Aidan Turner
via Ones2Watch4

Dark, striking, and bloody sexy, Aidan Turner exudes an unforgettable presence. He is currently in the much anticipated prequel to Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As Kili, he is the dwarf who, along with his brother Fili, accompanies their uncle Thorin and Bilbo on the Quest of Erebor. Before signing on for The Hobbit, Aidan was riding high as John Mitchell the cool vampire in the original UK version of SyFy’s Being Human television series.

Born on June 19, 1983 and raised in South Dublin, Ireland, Aidan graduated from The Gaiety School of Acting in 2004. After a string of theatrical performances, his initiation into the world of film and television was as Bedoli in 2007’s The Tudors, in the opening scene of the pilot episode, “In Cold Blood.” From there he played bit parts in the short filmsMatterhorn (below), as Theodoro, and in The Sound of People, as the father. He starred in two thriller films, Porcelain (2007) and as Mal in Alarm (2008).

Aidan found success in his role as Ruairi McGowan in The Clinic, an award-winning medical drama television series, in which he starred in eighteen episodes from 2008. In 2009 he went on to play Dante Gabriel Rossetti inDesperate Romantics, a six-part television drama serial based loosely on the real Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of reformist artists and writers formed in 1848. Aidan commented on shooting the sex scenes: “You get into it and you do it and all the girls do it. There’s no qualms, there’s no inhibitions. You just get your clothes off and get it on.”

Aidan’s vampire countenance as John Mitchell in Being Human contributed to the show winning an RTS and Writers Guild Award in 2009 and a BAFTA nomination in 2010. The popularity of the show spurred the creation of the U.S. version on the SyFy channel, with Sam Witwer, Sammy Hunnington, and Meaghan Rath, debuting in 2011. The ever rising popularity of the vampire and werewolf genre has done well for Aidan, introducing him to the world acting market.

In his upcoming film The Hobbit, Aidan, at six feet, doesn’t look much like a dwarf, which in Middle Earth are between four and five feet high. He fit into the role perfectly, though, after twelve weeks of intensive dwarf boot camp that included fitness and sword fight training, as well as blending in with the varied-scale scenery through the magic of camera perspective. Aidan identifies himself to Kili as “a good role model. Kili is brave, loyal, curious, open-minded, and believes in friendship.” As Peter Jackson, the director himself, says, “I’m sure he will bring enormous heart and humor to the role of Kili.” As The Hobbit trilogy unfolds, it will give plenty of time for Kili to win the hearts of its audience.

From raunchy poet artist to vampire to Middle-earth dwarf, Aidan lands unique roles that showcase his deep acting skills and striking aura, attracting more fans along the way. In The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,Aidan embodies the werewolf character of Luke Garroway. Set to be released in 2013, this film, the first of a young adult urban fantasy series set in New York and written by Cassandra Clare, reunites him with Jonathan Rhys Meyers alongside stars Lena Headey and Lily Collins. It would not be surprising if Aidan next lands a part in the future Star Wars films.