Since his filmmaking career began, director Matthew Vaughn has been attached to several top-rated films. Interestingly, it is a career he stumbled upon by chance. Vaughn has enrolled to study anthropology and ancient history at the University College London but dropped out to pursue a newfound passion as a filmmaker in Los Angeles.
Throughout his almost three-decade career, Matthew Vaughn has frequently collaborated with certain actors, screenwriters, editors, and composers. Although he has only directed eight feature films, Vaughn has produced and executive produced several other works in film and television. Here are director Matthew Vaughn’s top 9 frequent collaborators.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The first time Matthew Vaughn worked with English actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the actor was still a rising talent. Taylor-Johnson has portrayed Charlie Chaplin in Shanghai Knights (2003) and John Lennon in Nowhere Boy (2009), but it was Vaughn’s 2010 Kick-Ass that became his career-defining role. Known for directing films adapted from comic books, director Matthew Vaughn starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the eponymous character in Kick-Ass. The next time they worked together was in the 2021-released The King’s Man. Although not cast in a lead role, Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrays an important character. He played Archie Reid, a soldier who became Lancelot, a founding Kingsman.
Samuel L. Jackson
Seasoned American actor Samuel L. Jackson joined the list of frequent collaborators with director Matthew Vaughn with the director’s latest film, Argylle (2024). In Argylle, Samuel L. Jackson plays CIA deputy director Alfred Solomon. The first time Jackson and Vaughn worked together was in the first installment of the Kingsman franchise, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). Samuel L. Jackson played the movie’s villain, the billionaire Richmond Valentine.
Colin Firth & Taron Egerton
English actor and producer Colin Firth and Welsh actor Taron Egerton have both started in two (and the same) films directed by Matthew Vaughn. Both actors played lead roles in director Matthew Vaughn’s first two installments in the Kingsman film series, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). While it’s uncertain if they’ll reprise their roles in the planned fourth installment, The King’s Man: The Traitor King, they are two of the most popular faces in the franchise. Colin Firth plays Harry Hart/ Agent Galahad, while Taron Egerton plays Gary “Eggsy” Unwin/Agent Galahad.
Henry Cavill
The first time director Matthew Vaughn cast British actor Henry Cavill in his movie, Cavill was a relatively unknown actor. Yet, for fantasy film audiences who watched Stardust (2007), Henry Cavill played one of the movie’s notable characters. He was cast as Humphrey, the Victoria Forester’s (Sienna Miller) boyfriend. Matthew Vaughn and Henry Cavill did not work together until 17 years later when the director cast him in the lead role as Argylle in his spy action comedy Argylle (2024). With Cavill’s profile in Hollywood and Vaughn’s reputation for spy films, there’s no doubt their working relationships will be more frequent.
Corey Johnson
American actor Corey Johnson is a well-known, accomplished character actor. As a frequent collaborator of director Matthew Vaughn, Johnson has starred in three of Vaughn’s movies. They both first worked together in Vaughn’s critical and commercially successful Kick-Ass (2010). Corey Johnson was cast as Sporty Goon, a background character in Kick-Ass. Matthew Vaughn cast Johnson in his next two films, X-Men: First Class (2011) and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), as Chief Warden and Church Leader, respectively.
Dexter Fletcher
English director and actor Dexter Fletcher is one of director Matthew Vaughn’s earliest collaborators. Fletcher starred in Vaughn’s first three consecutive films. In Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut, Layer Cake (2004), Dexter Fletcher played Cody. He played another minor role in Vaughn’s second film, Stardust (2007), as a Skinny Pirate onboard Robert De Niro’s character’s ship. The last collaboration between Dexter Fletcher and director Matthew Vaughn was in Kick-Ass (2010), where he played a character also named Cody.
Mark Strong
A more popular face in director Matthew Vaughn’s films is Mark Strong. The English actor has worked with Vaughn in four of the director’s movies. Stardust (2007) was their first collaboration, with Vaughn starring Strong as Prince Septimus. Mark Strong played the villain in Kick-Ass (2010) as Frank D’Amico, a New York City Mafia. Mark Strong’s most notable collaboration with Matthew Vaughn is in the Kingsman films, where he was cast as Hamish Mycroft/Merlin. The character sacrificed himself in the second installment, Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).
Jason Flemyng
For years, Jason Flemyng had the highest number of collaborations with director Matthew Vaughn until Mark Strong reprised his role in the Kingsman franchise. Flemyng is also one of the first collaborators, working with Vaughn in the director’s first four consecutive films. In Vaughn’s Layer Cake (2004), Flemyng played a minor role as Crazy Larry. He played Primus in Stardust (2007) and a minor antagonist, Lobby Goon, in Kick-Ass (2010). Matthew Vaughn starred Jason Flemyng as the iconic Azazel in X-Men: First Class (2010). If you think director Matthew Vaughn’s collaborations are interesting, check out director Wes Anderson’s top 10 frequent collaborators.
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