Samantha Mathis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Mathis
Mathis at Nightmare Weekend Richmond in 2023
Born	(1970-05-12) May 12, 1970 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actress trade union leader
Years active	1986–present
Parent(s)	Bibi Besch (mother)
Relatives	Gotfrid Köchert (grandfather) Gusti Huber (grandmother)

Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970) is an American actress. She has starred in many movies and TV shows. She also used to be a leader for actors in a group called SAG-AFTRA. Samantha is the daughter of actress Bibi Besch.

She first appeared in a movie called Pump Up the Volume in 1990. You might also know her from films like FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Super Mario Bros. (1993), and Little Women (1994). She also had important roles in TV shows like The Strain and Billions.

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Samantha Mathis was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. Her mother was an actress named Bibi Besch. When Samantha was two, her parents divorced. Her mother raised her. At age five, they moved to Los Angeles, California.

Even though her mother tried to tell her not to act, Samantha grew up around movies and theaters. She knew she wanted to be an actress. She decided this when she was just twelve years old.

Starting Her Acting Career

Samantha Mathis began acting professionally when she was 16. Her very first job was a TV commercial.

Early TV and Film Roles

She appeared in TV shows like Aaron's Way and Knightwatch from 1988 to 1989. Her first main role in a movie was as Nora in Pump Up the Volume (1990). She acted alongside Christian Slater in this film. For this role, she changed her blonde hair to black. She wanted to look more strong and less innocent.

In 1990, Samantha also appeared in TV movies such as Extreme Close-up. She and Christian Slater also lent their voices to the animated movie FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). She then acted in the comedy This Is My Life (1992). In this movie, she played a shy teenager.

Playing Princess Daisy and Other Roles

In 1993, Samantha played Princess Daisy in the movie Super Mario Bros.. This movie was based on the popular Nintendo video game. She also starred with River Phoenix in The Thing Called Love (1993).

She appeared in the 1994 movie Little Women. She was also in How to Make an American Quilt (1995). Both of these movies starred Winona Ryder. Samantha then played an assistant to the President of the United States in The American President (1995). She worked with Christian Slater and John Travolta again in the movie Broken Arrow (1996).

After her mother passed away in 1996, Samantha took a break from acting for over a year.

Later Roles in Movies and TV

Samantha later appeared in Attraction (2000) and The Simian Line (2001). She also starred in the TV miniseries The Mists of Avalon (2001). She acted with Thomas Jane in The Punisher (2004).

She had a guest role on the TV show Lost. In 2013, Samantha played a doctor named Alice Calvert on the CBS TV series Under the Dome. This show was based on a book by Stephen King. In 2014, she joined the cast of the FX horror drama series The Strain. She played a city councilwoman named Justine Feraldo.

Work as a Union Leader

In October 2015, Samantha Mathis was chosen as the National Vice President for Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA. This is a big group that represents actors and other media professionals. She was chosen again in 2017.

In 2019, she performed in a play called Make Believe in New York City. Her musical Whisper House was put on hold in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal Life and Challenges

Samantha Mathis met actor River Phoenix while filming The Thing Called Love in 1993. They started a relationship. She was with River Phoenix on October 31, 1993, when he passed away. This was a very difficult time for her. She took a role in the film Jack and Sarah (1995) in London to get away from all the attention from the news.

In 2018, Samantha spoke publicly about this time for the first time. She said she knew something was wrong that night, but she didn't understand it.

Awards and Nominations

Samantha Mathis was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1995. This was for her role in This Is My Life (1992). In 2005, she was nominated for a Saturn Award for her role in Salem's Lot (2004).

Filmography

Film Roles

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Mathis para niños