Samantha Morton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton at the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Born	Samantha Jane Morton 1977 (age 47–48) Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Partner(s)	Harry Holm (2005–present)
Children	3, including Esmé Creed-Miles

Samantha Jane Morton (born in 1977) is a talented English actress. She is well-known for her roles in serious and thoughtful movies, especially those set in the past. Samantha has won many important awards, including a special BAFTA Fellowship award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars), a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Samantha started her acting journey in British television in 1991. She was part of the Central Junior Television Workshop in her hometown of Nottingham. She appeared in popular TV shows like Band of Gold (1995–1996) and The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997). Her early film roles included Emma (1996) and Jane Eyre (1997).

She earned two Oscar nominations for her amazing performances: one for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and another for In America (2003). Samantha has also starred in big movies like Steven Spielberg's Minority Report (2002) with Tom Cruise, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).

In 2009, Samantha Morton directed her first television film, The Unloved, which won a BAFTA Television Award. She continues to act in many different roles, including playing Alpha in The Walking Dead and Catherine de' Medici in The Serpent Queen.

Early Life and Learning

Samantha Morton was born in Nottingham. She was the third child of Pamela and Peter Morton. Her parents separated when she was young. When Samantha was eight, a court decided that she and her siblings needed special care. This meant she spent the next nine years living in different foster care homes and children's homes.

During this time, she went to West Bridgford School. When she was 13, she joined the Central Junior Television Workshop. This workshop helped young people learn about acting for TV. Soon after joining, she started getting small roles in TV shows like Soldier Soldier and Boon.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (1991–1998)

After joining the Central Junior Television Workshop, Samantha quickly found work. She played Clare Anderson in Soldier Soldier and Mandy in Boon. When she was 16, she moved to London. She tried to get into many drama schools, like RADA, but wasn't accepted. She did attend Clarendon College for a short time to study performing arts.

Samantha then started acting on stage at the Royal Court Theatre. She also continued her TV career with roles in Peak Practice and Cracker. She had a regular role in the first two seasons of Band of Gold (1995–96).

She also appeared in historical TV dramas. In Emma (1996), she played Harriet Smith in a story about young love. This film was very popular, with about 12 million viewers. In Jane Eyre (1997), she played the main character, an orphan who becomes a governess.

Samantha took on a main role in the movie Under the Skin (1997). She played Iris, a young woman dealing with her mother's death. Critics really liked her performance. One critic said she was "furious" and "raw" in the role. She won the Best Actress award at the 1998 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards.

Becoming Well-Known (1999–2005)

Her performance in Under the Skin impressed director Woody Allen. He cast her in his movie Sweet and Lowdown (1999). In this film, Samantha played Hattie, a quiet laundress who falls in love with a jazz guitarist. What was special about her role is that she didn't say a single word! She used her eyes and expressions to show everything. Critics called her "extraordinary." For this role, she was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Samantha then starred in Jesus' Son (1999) and Dreaming of Joseph Lees (1999). For Dreaming of Joseph Lees, she won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. She also played Sara Coleridge in the movie Pandaemonium (2000).

Samantha became even more widely known when she starred in Steven Spielberg's science fiction thriller Minority Report (2002). She played Agatha, a "precog" who could see crimes before they happened. The movie was a huge success, earning over $358 million. Samantha won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Empire Award for Best British Actress for her role. Her next film, Morvern Callar (2002), also earned her a Best Actress award at the British Independent Film Awards.

In the movie In America (2003), Samantha played the mother of an Irish family trying to start a new life in New York. Critics loved this film. One critic said Samantha "reveals the power of her silences." Her performance earned her another nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

She also appeared in Code 46 (2003) and Enduring Love (2004). In River Queen (2005), she played a young Irish woman caught between the British and Maori during the colonization of New Zealand. She also starred in the family film Lassie (2005).

Biographies and Directing (2006–2009)

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

In 2006, Samantha played Myra Hindley in the TV film Longford. Her performance was highly praised. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2007, Samantha appeared in four movies. She played a police officer in Expired and a Marilyn Monroe impersonator in Mister Lonely. She also worked with director Anton Corbijn again in Control, where she played Deborah Curtis, the wife of musician Ian Curtis from the band Joy Division. Critics loved her performance, calling it "astonishing." She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Her last film of 2007 was Elizabeth: The Golden Age, where she played Mary, Queen of Scots.

In 2008, Samantha was part of a group of actors in Synecdoche, New York. She played Hazel, a character who ages from 30 to 64 in the story, using special makeup. She was pregnant during the filming, which had very long workdays. The movie was praised by critics. Samantha and her co-stars won an award for Best Ensemble Performance. She also starred in the Irish horror film The Daisy Chain.

In 2009, Samantha starred in the war drama The Messenger. She played Olivia Patterson, a widow whose husband was killed in Iraq. Critics praised her "subtle, excellent performance." She was nominated for several awards for this role.

Samantha Morton at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Also in 2009, Samantha made her debut as a director with the TV drama The Unloved. This film was based on her own experiences. It tells the story of an 11-year-old girl growing up in a children's home in the UK. The film was broadcast on Channel 4 and was watched by nearly 2 million people. Critics praised her directing, calling the film "intense" and "vivid." Samantha won a BAFTA award for her directing in 2010.

Break and Return to Film (2010–2014)

After taking a three-year break to focus on her family, Samantha returned to acting in 2012. She provided the voice of Sola in the science fiction film John Carter. She also played a role in the thriller Cosmopolis. She was a jury member at the 69th Venice International Film Festival in 2012.

In 2013, Samantha was the original voice of an artificial intelligence in the movie Her, but she was later replaced by Scarlett Johansson. However, she was still credited as an associate producer. Samantha starred in Decoding Annie Parker (2013), playing a woman with breast cancer. Critics praised her performance, saying she gave the character "humility within a warm humanity." She won the Best Actress Golden Space Needle Award at the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival.

She also starred in the thriller The Harvest (2013), playing a controlling mother. In Liv Ullmann's film Miss Julie (2014), Samantha acted alongside Colin Farrell and Jessica Chastain.

Television Roles (2015–Present)

In 2015, Samantha starred in Cider with Rosie, a TV film set during the First World War. She also played an insurance investigator in the TV series The Last Panthers. She described her character as a "very truthful, strong woman" and a "female Bond".

Samantha appeared in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), which is a spin-off from the Harry Potter film series. She played Mary Lou Barebone, the leader of a group that wanted to expose and harm wizards and witches. This movie was a huge success, earning over $814 million worldwide, making it Samantha's most widely seen film.

She also starred as Ethel Christie in the miniseries Rillington Place (2016). Critics praised her "fine, nuanced performance" as a woman under her husband's influence.

From 2017 to 2019, Samantha played Margaret Wells in the TV series .... Critics called her the "standout performer" and noted how she gave "depth and moral conflict" to her character.

In 2019, Samantha joined the cast of The Walking Dead. She played Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who wear skins from the undead to hide themselves. She also appeared as Alpha in Tales of the Walking Dead in 2022.

Since 2022, Samantha Morton has been starring as Catherine de' Medici in the Starz TV series The Serpent Queen.

Personal Life

Samantha Morton has three children. Her eldest daughter, Esmé Creed-Miles, born in 2000, is also an actress. Samantha met filmmaker Harry Holm in 2005, and they have two children together.

In 2008, Samantha shared that she had a serious stroke in 2006 after being hit on the head. She spent three weeks in the hospital and took 18 months off from acting to recover and learn to walk again.

In 2011, Nottingham Trent University gave Samantha an honorary Doctor of Letters degree to recognize her successful acting career. Samantha is a Catholic and says she is "quite religious."

Charity Work

Because she grew up in the foster care system, Samantha Morton often supports causes related to children's welfare. In 2009, she returned to Nottingham to support children's homes that were at risk of closing.

In 2008, she joined the Vodafone Foundation's World of Difference campaign, which helps people work for charities. In 2009, she also appeared in TV advertisements to encourage people to become social workers in the UK.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Samantha Morton was made an Honorary Associate of the London Film School.

In February 2024, she received the prestigious Fellowship of BAFTA at the British Academy Film Awards.

Images for kids

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  Samantha Morton at the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival

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

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  Samantha Morton at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

See also

In Spanish: Samantha Morton para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• Evening Standard British Film Awards