SAMUEL WEST

'Samuel Alexander Joseph West' (born June 19, 1966) is a British actor and theatre director.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Career

Personal life

Filmography

Theatre credits

Acting

Directing

Awards and nominations

External links

Biography

Early life

Samuel West is the son of Prunella Scales and Timothy West. He was educated at Alleyn's School, a co-educational independent school in Dulwich, London, and later studied English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford, but was always destined for an acting career. He has worked as an actor in a variety of dramatic media including: theatre, film, television and radio.

Career

West made his London stage debut in February 1989 at the Orange Tree Theatre, playing Michael in Cocteau's ''Les Parents Terribles'', of which critic John Thaxter wrote: "He invests the role with a warmth and validity that silences sniggers that could so easily greet a lesser performance of this difficult role, and he lets us share the tumbling emotions of a juvenile torn beween romantic first love and filial duty." (Richmond & Twickenham Times, 10 February, 1989).
Since then West has appeared frequently on stage and has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, taking the title roles in ''Richard II'' and ''Hamlet'' both directed by Steven Pimlott, and 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 stepped down in 2007.
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''. In 2004 he appeared in the year's highest rated mini-series on German television, "Die Nibelungen," which was released in the USA in 2006 as '' (also known as Ring of the Nibelungs, Curse of the Ring, and Sword of Xanten).
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. West 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.
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.

Personal life

As a choral singer 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 again joined 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.

Filmography

★ ''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) - King Caspian

★ ''Stanley and the Women'' (1991) (TV) - 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) - Jack Maitland

★ '' (1993) (TV) - Cyrian (as Sam West)

★ ''A Feast at Midnight'' (1994) - Chef

★ ''Open Fire'' (1994) (TV) - Steven Waldorf

★ ''As Time Goes By (TV)

★
★ ''We'll Always Have Paris'' (1994) - Terry (as Sam West)

★ ''A Breed of Heroes'' (1994) (TV) - Lt. Charles Thoroughgood

★ ''The Vacillations of Poppy Carew'' (1995 TV movie) - Victor

★ ''Carrington'' (1995) - Gerald Brenan

★ ''Persuasion'' (1995) - Mr. Elliot

★ ''Zoya'' (1995) (TV) - Nicolai (as Sam West)

★ ''Heavy Weather'' (1995) (TV) - 'Monty' Bodkin

★ ''Strangers'' (TV)

★
★ ''Costumes'' (1996) - Simon

★ ''Jane Eyre'' (1996) - St. John Rivers

★ ''Over Here'' (1996) (TV) - Archie Bunting

★ ''The Ripper'' (1997) (TV) - Prince Albert Victor Edward

★ ''Stiff Upper Lips'' (1998) - Edward

★ ''Rupert's Land'' (1998) - Rupert McKay

★ ''The Dance of Shiva'' (1998 short) - Lt. Davis

★ '' (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) - 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)

★
★ ''Life Sentence'' (2002) - Thomas Rice

★ ''Akhenaten and Nefertiti'' (2002) (TV) - Narrator

★ '' (2003 video) - Pongo (voice)

★ ''Cambridge Spies'' (2003) (TV) - Anthony Blunt

★ ''Entertaining Mr. Soane'' (2003) - Wightwick

★ ''Van Helsing'' (2004) - Dr. Victor Frankenstein

★ ''Foyle's War'' (TV)

★
★ ''The French Drop'' (2004) - Lt Col James Wintringham

★ ''Curse of the Ring'' (2004) (TV) - King Gunther

★ ''E=mc²'' (2005) (TV) - Humphry Davy (as Sam West)

★ ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'' (TV)

★
★ ''Chinese Walls'' (2006) - Tony Wainwright

★ ''Random Quest'' (2006) (TV) - Colin Trafford

★ ''Midsomer Murders'' (TV)

★
★ ''The Animal Within'' (2007) - Jeremy Thacker

★ ''The Long Walk To Finchley'' (2007) (TV) - Ted Heath

Theatre credits

Acting

★ ''The Browning Version'' - directed by Clive Perry, (Birmingham Repertory Theatre)

★ ''Les Parents Terribles'': Michael (February 1989) - directed by Derek Goldby, (Orange Tree Theatre)

★ ''The Bread-Winner'' (1989) - directed by Kevin Billington, (Theatre Royal, Windsor and touring)

★ ''A Life in the Theatre'' (October 1989-February 1990) - directed by Bill Bryden, (Theatre Royal Haymarket, transferred to Strand Theatre)

★ ''Hidden Laughter'': Nigel (June 1990) - directed by Simon Gray, (Vaudeville Theatre)

★ ''The Sea'': Willy Carson (1991) - directed by Sam Mendes, (Royal National Theatre)

★ ''Cain'' (1992) - directed by Edward Hall (Minerva Theatre)

★ ''Mr. Cinders'' A Musical Comedy: Jim Lancaster (December 1992-February 1993) - directed by Martin Connor (The King's Head Theatre)

★ ''Arcadia'': Valentine (April-November 1993) - directed by Trevor Nunn, (Royal National Theatre)

★ ''The Importance of Being Earnest'': Algernon - directed by James Maxwell, (Royal Exchange Theatre)

★ ''Henry IV Part I'' and Part II: Hal (1996-1997) - directed by Steven Unwin (English Touring Theatre)

★ ''Journey's End'': Captain Stanhope (January-February 1998) - directed by David Evans-Rees (The King's Head Theatre)

★ ''Antony and Cleopatra'': Octavius Caesar (1998) - directed by Sean Mathias, (Royal National Theatre)

★ ''Richard II'': Richard II (2000) - directed by Steven Pimlott, (RSC)

★ ''Hamlet'': Hamlet (2001) - directed by Steven Pimlott, (RSC)

★ ''The Master and Margarita'': The Master (2004) - directed by Steven Pimlott, (Chichester Festival Theatre)

★ ''Doctor Faustus'': Faustus (2004) - directed by Steven Pimlott, Martin Duncan and Edward Kemp, (Minerva Theatre)

★ ''Much Ado About Nothing'': Benedick (2005) - directed by Josie Rourke, (Crucible Theatre)

★ ''The Exonerated'': Kerry Max Cook (2006) - directed by Bob Balaban, (Riverside Studios)

★ ''A Number'': Bernard (2006) - directed by Jonathan Munby, (Studio Theatre (Sheffield) and Minerva Theatre)

★ ''Betrayal'': Robert (2007) - directed by Roger Michell, (Donmar Warehouse)

Directing

★ ''The Lady's Not for Burning'' (2002), Minerva Theatre

★ ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' (2003), Bristol Old Vic

★ ''Cosi Fan Tutte'' (2003), English National Opera for Barbican Theatre

★ ''Insignificance'' (2005), Lyceum Theatre (Sheffield)

★ ''Three Women and a Piano Tuner'' (2005), Hampstead Theatre and Minerva Theatre

★ ''The Romans in Britain'' (2006), Crucible Theatre

★ ''The Clean House'' (2006), Studio Theatre (Sheffield)

★ ''As You Like It'' (2007), Crucible Theatre and Swan Theatre (Stratford)

★ ''Dealers Choice'' (2007), Menier Chocolate Factory

Awards and nominations

★ 1993 - Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Howards End

★ 1999 - Nominated Genie Award for Best Actor for Rupert's Land

★ 2001 - Won London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for Hamlet

External links

★

★ Acting CV

★ Directing CV

★ Sheffield Theatres

★ tag: Samuel West at spiffyjellybean