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Who is Taylor Dooley?
Since her breakout role as Lavagirl in “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D”, Taylor Dooley has appeared in a few other projects, both in film and television, but it seems that she hasn’t achieved the same level of recognition as she did with her initial role. She took an almost decade acting hiatus, so many of Lavagirl’s fans wondered what the reason for her decision was.
If you are one of those interested in Taylor’s career, her personal life, and would like to know what she’s doing now, keep on scrolling.
Early life, family, and education
Born Taylor Marie Dooley under the zodiac sign of Pisces on 26 February 1993, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan USA, she holds American nationality and comes from a family of Belgian, Irish, German, English and Sioux Indian descent. Taylor was raised by her parents, Debbie and John, alongside her brother, Drew.
As Taylor said, she was bitten by the acting bug when she landed the lead role in a local play. She was lucky enough to book the lead role of Lavagirl, and fell in love with acting after that experience. However, the entertainment industry is not a land of milk and honey. As a child actor, it was hard for Taylor to face the truth that she would be rejected at auditions. She was only 13 years old, but had a huge growth spurt and looked 18. Her parents advised her that it would be best to take a break from acting, and focus on herself and her education, which Taylor eventually did.
When it comes to her educational background, upon matriculating from high school in 2011, she enrolled at California State University – Northridge, from which she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2015.
Acting career
Taylor made her acting debut playing Minister Rozhan in an episode of the series “Star Trek: Hidden Frontier” in 2003. Two years later, she was cast to play Lavagirl in “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D”, also starring Cayden Boyd and George Lopez. The movie, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, the filmmaker who also directed “Spy Kids”, had 10 award nominations and one win.
For her performance, Taylor was nominated for the Young Artist Award – Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress.
In the following year, Taylor was seen in the films “Monster Night” and “Whitepaddy”, followed by her guest role as Rachelle in an episode of the popular series “House” in 2008. After this TV series appearance, Taylor took her pause from acting, wanting to get back into business as an adult actor.
She returned on the big screen as Eden in the 2017 movie “Hell Mountain”, in which she starred opposite Megan Collaso and Markus Innocenti. This mystery horror follows the story of a young reporter who becomes mysteriously ill after researching an abandoned house. Local teenagers dare each other to sneak in and explore around here because of stories of missing children and possible cannibalism. As the reporter investigates deeper, and her friends go out on their own to search the house, she discovers a connection between the tale of Hell Mountain and her own murky background. Although the movie had no nominations and was poorly rated by the critics and the audience, Taylor’s fans were thrilled to see her on the big screen again after 11 years.
Lavagirl is back 🔥 …& she brought tiny back up 😉 #WeCanBeHeroes coming to @netflix globally Christmas Day! @vivienlyrablair pic.twitter.com/hAhJbEWSaO
— Taylor Dooley (@taylordooley) December 4, 2020
In 2020, Taylor reprised her role as Lavagirl in the action comedy “We Can Be Heroes”, also starring Pedro Pascal, YaYa Gosselin, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The movie follows the story of the Earth’s superheroes who were captured by alien invaders and now their kids have to work together to save their parents and the planet. In this spin-off, Lavagirl and Sharkboy are married and have a daughter, Guppy; Lavagirl has mastered her powers and is a member of the team called The Heroics. Fun fact: Although many thought that she wore a wig, Taylor dyed her blonde hair pink.
Taylor’s admirers will be happy to hear that she has two upcoming movies, entitled “Devotion” and “Grimmerson Manor”, and to give you a sneak peek, the latter is horror, and Taylor’s co-stars are Sasha Jackson and Caitlin Hale.
Love life and husband
During her acting hiatus, Taylor’s personal matters were kept secret, as she decided to keep her life away from the media’s attention. However, it was revealed later that Taylor was a married woman and is a mother of two.
Reportedly, Taylor was in a long-term relationship with Justin Cassotta, and eventually, they tied the knot, in a private wedding ceremony held on 14 May 2016, in the presence of their closest family members and friends. Their first child, a son named Jack Alexander, was born on 23 November 2016, while the second one, a daughter named Adaline Joan, was born in March 2019. However, in the following year, Taylor and Justin divorced, which the actress announced through her social media accounts.
As of August 2023, Taylor is in a relationship with musician, Nicholas Poppin – the two began their relationship back in 2021, but kept their romance secret for a while, although today they often share their joint photos on their Instagram profiles.
Age, height, and net worth
Taylor’s age is 30. According to her fans, she’s a talented and captivating actress, who possesses a striking presence that effortlessly commands attention on and off the screen. Standing gracefully at a height of 5ft 5ins (1.65m), and weighing around 120lbs (54kgs), Taylor’s physique is a reflection of her commitment to a balanced and healthy lifestyle, which she often promotes through her social media profiles.
When it comes to her wealth, according to sources as of August 2023. Taylor’s net worth has been estimated at over $3 million. Most of the income she’s earned thanks to her acting career.
