Bio
Rachael Taylor is an Australian actress and model best known for her role as Maggie Madsen in the 2007 action film Transformers.
She also had a starring role as Abby, a Park Avenue princess who became a world-class thief, in the short-lived action drama television series Charlie's Angels, in 2011.
Rachael grew up in Tasmania, Australia, with her parents Nigel and Christine. She began modelling during her teens, working for the Skye-Jilly International agency. She competed for Miss Teen Tasmania, as well as the Miss Universe/Miss World state finals.
She moved to Sydney to further her modeling career as well as to pursue acting. She also began studying for a degree in History and Politics at the University of Sydney.
In 2004, she landed her first acting role in the TV movie The Mystery of Natalie Wood. After performing in a few parts, she left her studies to play a regular role on the Australian drama Headland.
She won a Logie award for her performance as Most Popular New Female Talent. Her breakthrough role came in Transformers (2007) when she played Maggie Madsen.
From there she moved into the lead role in the psychological thriller Shutter for 20th Century Fox and New Regency Studios. The same year she completed filming on the U.S. feature Bottle Shock, with Chris Pine, Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where Taylor was honored as one of 2008's 7 Fresh Faces in Film.
Taylor returned to Australia to star in the critically acclaimed feature film Cedar Boys with Martin Henderson and Les Chantery. Then she moved to New York City for a lead role in the U.S. comedy feature Splinterheads, and on to the United Kingdom to shoot the psychological thriller Ghost Machine, opposite Luke Ford and Sean Faris.
She had a guest starring role in an eight-episode story arc on Grey's Anatomy in 2011, before joining ABC's reboot of Charlie's Angels, produced by Drew Barrymore. She wrapped up 2011 with the U.S. feature Loft, with James Marsden, Wentworth Miller and Karl Urban and directed by Erik Van Looy.
In 2010 Taylor starred in the AFI Best Film Award-winning movie Red Dog, opposite Josh Lucas and directed by Kriv Stenders. The film took in $21-million at the Australian box office, making it the 8th highest grossing Australian film of all time.
She followed this up with the U.S. film Darkest Hour, directed by Chris Gorak, shot in Moscow for Regency Enterprises and also starring Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella and Olivia Thirlby.
Taylor finished the year in Australia filming the lead role, opposite Josh Lawson, in Working Dog's romantic comedy, Something About Ben, directed by Rob Sitch.
In 2009 Taylor had the lead role of the HBO Network's pilot episode of Washingtonienne, produced by Sarah Jessica Parker. She then returned to Australia to shoot Summer Coda, with Alex Dimitriades and directed by Richard Grey.
She also starred as Jane Van Veen, The Drake's new building manager, on the supernatural drama series 666 Park Avenue, from 2012-2013.
In 2014 she had a starring role as FBI Special Agent Susie Dunn in the mystery thriller television drama series Crisis.