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59-679: Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson ; born 13 June 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the title character in Kick-Ass (2010) and its 2013 sequel , as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). As a child actor, he performed in films including Shanghai Knights (2003), The Illusionist (2006), and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). He had his breakthrough performance as John Lennon in

118-591: A 2019 interview with GQ Australia , he defined his style as elegant and "timeless." Taylor-Johnson lives with his wife and their four daughters on a farm near Bruton, Somerset , and he is an avid vegetable farmer. Kick-Ass (character) Dave Lizewski / Kick-Ass is portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the feature films Kick-Ass (2010) and Kick Ass 2 (2013) and the video games Kick-Ass: The Game (2010) and Kick-Ass 2: The Game (2014). The character will return in School Fight (2024). Dave Lizewski

177-589: A British director (Sam Taylor-Wood). The film also won the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature at the San Diego Film Festival in 2010. The soundtrack features several of the songs played by The Quarrymen at the time depicted in the film. New recordings were made featuring performances by Johnson and the Nowhere Boys. Sangster was able to play the guitar before landing his role, but, as he

236-768: A Supporting Role . In 2017, he played an American soldier (alongside John Cena ) in Doug Liman 's thriller The Wall , and in 2018, he appeared in Outlaw King , a British-American historical action drama about Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 2020, Taylor-Johnson had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan 's film Tenet . In 2022, he appeared in David Leitch 's Bullet Train , an action-thriller film based on

295-472: A gun through a pure fluke, giving Hit-Girl an open opportunity to kill John Genovese with a cleaver. After the loss of Mindy's father, Dave drops her off at her mother's house. Dave returns home to find his father having sex with his teacher (whose boyfriend Hit-Girl had killed) on the couch. Hit-Girl subsequently takes on Kick-Ass as her crime-fighting partner, training him and using him to hunt criminals together with her. She also gets him to teach her how to be

354-549: A hero, which leads Dave to storm out of the house. The massacre leads the police (led by Detective Vic Gigante, who secretly works for the Motherfucker as a mob informant) to scapegoat the super-heroes for the deaths. All known heroes are rounded up and put into police custody, including the members of Justice Forever. Kick-Ass avoids arrest due to his father, who discovers his son's super-hero alter ego, much to his horror. Despite his disapproval, Kick-Ass's father turns himself in to

413-422: A little while until he becomes aware of another hero, who calls himself Red Mist, who has become a sensation, even stealing all the credit for being the first-ever superhero. Kick-Ass subsequently leaves retirement, initially to challenge Red Mist, but instead, they team up. As they drive off they come across a burning building. Kick-Ass overhears a woman saying that her "baby" is still inside. Kick-Ass bravely enters

472-518: A member of a London gang of street hooligans. That year, he also guest starred in a special live episode of ITV drama The Bill . In 2006, he appeared in The Illusionist , appearing in the early flashback scenes as Edward Norton 's character, Eduard Abramovicz, as a teenager. The scenes show the young Eduard as he first learns magic. To do this, Johnson had to learn how to perform the ball trick that his character performs. He learned how to balance

531-562: A menacing Texan, in Tom Ford 's thriller Nocturnal Animals . For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture . Taylor-Johnson also became first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor winner since Richard Benjamin who did not receive an Academy Award nomination. For the role, he also received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in

590-508: A normal kid, and get along with other girls somewhat older than herself. Dave returns to training and fighting crime in New York City and is now being trained by Hit-Girl. Kick-Ass joins a new superhero team calling themselves Justice Forever, which includes his friends Marty and Todd, and his new crime-fighting ally, "Doctor Gravity". Led by the repentant born-again Christian "Colonel Stars",

649-825: A rock 'n' roll band, Mimi buys him a guitar. John forms a band named the Quarrymen . At their first gig at a village fête , John meets Paul McCartney . Paul auditions and joins the band. Paul and John soon begin composing songs together . As the Quarrymen gain popularity, John meets Paul's friend, George Harrison , who becomes the band's lead guitarist. Julia throws for John at a birthday party, and he confronts her about his absent father, Alf Lennon . He wants to know why Julia gave him up. He also confronts Mimi, who says Julia cheated on Alf and did not want to stay with him. Alf had asked 5-year-old John to choose whom he wanted to live with. John initially chose his father, though he then wanted to stay with his mother. Without either parent having

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708-423: A rooftop fight, Motherfucker falls to the ground, mortally wounded. Reluctantly, Kick-Ass summons help but gets accused of attempting to kill his rival. Dave graduates from high school and continues his life as a superhero in his battle against organized crime. As he plans to break Mindy out of prison, he asks Justice Forever for assistance, but they refuse to help. After a fight with a gang of criminals, Dave meets

767-472: A sister named Edwina. The Dave Lizewski incarnation of Kick-Ass appears in the 2010 film adaptation Kick-Ass , and the 2013 sequel Kick-Ass 2 . Aaron Johnson , who plays the character, says that Kick-Ass is a "sensitive guy" who lost his mother and is a "nobody" at school, so he creates his superhero identity "as this whole different persona". Johnson said that Dave is "a kid who's got the guts to go out there and do something different." In preparation for

826-546: A sister named Gemma, who later had a small role in his film Tom & Thomas (2002). Johnson is Jewish . He went to Holmer Green Senior School and attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, studying drama, tap, jazz, acrobatics, and singing. He left school at 15. Johnson began acting at the age of six. On stage, he appeared in a London production of William Shakespeare 's Macbeth , playing

885-614: A woman named Valerie and starts dating her. At a party to celebrate Chris' release, Kick-Ass arranges to get the members of Justice Forever to help him raid the party and send a warning to the mob. The plan fails when Kick-Ass' friends flee in the face of mob retaliation. Elsewhere, Mindy confides to her psychiatrist that she has circumvented the prison's security so as to allow her to wander around and kill problematic inmates at night. Furthermore, she talks about how her father created his false backstory in order to manipulate her into continuing her career as Hit-Girl. Mindy also meets her mother, who

944-468: Is a 2009 British biographical drama film , directed by Sam Taylor-Wood in her directorial debut. Written by Matt Greenhalgh , it is based on Julia Baird 's biography of her half-brother, the musician John Lennon . Nowhere Boy is about the teenage years of Lennon ( Aaron Johnson ), his relationships with his aunt Mimi Smith ( Kristin Scott Thomas ) and his mother Julia Lennon ( Anne-Marie Duff ),

1003-471: Is a simple ordinary New York City high school student. His mother dies of a brain aneurysm and Dave serves as an anchor to reality for his loving, single widowed father. Dave takes an interest in comic books, which give him the idea to become a real-life superhero. He purchases a suit and mask, which he wears under his normal clothing, and he begins his own personal training before attempting to fight crime. His first attempt fails, with disastrous results as Dave

1062-499: Is also a skilled tactician. At the start of the first comic series, Dave’s mother, Alice Lizewski, died of a brain aneurysm when Dave was 14. Dave lives with his father, James Lizewski , after his mother died. Dave and his father had a very strong, close relationship. He is fully aware of his secret in Kick-Ass 2 . He is beaten to death and hanged by Chris Genovese (aka The Motherfucker, formerly Red Mist) while in prison after he tells

1121-411: Is briefly overpowered by the thugs holding Todd, but ends up electrocuting them all. Dave decides to abandon his superhero identity, instead joining the police and remaining with Valerie. Marcus is cleared of all charges thanks to Gigante's testimony and has rooted out the remaining corrupt elements from the force. Dave never sees Mindy again, though he does hear of her further exploits across the world and

1180-430: Is hospitalized following being stabbed and being hit by a car. Dave lies to his father, claiming he was mugged. He undergoes intense physical rehabilitation, including four operations. He is released weeks later, with metal plates all over his body and with his nerve endings having delayed reactions to pain, making him almost immune to conventional beatings. In spite of considering giving up crime-fighting, he soon returns to

1239-490: Is proud of her actions as Hit-Girl. Gigante and three disguised cops rob Rocco, intending to make a fortune and leave New York. In response, Rocco orders the killing of everyone found in a mask, resulting in the deaths of four Justice Forever members and the kidnapping of Dave's roommate Todd. Later Kick-Ass rescues Mindy from a cop working for Rocco, brutally killing him. Dave goes to rescue Todd in Big Daddy's monster truck. Dave

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1298-406: Is recruited by Mindy as a successor to the mantle of Kick-Ass to continue Dave's legacy. On Paul's request, Mindy later allows him a sabbatical from the mantle to spend more time with his mother while she travels the world on her endless war against crime. Patience Lee is an Afghanistan war veteran who returns to find her husband has left her and run up large debts. She decides to steal cash from

1357-425: Is right-handed, learned how to play left-handed, à la McCartney. Producers negotiated with Yoko Ono for the rights to use Lennon's song " Mother " in the film, which Yoko gave after having watched a private screening of the movie. In addition to the featured songs, British electronica duo Goldfrapp provide the film's instrumental score. The soundtrack was released digitally on 11 December 2009 and in stores as

1416-532: The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . He has since appeared in the action films Tenet (2020), Bullet Train (2022) and The Fall Guy (2024). Aaron Perry Johnson was born in High Wycombe on 13 June 1990. His father, Robert, was a civil engineer and his mother, Sarah, "stayed at home [and] worked odd jobs here and there so [they] could get by." He has

1475-606: The London Film Critics' Circle . In 2010, Johnson appeared as David "Dave" Lizewski/Kick-Ass , the lead character in Kick-Ass , based on the superhero comic book of the same name by Scottish writer Mark Millar . His performance in Kick-Ass saw him nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award . He has also appeared as the central character, William, in Hideo Nakata 's Chatroom . In December 2010, Johnson joined

1534-881: The London Film Festival . The film was screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on 27 January. It screened again at the Maui Film Festival in Wailea , Hawaii , on 18 June 2010, the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan on 27 July 2010, and at The Fest For Beatles Fans convention in Chicago on 14 August 2010. The film has received mostly positive reviews from film critics. Based on 135 reviews, it holds an 80% rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes . The site's critical consensus of

1593-511: The "Kick-Ass" name. After his first unsuccessful attempt at being a superhero ends in being beaten, mugged and hit by a moving car, Dave has several metal plates and braces surgically implanted within his body during the course of his hospitalization and recovery. This, along with the nerve damage he suffers during the event, provides him with the ability to be almost immune to pain, giving him an edge while fighting. His only weapons are his twin batons that are wrapped in green electrical tape. In

1652-627: The 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth. HanWay Films represented worldwide sales. Distributor Icon Entertainment International took the rights for the United Kingdom and Australia. Mars Distribution acquired the rights for France. The Weinstein Company distributed the film in the United States, Germany and Latin America . The film had its world premiere on 29 October 2009 at the closing night of

1711-609: The Patience Lee incarnation of the character in a prospective third Kick-Ass film, Thompson stating that she was "highly interested" in the role. The Dave Lizewski incarnation of Kick-Ass appears as a playable character in Kick-Ass: The Game and Kick-Ass 2: The Game , each respectively based on the two films. In 2010, Mezco released Kick-Ass figures based on the first film and followed-up with new figures released in 2013 by Neca . Nowhere Boy Nowhere Boy

1770-460: The authorities to save his son from arrest. Shortly after, he is attacked by mob henchmen of the Motherfucker, who kill him as part of the villain's campaign to torment his rival. The Motherfucker then attacks the funeral, detonating a bomb in Kick-Ass's father's coffin and has gunmen open fire upon the crowd of mourners, including Hit-Girl and her family. In response, Hit-Girl springs into action to kill

1829-408: The biopic Nowhere Boy (2009), directed by Sam Taylor-Wood , whom he married in 2012 and adopted the same surname (Taylor-Johnson) with. He followed this with roles in the crime thriller Savages (2012), period drama Anna Karenina (2012), and monster film Godzilla (2014). For his performance as a psychopathic drifter in the thriller film Nocturnal Animals (2016), Taylor-Johnson won

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1888-491: The building with Red-Mist to rescue the baby, only to find out it is a cat called "Baby"; they rescue it and return it to its owner. Red Mist, however, turns out to be the son of mob boss John Genovese which leads to Big Daddy's death and the torture of Kick-Ass at the hands of various gangsters. Before long, Kick-Ass is rescued by Hit-Girl and the two get their revenge on John Genovese, together bringing down his entire organization. Kick-Ass shoots John Genovese's genitals off with

1947-740: The caption, "John phoned Mimi as soon as he arrived in Hamburg...and every week thereafter for the rest of his life." The film was the directorial debut of conceptual artist/photographer Sam Taylor-Johnson . The screenplay was written by Matt Greenhalgh , who also wrote the Joy Division film Control . It was shot on location in Liverpool , the last house on the right at the end of Sussex Road in Ickenham, Middlesex and at Ealing Studios in West London. Some of

2006-589: The cast of Albert Nobbs as a replacement for Orlando Bloom . Johnson starred in R.E.M. 's 2011 music video " Überlin ", which was also directed by his then-fiancée. In 2012, Taylor-Johnson played Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina . Later that year, he starred as Ben in Oliver Stone 's Savages . HitFix film critic Drew McWeeny was positive of the bond between Johnson and co-star Taylor Kitsch , which "seems not only credible but lived in and authentic throughout

2065-558: The creation of his first band, the Quarrymen , and its evolution into the Beatles . Following its premiere at the London Film Festival on 29 October 2009, Nowhere Boy opened in British theatres on 26 December 2009. Nearly a year later, in October 2010, the film received its US release, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth. Nowhere Boy received positive reviews from critics and

2124-501: The egg on the stick, although that was mechanically effected. Also in 2006, he starred in the film The Thief Lord as Prosper. Johnson appeared as John Lennon in the 2009 biographical film Nowhere Boy , directed by Sam Taylor-Wood , whom he later married. His performance won him the Empire Award for Best Newcomer , and he was also nominated for Young British Performer of the Year by

2183-572: The emergence of genuine superhumans. Ten years later, Dave comes out of retirement after being granted real superpowers by the Magic Order to take on the joint forces of a time-travelling alien armada from the past and Wesley Gibson's Fraternity of Super-Criminals, before joining the superhero team The Ambassadors as "Codename: America". Paul McQue is a simple ordinary Pittsburgh middle school student. Bullied at school for his father have left Paul and his mother for his boyfriend, often beaten up, Paul

2242-440: The film is: "Don't expect any musical insights, but this look at John Lennon's early life benefits from its restrained, low-key approach and some fine acting from Aaron Johnson." In The New York Times , reviewer Manohla Dargis concluded, "It's a pleasant-enough creation story to revisit, one weighted down by melodrama and lifted up by some rocking tunes." In his 2013 book Tune In , Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn criticised

2301-759: The film," and noted the evolution in maturity of Johnson since Kick-Ass . Taylor-Johnson starred in the Godzilla reboot, released in May 2014. Taylor-Johnson played Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), the sequel to 2012's The Avengers , as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Taylor-Johnson first appeared as the character in a post-credits scene of the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). The role reunited him with Elizabeth Olsen , who played his wife in Godzilla . In 2016, he played Ray,

2360-438: The group launches a campaign against the local crime families of the city. He now works frequently on gang-busting with his new-found team, as well as his long-time friend Marty as "Battle Guy", sharing inside crime-fighting jokes with him during his school life. He and the team break into a bar and apprehend a gang. Dave goes home to see that his dad has found his Kick-Ass costume and isn't happy about it. They argue about him being

2419-651: The henchmen who kidnap Kick-Ass in the confusion. Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl team up as they raid the Motherfucker's lair and find out that the villain plans a second massacre in Times Square . Blowing up every single comic shop in New York (along with Kick-Ass's apartment), the Motherfucker seeks to create a distraction to ensure the police will not be around to keep the Motherfucker and his group from slaughtering every person in Times Square. Using social media, Kick-Ass alerts all of

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2478-423: The heroes still free to meet with him in Times Square to fight the Motherfucker's minions. The Motherfucker starts his killing spree, only to be stopped by the army of heroes backing up Kick-Ass. As the police arrive on scene unable to tell the heroes from members of the Motherfucker's group, they proceed to arrest all the remaining masked combatants, allowing Motherfucker to escape. Kick-Ass chases after him and after

2537-576: The historical accuracy of the scene in which Lennon is forced to choose between Alfred and Julia, writing "John's 'choice' was not between his mother and father, it was between his mostly absent dad's friend's parents—in whose lives he had no place—and home and school back in Liverpool. There was no choice at all." Nowhere Boy was nominated for four British Academy Film Awards : Outstanding British Film, Best Supporting Actress (one each for Anne-Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas ), and Outstanding Debut by

2596-558: The interior school scenes were filmed at Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby . Following the announcement of the film, initial media accounts indicated that it would be based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon by Lennon's half sister Julia Baird . However, the credits for the completed film do not reference either the book or Baird, with sole writing credit accorded to screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh . The director consulted both Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono about

2655-648: The novel Mariabītoru by Kōtarō Isaka . He reunited with Leitch in the 2024 action film The Fall Guy , Taylor-Johnson will next play another Marvel character in Kraven the Hunter , set to be released in 2024 as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe . He will also star in Robert Eggers ' horror film Nosferatu , and in 28 Years Later , a sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later which will be directed by Danny Boyle . After Johnson met filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood in 2009 on

2714-411: The people ruining the neighborhood, pay off her debts and give half away. She dons the Kick-Ass costume and allows herself to be caught. Once inside she uses her combat skills to take down the gangsters, and forces the boss at gunpoint to hand over all the money; after said boss sends gangsters after Patience's family, she kills them and the boss before taking over his operations as a new crime boss under

2773-429: The police that he is Kick-Ass. At the end of The Davie Lizewski Years , Paul is established as a middle school student whose father had recently left him and his mother alone, with the 12-year-old being bullied as a result, in particular for Paul's father having begun dating a man. In Hit-Girl , when Mindy goes abroad to follow a revenge request, Paul offers for his mother to drive her where she wants to go. Patience

2832-517: The role, Johnson received fitness and stunt training, and did a couple of weeks of fight choreography. He also requires a dialect coach for the American accent to suit the character. The character will return in School Fight (2024) and its sequels Vram (2025) and Kick-Ass (2026), alongside the Paul McQue incarnation of Kick-Ass. In 2018, Mark Millar said that he'd like to see Tessa Thompson portray

2891-531: The role. The film received a National Lottery funding of £ 1.2 million from the UK Film Council Premier Fund, with an additional £35,500 from its Development Fund to create the script. The film also received a grant from Film4 (the film division of Channel 4 ). The film premiered in the UK on 26 December 2009. Its US release was on 8 October 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of

2950-425: The script, with both firmly correcting the depiction of Mimi to be less strict and more loving of John. Before landing on Johnson, Taylor-Johnson wanted singer Miles Kane to play the lead, after seeing him in an interview with bandmate Alex Turner , and being struck by their Beatlesque appearance. Taylor-Johnson went backstage to a Last Shadow Puppets show and brought Kane the script, with him ultimately passing on

3009-406: The set of their film Nowhere Boy , when he was 18 and she was 42, the two began dating and were married in the chapel at Babington House on 21 June 2012. They subsequently changed both their surnames to Taylor-Johnson. They have two daughters, and he is a stepfather to her two daughters from a previous marriage. Taylor-Johnson was named one of GQ ' s 50 best dressed British men in 2015. In

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3068-482: The sixth issue of Kick-Ass 2 , he upgraded his twin batons by adding barbed wire around them. In the film version of Kick-Ass , he becomes adept at handling firearms. Due to not having fighting experiences in his life, he receives hand-to-hand combat training from Hit-Girl. In Big Game , he is instilled with one of the Ambassadors' super-suits by Cordelia Moonstone, granting him peak human strength and limited flight via

3127-710: The son of Macduff alongside Rufus Sewell , who played Macbeth , in 1999. He appeared in Arthur Miller 's All My Sons in 2000. His television roles have included Niker in the 2004 BBC adaptation of the novel Feather Boy , Aaron in Danny Brocklehurst 's ITV1 serial Talk to Me , and Owen Stephens in Nearly Famous . In 2003, Johnson appeared as a young Charlie Chaplin in Shanghai Knights alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson , with Chaplin depicted as

3186-648: The streets. Kick-Ass rescues a man from a beating and fights off the thugs. An onlooker records the incident and uploads it on YouTube , turning Lizewski into an overnight sensation, given the name Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass becomes an inspiration for hundreds of people, most of whom are content to simply make web pages and costumes, but some of whom actually go out and effectively fight crime. Kick-Ass encounters two other crime-fighting heroes who call themselves Hit-Girl and Big Daddy, whose level of professionalism intimidates Kick-Ass and also serves to remind him just how serious crime-fighting can be. He retires from crime-fighting for

3245-409: The suit. On being recruited by Hit-Girl, Paul receives hand-to-hand combat training from her, learning to avoid attacks by her "tossing tennis balls" at him. Patience Lee is a former member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) , nicknamed The Night Stalkers. She is a highly trained soldier and proficient in hand-to-hand combat as well as with melee weapons & firearms. She

3304-452: The time or money to legally determine custody, Mimi became John's custodian . John is upset by this revelation, and leaves in a drunken anger. John moves out to live on his own. Over time, he, Julia, and Mimi become friendly. When Julia is fatally hit by a car, John is consumed by anger. Two years later, he goes to travel to Hamburg with his newly formed band, the Beatles . Mimi asks John to call her as soon as he arrives. The film ends with

3363-462: Was a moderate hit at the box office, earning £ 4.3 million on a £1.2 million budget. The drama tells the story of John Lennon 's teenage years from 1955 to 1960. John was separated from his mother, Julia Lennon , when he was five. His aunt and uncle, Mimi and George Smith , raised him like a son. John is close to his Uncle George, who dies suddenly when John is 14. John becomes curious about his mother, who has since had three daughters, one of whom

3422-460: Was originally married to Frankie Lee. They divorce as he abandons her once she returns from her Army tour in Afghanistan, leaving her a single mother to their son Jordan "Jordy", and daughter Grace. When Patience takes over the criminal empire of one of the gangsters she defeated, she starts being blackmailed by her ex-brother-in-law, Maurice. The names of her parents are never given, but she does have

3481-501: Was placed for adoption. He becomes obsessed with rock and roll music during a visit to Blackpool with Julia. When John is suspended from school, Julia allows him to stay at her house during the day to keep Mimi from finding out. Julia teaches John how to play the banjo. Mimi discovers their arrangement, but John refuses to go home with her and stays at Julia's. A week later, John overhears Julia and her common-law husband arguing about him, so he returns to Mimi's. When John wants to start

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