Samuel George "Sam" Claflin (born 27 June 1986) is an English film and television actor best known for portraying Philip Swift in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, William in Snow White and the Huntsman and Finnick Odair in the The Hunger Games film series.
Early life
Samuel George Claflin was born on 27 June 1986 in Ipswich, England as the third of four sons to Mark, a finance officer, and Sue Claflin, a classroom assistant. He has two older brothers, Benjamin and Daniel, and a younger brother, Joseph, who is also an actor.
As a child, Claflin had an interest in football. He played throughout his childhood until he broke his ankle, an injury that he felt would prevent him from ever playing professionally. After some persuasion from his parents and a teacher whom he'd made an impression on at his high school (Costessey High School in Norwich) during a play performance, he pursued acting. He was a member of the School of Excellence for Norwich City FC. In 2003, he took up Performing Arts at Norwich City College, before going on to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 2009.
Career
Claflin made his acting debut in 2010, when he appeared on the television miniseries The Pillars of the Earth as Richard and in the TV series Any Human Heart as young Logan Mountstuart. In March 2011, he was cast as Thomas in The Seventh Son, a film adaptation of The Spook's Apprentice, but dropped for unknown reasons and was replaced by Ben Barnes. His next appearance came in April 2011, when he portrayed the role of footballer Duncan Edwards in the BBC TV drama United, which was centred on the events of the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which Edwards was fatally injured. In April 2010, he was cast as Phillip Swift, a missionary that falls in love with a mermaid, in 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. For the film, he received a nomination in the 17th Empire Awards for "Best Male Newcomer."
In 2012, he appeared as Jack in the 6-episode TV series White Heat. Later that year, he played a supporting role in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, as William, Snow White's childhood friend. He received a nomination in the 2012 Teen Choice Awards for the category "Best Movie Breakout." Also in 2012, he was cast in the lead role in Hammer Films' The Quiet Ones, which was filmed in mid-2013 and was released in April 2014.
On 22 August 2012, Lionsgate announced that Claflin had been cast as Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games film series, starting with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Despite an uneasy reaction from fans of the series, director of Catching Fire, Francis Lawrence, stated of Claflin's performance during filming: "Finnick's an interesting character. At first he feels like a bit of a flirt and there's a little bit of sexual tension, but really you kind of fall in love with the guy and you see that there's a real deep emotional side to him. It's one of the reasons I really hired him in the first place was that it's where his character goes in the next couple of stories and I just think he did a fantastic job." The film was released in November 2013 to general acclaim and Claflin's portrayal of Finnick received positive reviews. Claflin reprised the role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, released in November 2014, and Part 2, scheduled for release in November 2015.
In February 2013, it was announced that Claflin was cast as Alex in the film adaption of Cecelia Ahern's novel Where Rainbows End. The following month, he starred in the TV film Mary and Martha as Ben, alongside Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn, which was broadcast by BBC One.
Personal life
In 2011, Claflin started dating British actress Laura Haddock. In a 2012 interview, he said of Haddock, "She's my female counterpart is the best way to describe her. She is my mum. She reminds me of my mum so much which I think - a guy will know, right? It's important. Your mum knows like everything." Claflin states that after he first met her, he called his agent proclaiming he had just met the woman he wanted to marry. After a year-and-a-half long engagement, the two married in July 2013 in a private ceremony.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Sam Claflin at the Internet Movie Database
- Sam Claflin at Biography.com