Samantha Barks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Barks
Samantha Barks in 2014
Born	Samantha Jane Barks (1990-10-02) 2 October 1990 (age 34) Laxey, Isle of Man
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	2007–present
Spouse(s)	Alex Michael Stoll ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	1

Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is an actress and singer from the Isle of Man. She became well-known after finishing third in the TV talent show I'd Do Anything in 2008. Samantha has released three music albums: Looking in Your Eyes (2007), Samantha Barks (2016), and Into the Unknown (2021).

Samantha Barks made her movie debut as Éponine in the film Les Misérables in 2012. Her acting in the film earned her the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer. She also shared a National Board of Review Award with the other actors in the movie. She starred with Jonathan Bailey in the Disney Channel musical-comedy Groove High (2012–2013). They worked together again in the London musical The Last Five Years in 2016. In 2018, she was the first to play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway. Since 2021, she has played Elsa in the West End show Frozen.

Early life and training

Samantha Barks was born and grew up in Laxey on the Isle of Man. Her mother is from Malahide, Ireland. Samantha went to Laxey Primary School and St Ninian's High School, Douglas.

When she was 16, Samantha moved to London on her own. She went to the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in Chiswick to finish her advanced studies. Her first job outside of acting was working at River Island. Samantha started dancing at age three. She trained in ballet, modern, and tap with different dance schools on the Isle of Man.

Career highlights

First album and TV fame (2007–2011)

In April 2007, Samantha Barks released her first album, Looking in Your Eyes. She helped write several songs on the album. She performed at the Peel Bay Festival in June 2007. In December 2007, Samantha represented the Isle of Man in a song competition in Malta. She won the top prize and was named Best Foreign Singer.

In 2008, Samantha competed in I'd Do Anything. This TV show looked for a new actress to play Nancy in the musical Oliver! in London's West End. Samantha reached the final and finished in third place.

During the show, the Tourism Minister of the Isle of Man even renamed the island the "Isle of Sam" to show support for her. In one episode, Samantha sang "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked. The original actress who played the role in Wicked, Idina Menzel, supported Samantha.

In the semi-final, Samantha had to sing against another contestant, Rachel Tucker. They sang "Memory" from the musical Cats. Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Samantha, which meant she moved on to the final.

At the end of the final show, Samantha was announced as finishing third. She said it had been "the most amazing experience" of her life.

After I'd Do Anything, Samantha played Sally Bowles in the UK tour of Cabaret from 2008 to 2009. She also held her own concert on the Isle of Man to thank her supporters.

Samantha starred as Éponine in the London production of Les Misérables from 2010 to 2011. She was also chosen to play Éponine in the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Misérables at the O2 Arena in 2010.

In 2010, Samantha released a song called "Let Go," which she co-wrote. She performed it live to promote it.

Samantha also starred as Zoe in the Disney Channel TV series Groove High. This show mixed live-action and animation. It premiered in 2012 and was sold to many countries. Samantha said she enjoyed playing Zoe because she was "sweet, but also a little feisty."

She played Nancy in the UK tour of Oliver! from December 2011 to April 2012. She left the tour temporarily to film Les Misérables.

Les Misérables and more fame (2012–2014)

Samantha Barks played Éponine again in the 2012 film version of Les Misérables. She found out she got the role during a performance of Oliver!. Her song "On My Own" from Les Misérables became a hit, reaching number 43 in the UK.

In February 2013, Samantha won Best Breakthrough Performance at the Elle Style Awards. She performed with her Les Misérables co-stars at the 85th Academy Awards ceremony. After the Oscars, she flew to the Isle of Man to film her second movie, The Christmas Candle.

In March 2013, Samantha performed "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" for a TV special honoring Andrew Lloyd Webber. In July 2013, she played Velma Kelly in Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl. She also starred in the film Bitter Harvest, released in 2017.

In 2014, Samantha was cast in the film A Hundred Streets. She also announced she would return to the West End theatre in the musical City of Angels.

Broadway debut and West End return (2015–present)

In July 2015, Samantha began working on the new musical Amélie, A New Musical in California. In 2016, she was cast in the movie musical Strike! and the drama Interlude in Prague.

In 2016, Samantha reunited with her Groove High co-star Jonathan Bailey. They played the main roles in the musical The Last Five Years in London.

Samantha continued her music career, performing songs from her self-titled album released in 2016. She also had her first solo concerts in New York City in July 2017.

In September 2017, it was announced that Samantha would play Vivian (the role played by Julia Roberts in the movie) in Pretty Woman. The musical opened in Chicago in March 2018, then moved to Broadway in July 2018. Pretty Woman was her first show on Broadway.

On 5 December 2019, Samantha was cast as Elsa in the West End production of Frozen. She started performing in August 2021.

In December 2022, it was announced that Samantha would have a solo concert in London in May 2023. In May 2023, she was announced as a judge on the ITV show Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. This show looks for new actors to play Sophie and Sky in the musical Mamma Mia! in London.

Personal life

Samantha Barks is a vegetarian. On 1 February 2021, she got engaged to actor Alex Michael Stoll. They met while working together in the Broadway show Pretty Woman. They got married in Tuscany on 18 June 2022. On 1 August 2023, Samantha shared on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. She gave birth to a son on 16 October. She took time off from Frozen and returned to the show on February 7, 2024.

Film and TV roles

Film

Television

Stage performances

Music albums

Awards and nominations

Images for kids

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  Samantha Barks in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Barks para niños