Callan McAuliffe

Meta description:
Callan McAuliffe (born January 24, 1995) is an Australian actor who began child acting in Australia and went on to lead roles in Flipped, I Am Number Four, The Great Gatsby, and a key role in The Walking Dead. Explore his biography, rise to fame, key roles, and future prospects.

Introduction

Callan Ryan Claude McAuliffe (born January 24, 1995) is an Australian actor known for his versatility, having begun acting as a child and successfully transitioning into major film and television roles.

He is perhaps best recognized for his lead role as Bryce in Flipped, his part in I Am Number Four, portraying a young Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, and later as Alden in The Walking Dead.

Early Life & Background

• Callan McAuliffe was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

• He grew up in the Sydney suburb of Clontarf.

• His parents are Roger McAuliffe (a journalist/author) and Claudia Keech.

• He attended Scots College, a boys’ school in Bellevue Hill, Sydney.

• In school, he was head chorister and achieved high distinction in musical theatre exams.

• He was active in track and field until injury led him to focus more on performing arts.

Acting Career

Early Career in Australia

• McAuliffe began acting around age eight, with early roles on Australian TV shows like Comedy Inc. and Blue Water High.

• He appeared in Packed to the Rafters in smaller recurring roles.

• He acted in the Australian short film Franswa Sharl (2009) before moving into U.S. projects.

Breakthrough & Film Roles

• His breakthrough U.S. film was Flipped (2010), directed by Rob Reiner, where he played the lead role Bryce Loski.

• He then appeared as Sam Goode in I Am Number Four (2011).

• In The Great Gatsby (2013), he portrayed the young Jay Gatsby.

• He also acted in Beneath the Harvest Sky (2013) and other films including Kite, Robot Overlords, The Legend of Ben Hall, among others.

Television & Recent Work

• From 2017 to 2022, McAuliffe played Alden on The Walking Dead, first as a recurring role and later as a main cast member.

• In 2024, he is set to play Woody in The Duel.

• He was also cast in Him & Her (2023).

Style, Strengths & Public Persona

• McAuliffe shows a capacity to move between younger, more vulnerable characters (as in Flipped) to more intense or morally complex roles (e.g. Walking Dead).

• He maintains a grounded public persona, frequently referring back to his Australian roots and the emotional resonance of home.

• He also is active in charitable and ambassador roles: in 2013 he became a national ambassador for UNICEF Australia.

• He also serves as youth ambassador for Wolf Connection, a California-based nonprofit focusing on wolf and wolf-dog rescue and youth education.

Selected Filmography