Eliza Taylor

Eliza Jane Morley^[2] (née Taylor-Cotter; born 24 October 1989^[3]), known professionally as Eliza Taylor, is an Australian actress. She is best known for her roles as Janae Timmins on the Australian soap opera drama Neighbours (2005–2008), as Clarke Griffin on the dystopian science fiction series The 100 (2014–2020), and as Hannah Carson in the NBC science fiction series Quantum Leap (2022–2024).

Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Taylor-Cotter in 2017
Born	Eliza Jane Taylor-Cotter[1] (1989-10-24) 24 October 1989 (age 34) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present
Known for	Neighbours The 100 Quantum Leap
Spouse	Bob Morley ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	1

Early life

Taylor was born in Melbourne and has three siblings: two sisters and one brother. Her mother is an author and a graphic designer, and her stepfather was a stand-up comedian, while her biological father used to own cafés around Melbourne. She wanted to be a marine biologist growing up.^[4]

Career

2003–2013: Career beginnings and Neighbours

After a lead role in Pirate Islands, Taylor starred as Rosie Cartwright in The Sleepover Club in 2003. She transitioned to mature audience programs with a guest role on Blue Heelers in 2004.

Taylor got her big breakthrough in the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 2005. She secured the role of Janae Timmins after previously appearing in a guest role in 2003.^[5] Taylor had originally auditioned for the role of Lana Crawford, however, actress Bridget Neval was eventually cast.^[6] In 2007, Nell Feeney and Sianoa Smit-McPhee, who play Taylor's on-screen mother Janelle Timmins and sister Bree Timmins, were written out by executive producer Ric Pellizzeri, but it was confirmed that they wanted Taylor to remain in the serial as Janae.^[7] Later that year, Taylor decided to quit the serial to pursue other projects such as pantomime and a further career in the US.^[8] One of her reasons was that all of her on-screen family had been written out and new cast members gave the serial the feel of a different place, adding: "It just didn't feel like the family that I joined when I started three years ago".^[9] Taylor finished filming her final studio scenes in 2007 and her final episode was screened on 8 February 2008. In 2007, she was nominated for Best Female at the Inside Soap Awards.

She portrayed Snow White in a Christmas pantomime of Snow White from 19 December 2007 to 6 January 2008 in Weymouth Pavilion, England.^[9][10] In 2009, she was in an episode of All Saints and filmed a short drama-comedy movie called The Laundromat.^[11] Taylor also filmed a role in the horror movie 6 Plots.^[12] She later filmed the pilot of Winners & Losers.^[13]

2014–2020: The 100

Taylor at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con for The 100

On 1 March 2013, it was announced that Taylor had been cast as lead character Clarke Griffin in the new post-apocalyptic science fiction drama series The 100 on The CW.^[14][15] The series premiered on Wednesday, 19 March 2014 at 9:00 p.m.^[16] Explaining how she got the part in the series, Taylor said:

"I didn't actually audition. I'd been living in LA for about a month and my credit card was stolen and all my money was taken – spent at Home Depot, which was great – and 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 and went in for the meeting the next day and got the role. Before I knew it I was on a plane to Vancouver to shoot the pilot and my whole life changed."^[17]

In 2014, Taylor starred as Sarah in the thriller film The November Man.^[18]

For her role in The 100, Taylor was nominated for Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy at the Teen Choice Awards from 2015 to 2018.

In 2017, Taylor starred as Kat Carter in a thriller-drama film Thumper.^[19][20] The same year, she starred as Ellen Langford in the Netflix Christmas romantic comedy-drama film Christmas Inheritance.^[21]

2021–present: Recent work

In 2021, Taylor directed two music videos: "Vices" by Sarah and the Sundays,^[22] in which she also had an acting role,^[23] and "Bad Posture" by Abby Anderson.^[24][25]

In 2022, Taylor appeared in the guest role of Doctor Villka in The Orville episode "From Unknown Graves".^[26][27]

In 2023, Taylor and Morley star together as Julie and Marcus in the sci-fi thriller I'll Be Watching. She is also an executive producer. The film was released on digital platforms.^[28][29][30] The same year, Taylor is an executive producer and stars as Ruby Allen in the independent romantic comedy It Only Takes a Night.^[31][32][33] The film was also released on digital platforms.

In October same year, Taylor is playing the role of Hannah Carson in Quantum Leap as a new series regular in season 2.^[34][35][36]

Personal life

Eliza Taylor and her husband, Bob Morley

On 7 June 2019, Taylor announced on Twitter that she had married Bob Morley, her co-star on The 100.^[37] Taylor and Morley were originally set to direct episodes for the seventh and final season of The 100. However, Taylor was unable to direct her episode due to suffering from a miscarriage.^[38] On 20 March 2022, they announced the birth of their first child, a son.^[39]

In 2024, on Tommy Didario's podcast 'I’ve Never Said This Before', in an interview along with her husband Bob, Eliza talked about her long dark year struggling with postpartum depression.^[40]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	6 Plots	Amy Challis
2013	Patrick	Nurse Panicale
2014	The November Man	Sarah
2017	Thumper	Kat Carter/Meredith
	Christmas Inheritance	Ellen Langford
2023	I'll Be Watching	Julie	Executive producer
	It Only Takes a Night	Ruby Allen	Executive producer

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	Pirate Islands	Sarah Redding	Main role
	Neighbours	Jacinta Martin	2 episodes
	The Sleepover Club	Rosie Cartwright	Main role (series 1)
2004	Blue Heelers	Tatum O'Hara	Episode: "Cast the First Stone"
2005–2008	Neighbours	Janae Timmins	Main role
2006	Blue Water High	Heidi Lee	Episode #35; uncredited[citation needed]
2008	Rush	Madison	Episode: "Get Lucky"
2009	Packed to the Rafters	Kerry	Episode: "Losing the Touch"
	All Saints	Carly Spalding	Episode: "The Two of Us"
2010	City Homicide	Melissa Standish	Episode: "Last Seen"
	Winners & Losers	Bridget Gross	Episode: Pilot
2012	Howzat! Kerry Packer's War	Rhonda	1 episode
2013	Mr & Mrs Murder	Sarah	Episode: "Little Boxes"
	Nikita	Reporter	Episode: "Wanted"; uncredited[citation needed]
2014–2020	The 100	Clarke Griffin	Main role; 98 episodes
2019		Josephine Lightbourne VIII	Main role; 7 episodes
2022	The Orville	Doctor Villka	Episode: "From Unknown Graves"
2023–2024	Quantum Leap	Hannah Carson	Main role

Director

Year	Title	Notes	Ref.
2021	Vices - Sarah & The Sundays	Music video	[22][23]
	Bad Posture - Abby Anderson	Music video	[24][25]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2007	Inside Soap Awards	Best Actress	Neighbours	Nominated	[41]
2008	Inside Soap Awards	Sexiest Female	Neighbours	Nominated	[42]
2015	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy	The 100	Nominated	[43]
	MTV Fandom Awards	Ship of the Year (shared with Alycia Debnam-Carey)	The 100	Nominated	[44]
2016	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy	The 100	Nominated	[45]
		Choice TV: Chemistry (shared with Bob Morley)		Nominated	[46]
	MTV Fandom Awards	Ship of the Year (shared with Alycia Debnam-Carey)	The 100	Nominated	[47]
2017	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress	The 100	Nominated	[48]
2018				Nominated	[49]

References

1. "Interview With Eliza Taylor-Cotter". Neighbours - The Perfect Blend. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
2. Morley, Bob (23 October 2019). "Mrs. Morley, you are the most adorable being on this planet! 30 years ago, something very special happened, and that was @MisElizaJane Happiest of birthdays! You are my goddess always and forever xx". Retrieved 20 December 2019.
3. "Eliza Taylor". Showcast. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
4. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Eliza Taylor-Cotter". perfectblend.net. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
5. Houston, Melinda (27 April 2006). "Street of dreams". The Age. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
6. Rigden, Clare (2–8 April 2005). "Girl next door". TV Week (14). ACP Magazines: 8.
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8. "Four more 'Neighbours' departures announced". Digital Spy. 17 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
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10. "Best panto ever at the Pavilion (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
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13. http://au.hadnews.com/winners-losers-drama-testing-for-feedback.htm%5B%5D
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15. "'Neighbours' star Eliza Taylor lands lead in US TV drama 'The Hundred' - US TV News". Digital Spy. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
16. Bibel, Sara (12 December 2013). "The CW Sets Midseason Schedule & New Series Premiere Dates; 'The Tomorrow People' Moving to Monday" (Press release). Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013 – via TV by the Numbers.
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18. "Why Sarah From The November Man Looks So Familiar". Looper.com. Andrea Butler. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
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24. "ABBY ANDERSON RELEASES POWERFUL NEW VIDEO FOR LATEST TRACK, "BAD POSTURE"". ebmediapr.com. ESSENTIAL BROADCAST MEDIA. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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29. Foertsch, Rachel (2 April 2023). "Eliza Taylor Faces Off Against Home Invader In I'll Be Watching Trailer". Screen Rant. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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32. "The Screen Guide-It Only Takes a Night". Screen Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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34. "'Quantum Leap' Adds Peter Gadiot and Eliza Taylor as Series Regulars for Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. 5 September 2023. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
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39. Powers, Catie (21 March 2022). "Home and Away alum Bob Morley and Neighbours star Eliza Taylor welcome their first child". TV Week. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
40. Etienne, Vanessa (8 July 2024). "'Bob Morley Reveals 'Brutal' Body Dysmorphia, Past Eating Disorder: 'It's Unrelenting' (Exclusive)". People Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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42. "Inside Soap Awards 2008 – Nominations". MSN TV Blog: A Slice of Soap. 16 July 2008. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
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44. "The Hunger Games Wins 'Fandom of the Year' at Comic Con". MTV. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
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47. Avery, Dan (24 July 2016). ""Ship Of The Year" Announced At 2016 MTV Fandom Awards". NewNowNext. Logo TV. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
48. Ceron, Ella (20 June 2017). "The Pretty Little Liars Were ALL Nominated for the Same EXACT Award". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
49. Johnson, Zach (12 August 2018). "Teen Choice Awards 2018 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2019.

External links

• Eliza Taylor at IMDb
• Eliza Taylor on Instagram