Samantha Morton

Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and musician. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas with dark and tragic themes, her accolades include two BAFTAs (including the BAFTA Fellowship) and a Golden Globe Award, with nominations for two Academy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. A native of Nottingham and former member of the Central Junior Television Workshop, Morton started her career on British television in the early 1990s and gained recognition for acting in the ITV series Band of Gold (1995–1996) and the BBC miniseries The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997). After her feature film debut in 1996, she appeared in the films Jane Eyre (1997), and Under the Skin (1997). For Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and Jim Sheridan's In America (2003), she received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress, respectively. Morton's performance in the 2006 television crime drama Longford earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Morton received continued acclaim over following years for her roles in the films Morvern Callar (2002), Minority Report (2002), The Libertine (2004), Control (2007), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), The Messenger (2009), John Carter (2012), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), and The Whale (2022). Her television credits include The Last Panthers (2015), Rillington Place (2016), Harlots (2017–2019), The Walking Dead (2019–2020), and The Serpent Queen (2022–2024). Outside of acting, Morton made her directorial debut with the television film The Unloved (2009), winning the BAFTA TV Award, and her musical debut with the collaborative album Daffodils & Dirt (2024).