Samuel West

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Samuel West, sometimes billed as Sam West, (born June 19, 1966) is a British actor and theatre director, the son of Prunella Scales and Timothy West. He was educated at Alleyn's School, a co-educational independent school in Dulwich, West London, and later studied English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford, but was always destined for an acting career. His acting career is varied including: film, television, radio and theatre.

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In 1991, he played the lower-middle-class clerk Leonard Bast in the Merchant Ivory film adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel Howards End (released 1992) opposite Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter and Anthony Hopkins. For this role he was nominated for best supporting actor at the 1993 BAFTA Film Awards. His film career has continued with roles in a number of well known films, such as: Jane Eyre, Notting Hill, Iris and Van Helsing.

Sam West appears frequently on the stage and has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company taking the title roles in Richard II and Hamlet both directed by Steven Pimlott. Since then he has turned his hand to directing while continuing his acting career. In October 2004 he was appointed artistic director of the Sheffield Theatres, succeeding Michael Grandage. After two years in the role he annonunced his resignation in December 2006 and will step down in April 2007.

He is a familiar face on television appearing in many long running series: Midsomer Murders, Waking the Dead and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as well as one off dramas. He played Anthony Blunt in Cambridge Spies a BBC production about four British spies, starring alongside Toby Stephens (Philby), Tom Hollander (Burgess) and Rupert Penry-Jones (Maclean). November 2006 saw him take the lead role in BBC Television production of Random Quest adapted from the short story by John Wyndham. He is much sought-after as a narrator of television documentaries, including the acclaimed series The Nazis: A Warning from History and The Planets, both in 1997. He has made a speciality of appearing in concert recitals: he performed the spoken lines from Shakespeare's Henry V, at the Last Night of the Proms in 2002.

Sam West has appeared alongside his actor parents on several occasions; with his mother Prunella Scales in Howards End and Stiff Upper Lips, and with his father Timothy West on stage in A Number, Henry IV Part I and Part II. In two films - Iris (2001) and the 1996 tv film Over Here - Sam and his father have played the same character at different ages. In 2006 all three gave a rehearsed reading of the Harold Pinter play Family Voices as part of the Sheffield Theatres Pinter season.

In 2004 he appeared in the year's highest-rated miniseries on German television, "Die Nibelungen," which was released in the USA in 2006 as Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (also known as Ring of the Nibelungs, Curse of the Ring, and Sword of Xanten.

As a choral singer Sam West participated in the May 2006 Choir of London tour to Jerusalem and the West Bank, where he also gave poetry readings as part of the concert programme. In April 2007 he will again join the Choir of London in their tour of Palestine, directing The Magic Flute.

A former member of the Socialist Workers Party and the Socialist Alliance, Sam West has been politically active for many years and is a strong critic of Tony Blair's New Labour government.

  • Edward the Seventh (1975 TV mini-series) - Albert Victor 'Eddy' - Age 5
  • Nanny (TV series)
    • Goats and Tigers (1981) - James Lamerton
  • Frankie and Johnnie (1985 TV movie) - Johnnie Mallett
  • Reunion (1989) - Count Konradin von Lohenburg
  • Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989 TV movie) - King Caspian
  • Stanley and the Women (1991 TV mini-series) - Stephen Duke
  • Howards End (1991, released 1992) - Leonard Bast
  • Archipel (1993) - Alan Stewart
  • Voices in the Garden (1993 TV movie) - Mark
  • Alleyn Mysteries (TV series)
    • Death in a White Tie (1993) - Donald Potter
  • The Maitlands (1993 TV movie) - Jack Maitland
  • Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993 TV short) - Cyrian (as Sam West)
  • A Feast at Midnight (1994) - Chef
  • Open Fire (1994 TV movie) - Steven Waldorf
  • As Time Goes By (TV series)
    • We'll Always Have Paris (1994) - Terry (as Sam West)
  • A Breed of Heroes (1994 TV movie) - Lt. Charles Thoroughgood
  • The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1995 TV movie) - Victor
  • Carrington (1995) - Gerald Brenan
  • Persuasion (1995) - Mr. Elliot
  • Zoya (1995 TV movie) - Nicolai (as Sam West)
  • Heavy Weather (1995 TV movie) - 'Monty' Bodkin
  • Strangers
    • Costumes (1996) - Simon
  • Jane Eyre (1996) - St. John Rivers
  • Over Here (1996 TV movie) - Archie Bunting
  • The Ripper (1997 TV movie) - Prince Albert Victor Edward
  • Stiff Upper Lips (1998) - Edward
  • Rupert's Land (1998) - Rupert McKay
  • The Dance of Shiva (1998 short) - Lt. Davis
  • Battle of the Sexes: in the Animal World (1999 TV series) - Narrator (voice)
  • Hornblower (TV series)
    • The Wrong War (1999) - Major Edrington
  • Notting Hill (1999) - Anna's Co-Star (as Sam West)
  • Runt (1999 short) - Pork
  • Longitude (2000 TV movie) - Nevil Maskelyne
  • Bread and Roses (2000) - Samuel West - Party Guest (cameo)
  • Complicity (2000) - Neil
  • Pandaemonium (2000) - Robert Southey
  • Iris (2001) - Young Maurice (as Sam West)
  • Shrink (2002 short) - George
  • Waking the Dead (TV series)
    • Life Sentence (2002) - Thomas Rice
  • Akhenaten and Nefertiti (2002 TV movie) - Narrator
  • 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003 video) - Pongo (voice)
  • Cambridge Spies (2003 TV movie) - Anthony Blunt
  • Entertaining Mr. Soane (2003) - Wightwick
  • Van Helsing (2004) - Dr. Victor Frankenstein
  • Foyle's War (TV series)
    • The French Drop (2004) - Lt Col James Wintringham
  • Curse of the Ring (2004 TV movie) - King Gunther
  • E=mc² (2005 TV movie) - Humphry Davy (as Sam West)
  • The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV Series)
    • Chinese Walls (2006) - Tony Wainwright
  • Random Quest (2006 TV Movie) - Colin Trafford
  • Midsomer Murders (TV Series)
    • The Animal Within (2007) - Jeremy Thacker

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