquor board, and Drew, a construction worker–separated when Taylor was only one year old. Taylor was raised in a mobile home park alongside the boys and two maternal half-sisters.

He studied nutrition and economics at Gleneagle Secondary School in Coquitlam, BC, and later at the University of Lethbridge. However, he spent most of his time playing hockey, which he had been doing since age three. Eventually, Taylor played in the British Columbia Hockey League until 2002, when he suffered a knee injury.

When hockey was taken away from him, Taylor believed he had a future in modeling, so he moved to New York. Yet, while hustling for a modeling job, he also worked as a personal trainer and considered acting. Two years later, he was sent to Los Angeles for a shoot with Abercrombie & Fitch. It seemed that the trip was fate because he didn't leave.

Still feeling the acting bug, he secured a couple of one-episode stints in minor shows, but it wasn't until the cult-followed film with Samuel L. Jackson, "Snakes on a Plane." That earned him more interest, which showed when he auditioned for the role of Tim Riggins in the NBC award-winning dramatic series "Friday Night Lights." He flourished in that role for five years, earning critical appreciation and a throng of fans (mostly female).

During the series, Taylor Kitsch joined the X-Men Universe and became one of the most debated superheroes (and mutants) as Remy LeBeau/Gambit in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." As popular as the superhero genre was, Kitsch has admitted he was vaguely aware of Gambit when he auditioned for the role. "I knew of him, but I didn't know the following he had. I'm sure I'm still going to be exposed to that. I love the character, I love the powers, and I love what they did with him. I didn't know that much, but in my experience, it was a blessing to go in and create my take on him. I'm excited for it, to say the least."

His first project after his success as the star running back for the Dillon Panthers was what is considered one of the most substantial movie flops of all time: "John Carter," released by Disney in 2012. Fortunately, he rebounded from that project with the board game-turned-movie "Battleship" (2012), as Michael Murphy in the Mark Wahlberg military movie "Lone Survivor" (2013), and as Officer Paul Woodrugh on the inaugural season of "True Detective" (2015).

Most recently, Kitsch has made the most of his talent with TV series that provide lengthy acting runs. He brings his well-traveled career full circle with Netflix's "The Defeated" and "Painkiller" and Prime Video's "The Terminal List."

Taylor Kitsch's Religious Beliefs

There is not a strong connection between Taylor Kitsch's story and having faith in Christ, but his struggles through life in his formative years keep his heart open to giving back. Most recently, Kitsch purchased a ranch in Bozeman, Mont. On 22 acres of his land, he is creating a nature retreat in homage to his sister, Shelby, who fought through an opioid addiction in the 2010s.

Related to religion, Taylor was widely regarded by critics and fans for his gritty, authentic portrayal of David Koresh in the Paramount Plus TV miniseries "Waco." His most recent project is connected to the formative years of the LDS Church in "American Primeval" on Netflix.

"The best reaction, and the most flattering, is just that [viewers] take it upon themselves to formulate their own opinion and do their own research," Kitsch said to The Wrap. There's just something so fascinating about these people and these leaders, and I think everyone is so fascinated by the unknown."