The bestTaylor Kitschmovies and TV shows feature great performances on both the big and small screen, although he has also appeared in some critically disappointing movies and a few that remain highly underrated. Kitsch’s career started in 2002 when he got a chance to work as a model for IMG and moved to New York City. He struggled there, becoming unhoused for a short time before he moved to Los Angeles, where he got some bigger modeling gigs.
In 2006, his career exploded. He picked up three film roles that year and was also cast in one of the lead roles in the television adaptation ofthe movieFriday Night Lights. From there,he ended up picking up bigger roles as his career moved on, although he has much fewer credits than many actors who started around the same time he did. Despite the smaller output, Kitsch remains a successful actor with several awards to his name, and a brand-new series in 2025 calledAmerican Primeval.
The Terminal List
Cast
The Terminal List is an action-thriller television series based on the novel that follows James Reece, a Navy SEAL whose mission saw his entire platoon ambushed. When he returns home, he tries to figure out what happened, but his memories are out of order and, in some cases, incorrect. However, it isn’t long before Reece finds evidence of something that calls the entire mission into question, and he must figure out who is behind the ambush to protect the people he loves in his life before they are put in the crossfire.
In 2002, Taylor Kitsch joined up with Chris Pratt and the two led the action thrillerThe Terminal List.Based on Jack Carr’s novel, Pratt plays Lieutenant Commander James Reece, a man whose SEAL team was ambushed, with everyone killed but Reece and one other person. When that other person dies of an apparent suicide and some men show up and kill Reece’s family, Reece escapes and sets out to figure out what happened.
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Every name on James Reece’s kill list and how they got there in Amazon Prime’s The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch.
When he learns who set up his troop to die and was responsible for his family’s death, he creates a “terminal list” of names he sets out to kill as revenge, with one man helping him every step of the way. That isBen Edwards, a CIA operative played by Taylor Kitsch. While the series did not receive the best reviews, it was extremely popular onAmazon Prime Video, and the streaming service greenlit a prequel series about Kitsch’s Ben EdwardscalledThe Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
True Detective
True Detective is an anthology series exploring intricate criminal investigations through multiple timelines. Each season examines dark personal and professional secrets revealed during the course of solving complex cases, highlighting the impact of crime on individuals both within and outside the law enforcement community.
WhileTrue Detectiveis one of the best mystery thriller series on television, the second season was always seen as the biggest letdown of the entire franchise. This season starredTaylor Kitsch as a highway patrol officer and war veteran named Paul Woodrugh, who discovers the dead body of a corrupt city manager on the side of the highway. Soon, a police detective (Colin Farrell) and a sheriff’s office investigator (Rachel McAdams) are called in to help.
While the season saw critical disappointment, much of it was by people comparing it to the brilliant first season, something that this season would never match. However, critics praised the cast and performances, especially those of Farrell, McAdams, and Kitsch. Despite thepoor critical reviews ofTrue Detectiveseason 2, Rachel McAdams still received a nomination at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
Savages
Savages is a 2012 Oliver Stone-directed film starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, and John Travolta. Taylor-Johnson and Taylor Kitsch play Ben and Chon, pot growers who get on the wrong side of the Mexican drug cartel who have kidnapped their shared girlfriend (Blake Lively).
In 2012, Taylor Kitsch took on a role in an action thriller by director Oliver Stone. The film is an adaptation of the Don Winslow novelSavagesand tells the story of two marijuana growers who come into conflict with a Mexican drug cartel that comes into their territory.Taylor Kitsch plays Chon, a former Navy SEAL who smuggled in the seeds from Afghanistanwhile Aaron Taylor-Johnson is Ben, his best friend who cultivates it.
While they are extremely successful, they find they are out of their league when the Mexican drug cartel moves into their area and demands a portion of their product. The film received mixed reviews, but those who loved it praised Oliver Stone’s return to directing dark, twisted stories. Critics also praised Taylor-Johnson and Kitsch and the chemistry they showed throughout the movie, which was sometimes overshadowed by the dark and twisting storyline.
The Covenant
The Covenant is a supernatural thriller focused on four young men from a prestigious New England boarding school who inherit mystical powers. Set against the backdrop of their ancestral legacy, they are compelled to confront a resurgent fifth force, while internal conflicts of jealousy and suspicion risk unraveling their unity.
One of Taylor Kitsch’s early breakout roles came in the 2006 movieThe Covenant.2006 was the first year that Kitsch appeared in anything, and this was one of three movies he starred in during that year.The Covenantis a dark fantasy horror movie about four high school boys who are the descendants of colonial witch families and have magical abilities. They gained their powers when they turned 13 and grew in strength until their 18th birthday.
Kitsch was not the only familiar name in the cast, as this was also an early role for Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). While critics were unkind to the film, it was a moderate box office success. This offered Kitsch a unique early career opportunity, as he ended up as the antagonist of the film and showed he was set to achieve bigger success, which he quickly did when he earned a TV role inFriday Night Lights.
Only the Brave
Only the Brave is a biographical drama starring Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Andie McDowell, Taylor Kitsch, and Jennifer Connelly. The 2017 film is based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who battled the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona.
In 2017, Taylor Kitsch joined the cast of the true-life story,Only the Brave. Based on the crew of elite firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots in Arizona, the movie follows the group fighting a terrifying fire known as the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.The Granite Mountain Hotshots lost 19 of its 20 members while fighting this fire. The cast was impressive with Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Miles Teller, Ben Hardy, Jennifer Connelly, Andie MacDowell, and Taylor Kitsch part of the ensemble.
Only the Bravewas a box office bomb, not even making back its production budget. However, it received mostly positive reviews from critics, with a high 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics said the cast carried the movie to high levels, paying tribute to the real-life heroes that it honored. While Miles Teller and Josh Brolin headlined the movie, all the victims received solid portrayals, including Kitsch as Christopher MacKenzie.
American Primeval
American Primeval is a Netflix limited series that follows the lives of several men and women in the middle of the expansion of the American West. Social dynamics clash as men and women battle for a piece of the new world against rivals and each other.
American Primevalis a 2025 Netflix miniseries that is about one of the more horrific yet lesser-known events in American history. The series is about the Mountain Meadows Massacre during the Utah War in 1857. This true-life tragedy saw a group of settlers heading to California stop to camp in Utah on their way through. However,members of the LDS Church in the area saw them as a threat and massacred all but the youngestof children.
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Taylor Kitsch headlines the cast as Isaac Reed, a skilled mountain man. The basic plot sees the battle to gain control of the American West and the violent means that some groups would take to hold onto what is theirs. Critics praised the look and feel of the series, with a 66% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Most of the praise went toAmerican Primeval’s not holding back in showing how savage and deadening the nation could be at times.
Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the United States Navy SEALs' Operation Red Wing, an unsuccessful military operation that aimed to track down the leader of the Taliban. The film follows the four-man SEAL team, and the danger and psychological strain they faced on their mission.
In 2013, Taylor Kitsch joined the cast of the military action-dramaLone Survivor. Mark Wahlberg is the main star of the film, playing Marcus Luttrell, part of a Navy SEAL team sent in to capture Ahmad Shah, a local Taliban warlord.However, the team ends up trapped behind enemy lines and has to survive until the U.S. can send in a rescue teamto pull them out. As the film’s title suggests, only one of them gets out of this battle alive.
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The other members of the team include Taylor Kitsch as Murph Murphy, Emile Hirsch as Danny Dietz, and Ben Foster as Axe Axelson. The film was based on Luttrell’s book about the event, although it has been criticized for its historical accuracy. It was a decent box office success and received mostly positive reviews, with a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Lone Survivoralso received two Oscar nominations.
John Carter
Adapted from Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, Disney’s John Carter brings the author’s Barsoom series to life. When American Confederate Civil War captain John Carter accidentally transports himself to Mars, he soon becomes entangled in the planet’s own internal power struggles. Using the increased strength and speed afforded to him by Mars' atmosphere, Carter fights to achieve peace on the distant planet known by the natives as Barsoom.
In 2012, Hollywood tried to create a new franchise for Taylor Kitsch to take the lead role in. Sadly, it was a commercial and critical failure and ended with justJohn Carter. Based on the novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan), this movie showed adventurer John Carter and his first interplanetary adventureas he tried to mediate a civil war and find peace between the warring kingdoms of Barsoom. With 11 total books in the series, there was a big chance for this to take off.
The box office wasn’t terrible, as the film made $284 million. However, the movie’s budget had ballooned to over $306 million, making this the most expensive movie ever made. The box office failure caused Disney tocancel bothGods of MarsandWarlord of Mars. Critical response was mixed, with a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score, with it receiving a reassessment years later, where many critics said it was much better than its reputation as a box office bomb.
Painkiller (2023)
Painkiller is a 2023 drama exploring the causes and consequences of the opioid epidemic in America. The narrative follows those involved, including perpetrators, victims, and an investigator determined to uncover the truth behind the crisis.
Painkilleris a 2023 Netflix series based on theNew Yorkernews article about the opioid crisis in America and how pharmaceutical corporations put profit ahead of the health and well-being of people. The main focal point ofPainkillerwas Purdue Pharma, the company owned by Richard Sackler and his family that produced OxyContin. Matthew Broderick was shockingly great in his portrayal of Richard Sackler.
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As for Taylor Kitsch, he played Glen Kryger, a fictional character added to the story to represent some of the real people affected by the opioid crisis.Glen is a mechanic who becomes addicted to OxyContinafter he injures his back while working on a car. Kitsch delivered a great performance as the man facing addiction issues, with producer Pete Berg saying, “I’ve known Glens. I’m sure you’ve known Glens or if you don’t know them personally, you know someone that does.” (viaEsquire)
Friday Night Lights
Based on the book of the same name, Friday Night Lights is a sports drama series that centers around the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team in Texas. The show focuses on the small town and the community they share, tackling major social and political issues and the players' challenges as they go through an increasingly difficult season.
The best Taylor Kitsch performance camein the TV showFriday Night Lights. The series is based on the 2004 Peter Berg movie, which itself was based on the 1990 book by H.G. Bassinger. The novel and movie were about the real-life high school football team in Odessa, Texas, and how the entire oil field community was built around the success or failure of the kids on the football field. However, the TV series took the idea to a fictionalized town but kept the main themes intact.
InFriday Night Lights,Taylor Kitschplays bad boy Tim Riggins, the running back for the Dillon Panthers. When compared to the movie, he is similar to Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund). The series provided a breakout for many young stars, including Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, and Kitsch.Friday Night Lightswas nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards over its five-season run and Kitsch earned two Teen Choice Award nominations for his performance.
