Biography
Sam De Grasse (also credited as Samuel Alfred De Grasse) was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained as a dentist before entering films in 1912. His elder brother Joseph De Grasse was already working in the industry.
He appeared in secondary roles before joining the company of fellow Canadians Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. De Grasse played Prince John in Robin Hood (1922) and specialised in villainous parts. His credits include Senator Charles Sumner in The Birth of a Nation (1915), Arthur Jenkins in Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), a pirate lieutenant in The Black Pirate (1926), a Pharisee in The King of Kings (1927), King James II in The Man Who Laughs (1928) and District Attorney Welch in The Racket (1928).
He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. De Grasse died in 1953.
