Born in Nottingham, England and trained at the Central Junior Television Workshop, Samantha's first television work came at the age of 13. Since then, she has played many minor TV roles in such dramas as Cracker, Peak Practice, Boon, Soldier Soldier and Medics, before reaching the big time with major roles in such TV movies and mini-series as Band of Gold, Emma, Jane Eyre and The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling.



Daughter, Esme, born 5 February 2000 in London. Father is actor Charlie Creed-Miles. Dropped out of school at 13. Born in a Nottingham council estate. Turned down the title role in Iris (2001/I). Was actually the third choice to play Agatha in Minority Report (2002); Cate Blanchett and Jenna Elfman both turned it down. Was originally cast as Diane Arbus in Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006) and as Harper Lee in Infamous (2006). Turned down the role of Ophelia in Hamlet (2000) due to scheduling conflicts with Sweet and Lowdown (1999). In The Libertine (2004) , she played the actress Elizabeth Barry who, in the movie, played a stunning Ophelia on stage. Gave birth to a baby girl on the 4th January 2008 and named her Edie. Edie weighed 7lb 8oz and was born in a London hospital. She has stated that, if she weren't an actress, she might work in social care or politics, and intends to combine her acting work with it some day. In 2006, a piece of 17th century plaster fell on her head, causing a stroke. She spent time in physical and speech therapy, learning how to walk and remaster her speaking skills. She went straight from therapy into filming Synecdoche, New York (2008). She reports "I still have a slight dis-fluency, sentences are spaced differently, but I was given a clean bill of health.".