---
name: "Samantha Morton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/samantha-morton"
fi1m_id: "samantha-morton"
imdb_id: "nm0608090"
tmdb_id: 2206
wikidata_id: "Q230190"
roles: ["Actor","Director"]
born: "13 May 1977"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 17
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 14
updated: "2026-10-07T17:17:37.908252+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Samantha Morton

## Identity

Samantha Morton

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/samantha-morton
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** samantha-morton
- **IMDb ID:** nm0608090
- **TMDB ID:** 2206
- **Wikidata ID:** Q230190
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Morton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230190, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608090/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2206

Actor and director. Born 13 May 1977 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director
- **Born:** 13 May 1977, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
- **Active:** 1995–present
- **Also known as:** サマンサ・ジェーン・モートン
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 17: 14 acting, 1 directing, 1 producing, 1 other
- **BAFTA Film Awards:** 1 BAFTA (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 70, as actor, over 14 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 72 (1), 2000s 74 (8), 2010s 73 (4), 2020s 65 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 69 across 13 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 4 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 5 of 11 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 11, Action 2, Adventure 2, Crime 2, Fantasy 2, History 2
- **Screen time:** 23 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,971m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Morton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230190, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608090/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2206

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*Synecdoche, New York*](https://film.one/film/synecdoche-new-york.md) (84), [*Morvern Callar*](https://film.one/film/morvern-callar.md) (82), [*The Whale*](https://film.one/film/the-whale.md) (54)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Band of Gold*](https://film.one/tv/band-of-gold.md) (72), [*The Libertine*](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md) (56)
- **AMC+:** [*The Graham Norton Show*](https://film.one/tv/the-graham-norton-show.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*Minority Report*](https://film.one/film/minority-report.md) (81)
- **Tubi:** [*Control*](https://film.one/film/control.md) (80)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Unloved*](https://film.one/film/the-unloved.md) (74)
- **HBO Max:** [*Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*](https://film.one/film/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them.md) (61)
- **Netflix:** [*Anemone*](https://film.one/film/anemone.md) (50)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Samantha Morton

> Samantha Morton is unusually good at making quiet characters matter in films full of louder people. We rate her most when the film gives her room: she makes vulnerability immediate without having to explain everything a character feels.

In *Minority Report* (2002), Samantha Morton's Agatha makes the promise of predicting violence look less reassuring. Her presence directs our attention to the people supplying the predictions, rather than simply to the crimes they might avert. She does not need to compete with Tom Cruise's momentum to make that concern felt. We were disturbed by the precog scenes because Morton made the human cost of the system hard to put aside. The thriller remains tense, but we have more to worry about than whether a prediction will prove correct.

The breakthrough lead in *Under the Skin* (1997) was followed by Hattie, a largely silent role opposite Sean Penn in *Sweet and Lowdown* (1999). That part made particular use of her ability to convey vulnerability with little dialogue. *Morvern Callar* (2002) offered an enigmatic central character in the same year that Spielberg put her in a large-scale thriller. The subsequent work has continued across independent British and American films, studio supporting parts and television, rather than following a simple move from smaller films to bigger ones.

The reservation is about how films use that skill. In *Minority Report*, John Williams's music gives the thriller urgency, but its insistence can leave too little space around the performances. Morton has already made the concern immediate; we do not need the music to press it home. The later plotting also takes longer to explain than it should. Spielberg's film remains a strong recommendation, though we sometimes wished he would let us stay with the actors without quite so much assistance.

The useful thread through these parts is her willingness to let a character remain difficult to read without making us stop caring. It suits intimate character studies, but *Minority Report* demonstrates how much a busy genre film can gain from it too. Begin there, allowing for a thriller that sometimes explains more than either its audience or its actors need.

## Biography

Samantha Morton is an English actress. Born in Nottingham on 13 May 1977, she trained at the Central Junior Television Workshop and began her career in British television in the early 1990s.

She appeared in the ITV series Band of Gold (1995–1996) and the BBC miniseries The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997). Her early film roles include Emma (1996), Jane Eyre (1997) and Under the Skin (1997). Morton played Agatha in Minority Report (2002). She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress in Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and Best Actress in In America (2003).

Other credits include Morvern Callar (2002), Control (2007), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), John Carter (2012), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), The Whale (2022) and The Odyssey (2026). She made her directorial debut with the television film The Unloved (2009). In 2024 she received the BAFTA Fellowship.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org, bafta.org.*

## On Fi1m (17)

### Performed in (14) — the average rests on these

- *The Odyssey* (2026), Fi1m 83, as Circe — [page](https://film.one/film/the-odyssey.md)
- *Anemone* (2025), Fi1m 50, as Nessa — [page](https://film.one/film/anemone.md)
- *She Said* (2022), Fi1m 73, as Zelda Perkins — [page](https://film.one/film/she-said.md)
- *The Whale* (2022), Fi1m 54, as Mary — [page](https://film.one/film/the-whale.md)
- *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* (2016), Fi1m 61, as Mary Lou Barebone — [page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them.md)
- *The Last Panthers* (2015), Fi1m 78, as Naomi — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-last-panthers.md)
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), Fi1m 68, as Alpha — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *Synecdoche, New York* (2008), Fi1m 84, as Hazel — [page](https://film.one/film/synecdoche-new-york.md)
- *Control* (2007), Fi1m 80, as Debbie Curtis — [page](https://film.one/film/control.md)
- *Elizabeth: The Golden Age* (2007), Fi1m 54, as Mary, Queen of Scots — [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth-the-golden-age.md)
- *The Libertine* (2004), Fi1m 56, as Elizabeth Barry — [page](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md)
- *Minority Report* (2002), Fi1m 81, as Agatha — [page](https://film.one/film/minority-report.md)
- *Morvern Callar* (2002), Fi1m 82, as Morvern Callar — [page](https://film.one/film/morvern-callar.md)
- *Band of Gold* (1995), Fi1m 72, as Tracy Richards — [page](https://film.one/tv/band-of-gold.md)

### Directed (1)

- *The Unloved* (2009), Fi1m 74, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-unloved.md)

### Produced (1)

- *Her* (2013), Fi1m 84, Associate Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/her.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *The Graham Norton Show* (2007), Fi1m 82, as Self — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-graham-norton-show.md)

## Complete filmography (66)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Odyssey* (2026), as Circe — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-odyssey.md)
- *Anemone* (2025), as Nessa — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/anemone.md)
- *2073* (2024), as Ghost
- *The Burning Girls* (2023), series, as Reverend Jack Brooks
- *The Whale* (2022), as Mary — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-whale.md)
- *She Said* (2022), as Zelda Perkins — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/she-said.md)
- *The Serpent Queen* (2022), series, as Catherine de Medici
- *Tales of the Walking Dead* (2022), series, as Dee
- *Save the Cinema* (2022), as Liz Evans
- *I Am...* (2019), series, as Kirsty · Story
- *Two for Joy* (2018), as Aisha
- *Harlots* (2017), series, as Margaret Wells
- *Rillington Place* (2016), series, as Ethel Christie
- *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* (2016), as Mary Lou Barebone — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them.md)
- *Artists in Love* (2016), series, as Host
- *The Last Panthers* (2015), series, as Naomi — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-last-panthers.md)
- *Cider with Rosie* (2015), as Annie Lee
- *The Harvest* (2015), as Katherine
- *Miss Julie* (2014), as Kathleen
- *Decoding Annie Parker* (2014), as Annie Parker
- *Her* (2013), Associate Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/her.md)
- *Angels & Ghosts* (2013), as Amber Crick (voice)
- *Cosmopolis* (2012), as Vija Kinsky
- *John Carter* (2012), as Sola
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), series, as Alpha — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *The Messenger* (2009), as Olivia Pitterson
- *The Unloved* (2009), Director, Writer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-unloved.md)
- *The Daisy Chain* (2008), as Martha Conroy
- *Synecdoche, New York* (2008), as Hazel — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/synecdoche-new-york.md)
- *Mister Lonely* (2008), as Marilyn Monroe
- *Control* (2007), as Debbie Curtis — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/control.md)
- *Elizabeth: The Golden Age* (2007), as Mary, Queen of Scots — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth-the-golden-age.md)
- *Expired* (2007), as Claire Barney
- *Max & Ruby - A Merry Bunny Christmas* (2007), as Ruby
- *Longford* (2006), as Myra Hindley
- *Lassie* (2005), as Sarah Carraclough
- *River Queen* (2005), as Sarah O'Brien
- *Max & Ruby's Halloween* (2005), as Ruby (voice)
- *Enduring Love* (2004), as Claire
- *The Libertine* (2004), as Elizabeth Barry — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md)
- *Max & Ruby's Christmas* (2004), as Ruby (voice)
- *In America* (2003), as Sarah
- *Code 46* (2003), as Maria Gonzales
- *Morvern Callar* (2002), as Morvern Callar — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/morvern-callar.md)
- *Max & Ruby* (2002), series, as Ruby
- *Minority Report* (2002), as Agatha — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/minority-report.md)
- *Eden* (2001), as Sam
- *Pandaemonium* (2001), as Sara Coleridge
- *Jesus' Son* (2000), as Michelle
- *Sweet and Lowdown* (1999), as Hattie
- *Dreaming of Joseph Lees* (1999), as Eva
- *The Last Yellow* (1999), as Jackie
- *Under the Skin* (1997), as Iris Kelly
- *The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling* (1997), series, as Sophie Western
- *This Is the Sea* (1997), as Hazel Stokes
- *Jane Eyre* (1997), as Jane Eyre
- *Emma* (1996), as Harriet Smith
- *The Future Lasts A Long Time* (1996), as May
- *The Vet* (1995), series, as Amanda Mulholland
- *Band of Gold* (1995), series, as Tracy Richards — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/band-of-gold.md)
- *The Token King* (1993), as Vicky Hooper
- *Cracker* (1993), series, as Joanne Barnes — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/cracker.md)
- *Peak Practice* (1993), series, as Abbey / Pauline Jones
- *Soldier Soldier* (1991), series, as Clare Anderson
- *The Entertainment System Is Down*, Actor
- *Love and War*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-5216ba0cca69.jpg) Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026 — PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano.jpg/1280px-SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-ab64fcf53451.jpg) Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026 — PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano2.jpg/1280px-SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-ae871a8bef2a.jpg) Samantha Morton at the NYC Premiere of "The Odyssey" - July 14, 2026 — PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano3.jpg/1280px-SamanthaMorton-byPhilipRomano3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![English actress Samantha Morton (2008)](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-0c2cce2154ed.jpg) English actress Samantha Morton (2008) — Chloe from Reading, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Samantha_Morton.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-1d9731a91b0c.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-e9bf3e763337.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-1e460b16e149.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-e4cf7ce36fba.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-650bf5de0e3c.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB
- ![Samantha Morton](https://film.one/media/person/97619/gallery-aa0a97a9b243.jpg) Samantha Morton — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 2004: Best Actress (nominated), for *In America*
- 2000: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Sweet and Lowdown*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 2024: BAFTA Fellowship (won)

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 2007: Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (won), for *Longford*

### Other awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- Jameson People's Choice Award for Best Actress 2004: Jameson People's Choice Award for Best Actress (nominated), for *Code 46*
- European Film Award for Best Actress 2002: European Film Award for Best Actress (nominated), for *Morvern Callar*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/samantha-morton