Taylor Handley Movies
While most rising stars would be reluctant to tarnish their all-American image by appearing in films that demand they morph into another gender or in television roles that call for them to be as prickly as possible, handsome theater veteran Taylor Handley is always willing to throw the viewing audience the kind of curveballs that set him well apart from the pack.Born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA, Handley took to acting at the tender age of eight and cut his teeth in summer stock. While few of the aspiring actor's early television appearances -- including bit roles in Frasier, Touched By an Angel, and CSI -- would call for anything out of the ordinary, more substantial roles in Dawson's Creek and The O.C. began to reveal an actor of unusual complexity and ambition. It was his role as bad-boy Oliver Trask on The O.C., in particular, that first brought Handley to the attention of many television viewers, yet even with that edgy performance on his resumé, few could have foreseen something as strange as his role in the decidedly off-kilter romantic comedy Zerophilia a couple years later. Cast as an insecure teen boy who realizes he is gradually morphing into a female in writer/director Martin Curland's gender-bending film, Handley went places that few rising stars would be bold enough to venture. Handley next appeared in the period drama September Dawn, which detailed the historic confrontation between a traveling band of peaceful settlers and a renegade Mormon group. He could also be seen in the rip-roaring horror sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which pitted him against one of the most notorious madmen in screen history.
Back on the small screen, following an appearance on CSI: Miami, Handley scored the lead role of Johnny Miller on the weekly guilty pleasure Hidden Palms. Scripted by Dawson's Creek mastermind Kevin Williamson, Hidden Palms told the tale of a troubled teen (Handley) doing his best to recover from his father's recent suicide and a stint in rehab by connecting with the angst-ridden kids who inhabit his new Palm Springs neighborhood. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Director Christopher Cain takes an up-close look at the devastation wrought by religious fanaticism with this romantic drama set against the backdrop of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre. As a wagon train of westward-bound settlers makes its way across southern Utah, a confrontation with a congregation of Mormons soon leads to deadly consequences for all involved. Jon Voight, Lolita Davidovich, and Jon Gries co-star in a historical drama centered on the massacre, which continues to stir controversy over a century and a half after the fact. Terence Stamp and Dean Cain contribute small roles as Brigham Young and Joseph Smith, respectively -- who were not directly involved with the massacre but are pictured in flashbacks. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Voight, Trent Ford, (more)
- 2007
Originally titled Palm Springs, the CW teen-angst series Hidden Palms would seem to have been a bid by producer-creator Kevin Williamson to replicate the success and appeal of his earlier TV hit Dawson's Creek. The series also served to reunite two former stars of the similar series The O.C., Taylor Handley and Michael Cassidy. Handley was cast as rebellious high schooler Johnny Miller, who after witnessing his dad's suicide and spending a lot of time in rehab, was relocated by his mother Karen (Gail O'Grady) and his stepdad Bob (D.W. Moffett) to one of the wealthier sections of Palm Springs, California. During an inordinately troublesome period of adjustment, Johnny made the acquaintance of Cliff Wiatt (Handley), a handsome preppie with a pronounced "dark side." Along the way, our hero dallied with Greta Matthews (Amber Heard), whose gorgeousness was counterbalanced by her weirdness, and with Nikki Barnes (Tessa Thompson), another misfit fresh out of rehab. Also carrying a torch for Johnny was the community's resident science nerd Liza Witter (Ellery Porterfield), who spent much of her leisure time mixing strange chemicals. Amidst all the raging hormones and intramural romances and rivalries, the cast members managed to get themselve involved in a murder mystery. And oh yes, all the younger characters paraded around in microscopic swimwear (surprise, surprise). Debuting May 30, 2007, Hidden Palms bounced all over the CW nighttime schedule until its cancellation on July 4 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Cassidy, Taylor Handley, (more)
A young man who remains decidedly insecure about his masculinity attempts to uncover the mystery of his rare genetic disorder before it transforms him into a female in a sci fi flavored romantic comedy directed by Martin Curland and inspired by the studies of renowned Neuromorphologists Professor Czierny Ptolemy and Eva Szantova. Slowly immersed in a world where some change gender at will and others seem to make the transformation despite how hard they try not to, Luke (Taylor Handley) is forced to abandon all of his assumptions on sexual identity to focus on the one person he truly loves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Taylor Handley, Dustin Seavey, (more)
- 2006
- R
- Add The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning to QueueAdd The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning to top of Queue
Bear witness to the birth of the most horrifying legend in the history of cinema as director Jonathan Liebesman explores the nightmarish origins of the psychotic Hewitt family in this sequel to director Marcus Nispel's 2003 hit The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The year is 1969, and despite the fact that the Vietnam War is raging halfway across the globe, all is ominously quiet on the back roads of America. Eighteen-year-old Dean Hill (Taylor Handley) has just received his draft notice, and his older brother, Eric (Matthew Bomer), is determined to watch out for his younger sibling by ensuring that Dean enroll in the Marine Corps rather than risking his luck at the local induction center. Dean has other plans, though, and as soon as the pair and their girlfriends, Bailey (Diora Baird) and Chrissie (Jordana Brewster), return from their final fling in sunny Texas, he plans to confront his brother with the prospect of dodging the draft. When an unsettling encounter with malevolent bikers Holden (Lee Tergesen) and Alex (Cyia Batten) results in a serious car accident in which Chrissie is thrown from the vehicle, the arrival of Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) at first appears to be a moment of divine intervention. However, when Sheriff Hoyt murders thieving Alex in cold blood and then shepherds her friends into the back of his police cruiser as Chrissie watches from the brush, their momentary reprieve soon gives way to an unimaginable terror. As Hoyt transports her ailing friends to the Hewitt home, where a childlike man named Thomas is currently undergoing the transformation into cannibalistic madman Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski), a desperate Chrissie attempts to enlist the aid of Holden in rescuing her friends from a fate worse than death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, (more)
- 2004
Flamboyant Hailey Nichol (Amanda Righetti) finds out the hard way that she is not entirely welcome in the Newport home of her sister, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), and brother-in-law, Sandy (Peter Gallagher). Seth (Adam Brody) and Anna (Samaire Armstrong) are nervous about revealing their relationship to Summer (Rachel Bilson). And while attending a concert where Rooney is performing, Oliver (Taylor Handley) gets into big trouble; will Ryan (Ben McKenzie) come to the rescue despite Oliver's suspiciously close friendship with Marissa (Mischa Barton)? ~ All Movie Guide
- 2004
Is Jimmy (Tate Donovan) ready and able to reopen the Lighthouse restaurant with Sandy (Peter Gallagher) as his partner -- or is there a hidden problem that may end this business enterprise before it begins? Meanwhile, Summer's (Rachel Bilson) new relationship with another "funny" guy, Danny (Bret Harrison), gets Seth (Adam Brody) riled up; and Julie (Melinda Clarke) has found work as a designer -- and a potential enemy in the form of Kirsten (Kelly Rowan). As for Ryan (Ben McKenzie), he is prepared to risk everything in his life that he holds dear, if only to expose Oliver Trask (Taylor Handley) as a phony. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2004
Hailey (Amanda Righetti) is left in the lurch when her father, Caleb (Alan Dale), returns from Europe and cuts off her cash supply. Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Jimmy (Tate Donovan) go into business together, intent upon taking over Newport's popular Lighthouse restaurant. A spiteful Summer (Rachel Bilson) comes between Anna (Samaire Armstrong) and Seth (Adam Brody) during a "special moment." The sullen Luke (Chris Carmack) reaches out to another unlucky-in-love O.C.er. And Oliver (Taylor Handley) once again proves to be the fly in the ointment. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2004
Caleb (Alan Dale) wants to get rid of Julie (Melinda Clarke), but doesn't want to come off as the villain of the piece -- so he dumps the responsibility onto poor Kirsten (Kelly Rowan). Meanwhile, Kirsten and Sandy (Peter Gallagher) are torn over what they should do about Ryan's (Ben McKenzie) recent misbehavior, though they ultimately want to be supportive. And in a startling climax, the truth about Oliver (Taylor Handley) is finally revealed to a frightened Marissa (Mischa Barton) -- but will Ryan be willing and able to help her when she needs him most? ~ All Movie Guide
- 2003
Seth (Adam Brody) introduces Ryan (Ben McKenzie) to his own special bi-religious holiday, "Chrismukkah." But others are not in so festive a mood: embarrassed by the endless feuding amongst her family members, Marissa (Mischa Barton) finds solace in alcohol; Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) may lose everything she has due to her impatience regarding her mercurial father, Caleb (Alan Dale); and a choice between two very special gifts has the potential of causing great sorrow for one of the gift-givers. Taylor Handley makes the first of several controversial appearances as new O.C.er Oliver Trask. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2003
New Year's Eve promises to be a chaotic occasion for the O.C.ers. To start with, Kirsten's (Kelly Rowan) rebellious sister, Hailey (Amanda Righetti), has returned, hell-bent on throwing the wild party to end all wild parties. Meanwhile, Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Marissa (Mischa Barton) find that their plans to spend a quiet evening at home are threatened by the presence of the redoubtable Oliver Trask (Taylor Handley), who is arranging a New Year's bash of his own. And Seth (Adam Brody), who seemingly lost both Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Anna (Samaire Armstrong) when he was unable to choose between them, gets a surprise visit from one of them for the big midnight celebration. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2002
The ninth and final season of Touched by an Angel finds all four of our favorite Heavenly operatives--Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese), Andrew (John Dye, and Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli)--way out West, where amateur astronomer Joe Collette (Robert Pastorelli) is hoping for a reconciliation between himself and his son Ricky (Taylor Handley), a recovering drug addict. When Joe and Gloria simultaneously discover that an asteroid is hurtling toward the earth, it appears as though the present mission is pointless, but Tess grimly insists that the job at hand be completed regardless of whether or not anyone is left alive afterward! Meanwhile, elderly Mildred (Lois Smith) is rather looking forward to the impending Armageddon, reasoning that at least she will be reunited with her late husband--but she'd like to experience at least one genuine miracle before she dies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) investigate when a wealthy couple, Calvin and Monica Newman, are found murdered outside the expensive Las Vegas house that they had hoped to sell. Suspicion falls on someone very close to the couple, as well as another person who at first seemed startled by the discovery of the bodies. Meanwhile, Sara (Jorja Fox) looks into the grisly death of teenage cheerleader Amanda Kirk, whose cannibalized body was found on a high school soccer field. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
KACL manager Kenny (Tom McGowan) figures that Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) could improve his following amongst younger listeners if he agrees to appear on the station's public-service program "Teen Scene." Confidentially, Frasier gears up for questioning from the show's panel of high-school journalists. Unfortunately, the show's host has nothing but contempt for Frasier, and as a result, our hero ends up a laughing stock to listeners of all ages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A high schooler with a huge collection of video games is murdered and a three-year-old girl is shot and killed in her crib. Investigating the high-school case, the detectives are stymied by contradictory evidence, and by the presence of a weird suspect named Swirly (Josh Zuckerman), who lives with his even weirder mother. And while tackling the case of the dead three-year-old, Connie (Charlotte Ross) and Rita (Jacqueline Obradors) trace the gunfire to an engagement party on a lower floor. In off-the-job developments, John Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) tries to reach out to his taciturn dad (Joe Spano); Andy (Dennis Franz) and Connie may get together; and gay cop John (Bill Brochtrup) prepares to visit Africa with his new significant other. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
