Samantha Morton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Morton OBE
Morton at the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Born	Samantha Jane Morton (1977-05-13) 13 May 1977 (age 48) Nottingham, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Partner(s)	Harry Holm (2005–present)
Children	3, including Esmé Creed-Miles

Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress. She is famous for her roles in independent movies and historical dramas. You might know her as Mary Lou Barebone in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or as the villain Alpha in The Walking Dead.

Morton has won many awards for her acting, including a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards. She started acting in British television in 1991 and has since appeared in many popular movies and TV shows.

Some of her famous films include Minority Report (2002), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), John Carter (2012), and The Whale (2022). She also starred as Catherine de' Medici in the TV series The Serpent Queen.

Early Life and Acting Start

Samantha Morton was born in Nottingham, England. She was the third child of Pamela and Peter Morton. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she had a difficult childhood. Because her parents could not care for her, a court decided she would be looked after by the government. She spent the next nine years living in foster care and children's homes.

When she was 13, Morton joined the Central Junior Television Workshop, a drama group for young people. This was where her acting career began. She soon started getting roles in TV shows like Soldier Soldier and Boon.

Acting Career

First Roles (1991–1998)

After joining the drama workshop, Morton moved to London at age 16 to pursue acting. She appeared in TV shows like Peak Practice and Cracker. She became well-known for her role in the TV series Band of Gold from 1995 to 1996.

She also acted in movies based on classic books, such as Emma (1996) and Jane Eyre (1997). In 1997, she starred in the movie Under the Skin. Her performance was praised by critics, and she won a Best Actress award from the Boston Society of Film Critics.

Gaining Fame (1999–2005)

Morton at the 62nd British Academy Film Awards in 2008.

Director Woody Allen was so impressed with Morton that he cast her in his 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown. She played Hattie, a character who does not speak. Even without saying a word, her performance was so powerful that she was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

In 2002, Morton starred in the science fiction movie Minority Report with Tom Cruise. She played Agatha, a "precog" who can see the future. The movie was a huge success worldwide. For this role, she won an Empire Award for Best British Actress.

The next year, she starred in the movie In America (2003). She played a mother in an Irish family trying to make a new life in New York. Her performance earned her a second Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress.

Major Roles and Directing (2006–2014)

Morton at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2006, Morton played the murderer Myra Hindley in the TV film Longford. Her performance won her a Golden Globe Award. In 2007, she played Mary, Queen of Scots in the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

In 2009, Morton directed her first film, a TV drama called The Unloved. The story was partly based on her own childhood experiences. It tells the story of a young girl growing up in the care system in the UK. The film was a success, and Morton won a BAFTA award for her directing.

After taking a break to focus on her family, Morton returned to acting in 2012. She voiced the character Sola in the Disney movie John Carter. She also appeared in films like Decoding Annie Parker (2013) and Miss Julie (2014).

Recent Work in Film and TV (2015–Present)

In 2015, Morton starred in the TV series The Last Panthers. The next year, she appeared in a huge blockbuster, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). She played Mary Lou Barebone, the strict leader of a group that wants to get rid of wizards and witches.

From 2017 to 2019, she starred in the TV series ... as Margaret Wells. In 2019, she joined the cast of the popular show The Walking Dead. She played Alpha, the scary leader of a group called the Whisperers.

Since 2022, Morton has played the powerful queen Catherine de' Medici in the TV series The Serpent Queen. In the same year, she appeared in the movie The Whale with Brendan Fraser.

Personal Life

Morton has a daughter, actress Esmé Creed-Miles (born in 2000), from her relationship with actor Charlie Creed-Miles.

She is now with filmmaker Harry Holm, who is the son of actor Ian Holm. They have a daughter and a son together. The family lives in Monyash, Derbyshire.

In 2006, Morton had a serious health problem after a piece of plaster fell on her head. She suffered a stroke and had to take 18 months off from acting to learn how to walk again.

In 2011, Nottingham Trent University gave her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree for her successful acting career. In 2025, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her work in drama and charity.

Charity Work

Because she grew up in foster care, Morton often supports charities that help children in the care system. In 2009, she protested to stop a children's home in her hometown of Nottingham from closing. She has also supported the Fostering Network, a charity for foster care.

In 2014, she spoke out about the problems she faced as a child in the care system to help raise awareness and protect other children. She has also supported other causes, like a charity that provides medical aid to Palestinians.

Performances and Works

Film

Television