Samantha Mathis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis 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 also served as a leader for a group that represents actors, called SAG-AFTRA, from 2015 to 2019. Samantha is the daughter of actress Bibi Besch.

Samantha Mathis has been in many movies and TV shows. Some of her well-known films include Pump Up the Volume (1990), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), and Super Mario Bros. (1993). She also appeared in Little Women (1994) and The American President (1995). More recently, she had important roles in the TV shows The Strain and Billions.

Early Life and Dreams

Samantha Mathis was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. Her mother was an actress named Bibi Besch, who was from Austria. Samantha's parents separated when she was two years old. Her mother raised her. When Samantha was five, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California.

Even though her mother tried to guide her away from acting, Samantha grew up around movie sets and theaters. She loved watching actors work. By the time she was twelve, she knew she wanted to be an actress.

Starting Her Acting Journey

Samantha Mathis started acting professionally when she was 16. Her very first job was a commercial for "Always Slender Pads – Just for Teens." She then had roles in TV shows like Aaron's Way and Knightwatch in the late 1980s.

Her first main role in a movie was as Nora in Pump Up the Volume (1990). In this film, she acted alongside Christian Slater. Samantha even changed her natural blonde hair to black for the role. She wanted to show a stronger, more determined character.

Movies and Voice Acting

In 1990, Samantha appeared in TV movies such as Extreme Close-up and 83 Hours 'til Dawn. She also lent her voice to the animated movie FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). In this film, she voiced the character Crysta.

She then appeared in the comedy This Is My Life (1992). This movie was written and directed by Nora Ephron. Samantha played a teenager who felt a bit unsure of herself. In 1993, she played Princess Daisy in the movie Super Mario Bros.. This film was based on the popular Nintendo video game.

Working with Famous Actors

Samantha Mathis co-starred with River Phoenix in the movie The Thing Called Love (1993). She was also in the 1994 film version of Little Women. Later, she appeared in How to Make an American Quilt (1995). Both of these films starred Winona Ryder.

She then played an assistant to the President of the United States in The American President (1995). Samantha worked with Christian Slater again in John Woo's action movie Broken Arrow (1996). After her mother passed away in 1996, Samantha took a break from acting for over a year.

Later Roles and TV Work

Samantha Mathis returned to acting and appeared in American Psycho (2000). She also starred in Attraction (2000) and The Simian Line (2001). She had a role in the TV miniseries The Mists of Avalon (2001).

In 2004, Samantha starred with Thomas Jane in The Punisher. She also had a guest role on the TV show Lost. In 2013, she played a psychiatrist named Alice Calvert in the CBS TV series Under the Dome. This show was based on a book by Stephen King. From 2014 to 2016, she was a main character in the FX horror drama The Strain. She played Justine Feraldo, a councilwoman from New York City.

Leading Actors

In October 2015, Samantha Mathis was chosen as the National Vice President for Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA. This is a large union that represents actors and other media professionals. She was re-elected for this role in 2017.

Personal Life

Samantha Mathis met actor River Phoenix while filming The Thing Called Love in 1993. They started a relationship. After River Phoenix's death, Samantha took a role in the film Jack and Sarah (1995). This movie was filmed in London. She wanted to be out of the country because of all the news attention.

Samantha spoke publicly about River Phoenix in an interview in 2018.

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. This nomination was for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her work in Salem's Lot (2004).

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Mathis para niños