Young Jay Gatsby in 'The Great Gatsby' and UNICEF Australia's Ambassador

Callan McAuliffe | Biography

Plays Alden in Horror Television Series 'The Walking Dead' since 2017

• By Ojasbi
• Update : November 28, 2021

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With few credits to his name, in 2009, McAuliffe came to the United States at 15. He made his debut as the romantic lead Bryce in Rob Reiner's charismatic 2010 film 'Flipped.' He then signed on to play Sam in the sleek sci-fi film 'I Am Number Four,' produced by Michael Bay. Following that, McAuliffe starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' as Young Gatsby.

Callan McAuliffe is an Australian actor famous for his role Bryce Loski for the movie Flipped. 

Who is Callan McAuliffe? 

Callan McAuliffe is an Australian actor. He has starred in movies including Flipped, and I Am Number Four. In the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, he played as young Jay Gatsby.

Early Life and Education 

Callan Ryan Claude McAuliffe, a native of Clontarf, New South Wales, was born on 24 January 1995. He was born to Claudia Keech OAM, and Roger McAuliffe, an author, artist, and founder of McAuliffe Creative is his father. Actress Jacinta John is his cousin. Two of his grandparents were of Irish ancestry.

He attended Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Australia, which was an all-boys academy. He was the school's head chorister and merited a high distinction in the London Trinity musical exams in 2008. Before he became injured, he was a sports competitor, which incited him to devote more time to the performing arts.

McAuliffe discussed his switch from singing to acting with DA MAN Magazine. He said, "My journey in the theatre, both singing, and acting, commenced during a year off the track as a teenager due to a severe sports injury. Ever since I played, "Oliver" in the musical, my school insisted that I keep pursuing Musical Theater (singing and theater), and an agent tried to approach me." He added, "Acting possibilities became much more abundant afterward. Singing has almost always felt like a valuable asset to me, but as my career has matured, acting has developed over as my main focus."

Australian Movies and TV Shows

McAuliffe began working when he was eight years old and made his screen debut in 2007. He featured on the Australian television show Comedy Inc., where he grew as a regular cast member. In addition, the artist appeared on television shows, including Blue Water High, a teen surfing series, and Packed to the Rafters, a family comedy sitcom, reflecting upon the results of the iconic series.

He also appeared in an indie short Franswa Sharl before making his feature film debut in the Australian crime comedy 1MC: Something of Vengeance. Furthermore, his first short film, Franswa Sharl (dir Hannah Hilliard), wherein he impersonated a cross-dressing adolescent, earned nine international awards, including a triumph at the 'Berlin Film Festival.' In 2011, McAuliffe returned to Australian television with a part on the mini-series Cloudstreet, a typical suburban family drama. 

 He subsequently performed as an Australian bushranger Daniel Ryan in the international award-winning The Legend of Ben Hall, directed by Matthew Holmes.

Career in the USA

With few credits to his name, in 2009, McAuliffe came to the United States at 15. He made his debut as the romantic lead Bryce in Rob Reiner's charismatic 2010 film Flipped. 

The movie was a coming-of-age drama, where he played the role of a confused teenager alongside Madeline Carroll. It was his first movie in America and he initially thought he would not get the job. However, after multiple callbacks and bond tests with Carroll, he landed the role.

Upon landing the role he mentioned that the impressive part was the team he was going to work with, he said, “…And then, eventually they called and said, ‘You got the role,’ and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool!’ I was stoked to be in an American film, point blank. But, the fact that it was Rob Reiner directing my first film, I was ecstatic.”

He then signed on to play Sam in the sleek sci-fi film I Am Number Four, produced by Michael Bay. Following that, McAuliffe starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby as Young Gatsby. When asked about how he felt when he got the role of the young Gatsby, McAuliffe stated he felt incredibly fortunate. "When a genius director like Baz Luhrmann picks you to become the young version of Jay Gatsby alongside Leo, it's a near-overwhelming feeling." 

Then in 2013, he played the role of Dominic in an independent film Beneath The Harvest Sky.  It was a coming-of-age drama focused on a small-town scenario and it was produced by a student-based production and marketing team. It was also premiered in the ‘The Toronto International Film Festival’ where McAuliffe was named the ‘Break Out Actor’.

His other prominent role was as the young British protagonist, Sean Flynn, was in Robot Overlords, featuring Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson. He preceded his first male lead as Oburi with Samuel Jackson in Kite. In 2012, GQ Magazine revealed that McAuliffe (then 17) was their youngest ever award winner for 'GQ Breakthrough of the Year Award 2012.' The award was given by the legendary American director Rob Reiner in a virtual presentation from Los Angeles. In 2016, he collaborated on Hacker with award-winning Kazakh director Akan Satayev.

He also appeared as Tim on the 2014 episode of the show Homeland, followed by that in 2015, he played the role of Henry Ward in the movie The Stanford Prison Experiment and then the role of Lockwood in the Point of Honor. In addition to that, in 2016 he also voiced the character of Brian on the tv series Blow Your Own Trumpet. Followed by that, he was Daniel Ryan in the 2017 movie The Legend of the Ben Hall.

Along with that in 2018, his voice characters Roderick Andersen, Peter Milroy, Thomas Lanke were launched in the video game version of  ‘Return of the Obra Dinn’.

Recent Works 

 McAuliffe has starred in a handful of television shows and movies. He portrayed Taylor in the 2019 indie film Summer Night. Moreover, he is currently seen in the role of Alden on the hit television series The Walking Dead. The Australian actor has also voiced in international documentary series like Code Red and The Rise and Fall of Hitler. 

Further, McAuliffe also began appearing as Alden in the eighth season of the popular tv series The Walking Dead in 2017. Subsequently, his character became a regular on the show and he continued his role. His latest appearance was on the 11th season released in 2021 and the 12th season is under post-production which has been set to be released in 2022.

In 2020 he also won the collaborative 'Honorary Award' at the 'CInEuphoric Awards' for his role of Alden on The Walking Dead. 

Writing 

Apart from his film career, in 2016, he authored 'The Hill Ghost,' later published in 2018. It is a book about speaking animals. 

Activism

In 2013, McAuliffe was appointed as UNICEF Australia's Ambassador (for which he wears a lapel pin). In addition, he is the youth ambassador for The Wolf Connection in Los Angeles, an animal rescue organization. 

When asked about the charity, he mentioned how Wolf Connection provides a sanctuary and counselors for the rehabilitation and well-being of at-risk youth and rescued wolves. "I've finished all of my preparation and look forward to spending time with the animals and volunteers who make this organization possible." He also said that his fascination with animals ignited his desire to make a difference. "Being in a position where I can make an impact, even if it's just raising funds or spreading awareness, is a very satisfying part of my life," he added.

Dating Rumor

In 2011, McAuliffe was rumored to be dating the actress Ariel Winters. However, he resorted to the speculation by confirming that they were just friends.