Samantha Barks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Barks
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	2

Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a talented British actress and singer. She became well-known after finishing third in the BBC TV show I'd Do Anything in 2008. This show was a competition to find a new star. Samantha has released three studio albums: Looking in Your Eyes (2007), Samantha Barks (2016), and Into the Unknown (2021).

Samantha made her first movie appearance as Éponine in the film Les Misérables in 2012. Her acting in the movie earned her an Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer. She also shared a National Board of Review Award with the other actors in the film. 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 actress to play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway. From 2021 to 2024, she starred as 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 Ireland. Samantha went to Laxey Primary School and St Ninian's High School, Douglas.

When she was 16, Samantha moved to London by herself. She went to the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) to finish her A levels. Her first job outside of acting was working at a clothing store called River Island. Samantha started dancing when she was three years old. She trained in ballet, modern dance, and tap with different dance schools on the Isle of Man.

Career highlights

Early career and TV fame (2007–2011)

In April 2007, Samantha Barks released her first album, Looking in Your Eyes. She helped write some of the songs on the album. She performed at the Peel Bay Festival in June 2007, supporting other popular music groups. In December 2007, Samantha represented the Isle of Man in a song competition in Malta. She won the main prize and the title of Best Foreign Singer.

In 2008, Samantha took part in the TV show I'd Do Anything. This show was looking for a new actress to play Nancy in the musical Oliver! in London's West End. Samantha made it to the final and finished in third place.

During the show, many people on the Isle of Man supported her. The Tourism Minister even jokingly renamed the island the "Isle of Sam" for a short time! In one episode, Samantha sang "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked. She even got support from the original Broadway star of Wicked, Idina Menzel.

In the semi-final, Samantha had to sing to stay in the competition. The famous musical creator Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save her, saying she would be a fantastic Nancy. For the final, Samantha and the other finalists had a special "Master Class" with the legendary performer Liza Minnelli.

Samantha finished third in the final. She said it was "the most amazing experience" of her life.

After I'd Do Anything, Samantha sang the Isle of Man National Anthem at the Isle of Man TT races. She then got the lead role of Sally Bowles in the UK tour of Cabaret. She also performed in her own concert on the Isle of Man to thank her supporters.

In 2009, Samantha helped launch a new ship in China. She also helped switch on Christmas lights in Windsor. She played the main role in Aladdin during the Christmas Pantomime Season.

From June 2010 to June 2011, Samantha starred as Éponine in the London production of Les Misérables. She was chosen to play Éponine again in the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Misérables at the O2 Arena in October 2010.

In 2010, Samantha also released a song called "Let Go," which she co-wrote. She performed it live to promote it. In 2011, she performed in several concerts featuring songs from popular West End musicals. She sang "On My Own" at the Classical Brits 2011.

Samantha starred as Zoe in the Disney Channel TV series Groove High. This show mixed live-action and animation. She recorded her voice for the series in 2010 and filmed the live-action parts in 2011. She described Zoe as "really sweet, but also a little feisty."

From December 2011 to April 2012, Samantha starred as Nancy in the UK tour of Oliver!. She left the tour temporarily to film Les Misérables.

Les Misérables film and growing 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 curtain call for Oliver!. After finishing the film, Samantha returned to the Oliver! UK tour for a short time.

In October 2012, Samantha performed at a concert in New York City with actor Russell Crowe. Her song "On My Own" from Les Misérables became a hit, reaching number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and 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. Right after the Oscars, she flew to the Isle of Man to start filming her second movie, The Christmas Candle. In March 2013, Samantha performed in a TV special honoring Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In July 2013, Samantha played Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl. She also starred in the film Bitter Harvest, which was released in 2017. Samantha had a role in the movie Dracula Untold (2014), but her scenes were later cut from the film.

In 2014, Samantha was cast in the movie 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 rehearsals for the new musical Amélie in California. The show was very popular and had its run extended.

In 2016, Samantha was cast in the movie musical Strike! and the drama Interlude in Prague. She also reunited with her Groove High co-star Jonathan Bailey to star in the musical The Last Five Years in London.

Samantha continued her music career, performing at various places across the UK after her self-titled album was released in June 2016. She went on her first solo tour to perform songs from her album.

In July 2017, Samantha performed her first solo concerts in New York City.

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 first opened in Chicago in March 2018, then moved to Broadway in July 2018. This was Samantha's first time performing on Broadway.

On 5 December 2019, Samantha was cast as Elsa in the West End production of Frozen. She began performing in August 2021 and continued until 2024.

In March and April 2022, Samantha spent several weeks hosting the Elaine Paige on Sunday radio show on BBC Radio 2.

In December 2022, it was announced that Samantha would have a solo concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May 2023. Other special guests joined her for the show.

In May 2023, it was announced that Samantha would be a judge on the ITV competition show Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. The show looked for two musical theatre performers to play Sophie and Sky in the musical Mamma Mia! in London.

In 2025, Samantha took part in and won the sixth series of The Masked Singer in the UK. She performed as "Pufferfish."

Personal life

Samantha Barks is a vegetarian. On 1 February 2021, she got engaged to actor Alex Michael Stoll. They met while they were both performing in Pretty Woman on Broadway. They got married in Tuscany on 18 June 2022. On 1 August 2023, Samantha announced that they were expecting their first child. She gave birth to a son on 16 October 2023. She took a break from Frozen and returned to the show on February 7, 2024. On 8 May 2025, she shared that she was expecting her second child. She gave birth to a daughter in June 2025.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage performances

Discography

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Barks para niños