Sam Riley
{{Short description|British actor (born 1980)}}
{{about|the British actor|the rugby player|Sam Riley (rugby union)|the Australian swimmer|Samantha Riley}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Riley
| image = MKr350531 Sam Riley (NRW-Empfang, Berlinale 2024).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Riley in 2024
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|1|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = Menston, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer}}
| years_active = 2002–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Alexandra Maria Lara|2009}}
| children = 1
}}
Samuel Peter W. Riley (born 8 January 1980){{cite news|url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2018/01/08/UPI-Almanac-for-Monday-Jan-8-2018/2171515208436/|title= UPI Almanac for Monday, Jan. 8, 2018|work= United Press International|date=8 January 2018|access-date=21 September 2019| archive-date= 8 January 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180108222931/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2018/01/08/UPI-Almanac-for-Monday-Jan-8-2018/2171515208436/|url-status=live|quote=…actor Sam Riley in 1980 (age 38)}} is an English actor and singer.James Mottram: The only people for me are the mad ones. Independent on Sunday: The New Review, 30 January 2011, pp 10–13 He is best known for his performance in the 2007 biographical film Control about the life of Ian Curtis, as protagonist Sal Paradise in the 2012 adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel On the Road, and as Diaval in the 2014 film Maleficent. Riley received renown for his portrayal of Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 2016 film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Early life and education
Riley was born in Menston, Bradford, West Yorkshire, the son of Amanda, a nursery school teacher, and Andrew Riley, a textile agent.{{Cite web|last=Hardaker|first=Andrea|date=11 October 2007|title=Chance phone call brought fame to a Menston lad|url=http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/1752699.chance_phone_call_brought_fame_to_a_menston_lad/|access-date=22 May 2016|website=Ilkley Gazette}} He was educated at Malsis School, an independent school in the village of Cross Hills in North Yorkshire, and at Uppingham School, an independent school in the market town of Uppingham in Rutland.
Career
=Acting=
His breakthrough performance came when he played the role of Ian Curtis in the film Control, a biopic about the lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division. The film received high critical acclaim due in good part to Riley's performance,{{Cite web|last=Wollaston|first=Sam|date=2020-06-18|title=Sam Riley: 'The closer I got to fame, the more frightened I was of it'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/18/sam-riley-control-moment-my-life-good-ian-curtis-berlin-marie-curie|access-date=2021-02-09|website=The Guardian|language=en}} which won him a selection of awards including the British Independent Film Award for "Most Promising Newcomer"{{cite web|url=http://www.bifa.org.uk/awards/winners/2007.html|title=BIFA Winners 2007|publisher=British Independent Film Awards|date=28 November 2007|access-date=1 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071126021324/http://www.bifa.org.uk/awards/winners/2007.html |archive-date = 26 November 2007}} a BAFTA "Rising Star" nomination; and a Mark Kermode nod for Best Actor 2007.
Prior to his portrayal of Ian Curtis, Riley played The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, which details the Factory Records era and featured Sean Harris as Ian Curtis. Riley's scenes, however, were omitted from the final cut.
In September 2007, Riley was cast in Gerald McMorrow's British science fiction film Franklyn. He starred as the lead role in 13, an English language remake of the French thriller 13 Tzameti, released in the U.S. 28 October 2011. He played the role of Pinkie Brown in Brighton Rock alongside Helen Mirren, an adaption of Graham Greene's novel,{{Cite web|date=2011-01-12|title=Sam Riley shot to fame as the doomed Ian Curtis in Control. Now he's playing creepy Pinkie in Brighton Rock|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/12/sam-riley-star-brighton-rock|access-date=2021-02-09|website=The Guardian|language=en}} released 4 February 2011. He also starred in Walter Salles' film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's autobiographical On the Road playing the narrator and protagonist Sal Paradise. He also has a small role in the 2011 German comedy {{ill|Woman in Love (film)|de|3=Rubbeldiekatz|lt=Woman in Love}}, in which his wife Alexandra Maria Lara plays the female lead. His role is listed as "Wagenmeister".
In Byzantium (2012), a film directed by Neil Jordan, he appears alongside Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as Darvell.
In 2012, Riley was cast as Diaval in Disney's Maleficent, alongside Angelina Jolie. The film was released May 2014.
In 2015, he played Benoit Labarie in Saul Dibb's film adaptation of Irène Némirovsky's novel Suite Française, opposite Michelle Williams, Matthias Schoenaerts,
Kristin Scott Thomas and Ruth Wilson.
Riley was also cast as Fitzwilliam Darcy (Mr. Darcy) in the film, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,{{Cite web|last=Panos|first=Maggie|date=2014-09-24|title=In: Sam Riley|url=http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/photo-gallery/35750189/image/35750206/Sam-Riley|access-date=2021-02-09|website=POPSUGAR Entertainment|language=en-US}} released in February 2016.
Riley played the 'not-so welcome' returning prodigal brother David in the 2018 film Happy New Year, Colin Burstead{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt8122018/fullcredits|title=Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (2018) - IMDb|access-date=31 July 2020|website=IMDb.com}} by Ben Wheatley.
=Modelling=
He featured in the autumn/winter 2008 publicity campaign for the British fashion house Burberry, supervised by Christopher Bailey and shot by Mario Testino.Millar, Jamie; GQ; Sam Riley Exclusive!, February 2011. [http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-02/04/gq-film-sam-riley-interview-brighton-rock-on-the-road/mario-testino-burberry-13-ray-winstone CQ.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207081343/http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-02/04/gq-film-sam-riley-interview-brighton-rock-on-the-road/mario-testino-burberry-13-ray-winstone |date=7 February 2011 }}; retrieved 9 February 2011. He modelled the fall/winter 2014 Stefano Pilati-designed couture collection of Ermenegildo Zegna.[http://www.zegna.com/us/ermenegildo-zegna/couture/aw14/concept-adv-stefano-pilati.html Stefano Pilati concept] zegna.com He was named one of GQ{{'}}s 50 best dressed British men in 2015.{{cite news|title=50 Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015|url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/articles/2015-01/05/best-dressed-men-2015/|work=GQ|date=5 January 2015}}
=Music=
For a few years Riley was the lead singer of the Leeds band 10,000 Things, with whom he achieved moderate success. After their first release on indie label Voltage Records in 2002, they signed to major label Polydor for one self-titled album. They disbanded in 2005.
Personal life
As of 2011, Riley lives in Berlin with his wife, Romanian-German actress Alexandra Maria Lara. They met while filming Control, married in August 2009 and have a son born in January 2014.{{Cite web|date=13 February 2014|title=Alexandra Maria Lara: Endlich ist der Name ihres Babys raus!|trans-title=Alexandra Maria Lara- Her baby's name is finally out!|url=http://www.bunte.de/meldungen/alexandra-maria-lara-endlich-ist-der-name-ihres-babys-raus-72338.html|access-date=22 May 2016|website=BUNTE.de|language=de}}{{cite web|first=|date=7 January 2014|title=Nachwuchs: Berlinerin Alexandra Maria Lara freut sich über einen Sohn|trans-title=Alexandra Maria Lara from Berlin is happy to have a son|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/article123627670/Berlinerin-Alexandra-Maria-Lara-freut-sich-ueber-einen-Sohn.html|access-date=16 June 2014|website=Morgenpost|publisher=}}{{cite web|last=|first=|date=1 June 2014|title=Alexandra Maria Lara & Sam Riley – Baby-Geschlecht bekannt|trans-title=Alexandra Maria Lara & Sam Riley - It's a boy!|url=http://www.ok-magazin.de/people/news/23428/alexandra-maria-lara-und-sam-riley-baby-geschlecht-bekannt|access-date=16 June 2014|website=Ok magazin|publisher=}}
Filmography
=Film=
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes |
|---|
| 2017
| SS-GB | Douglas Archer | BBC One mini-series |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Sam Riley}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170616121519/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bdaba0980 Sam Riley] at the British Film Institute
- {{IMDb name|727165}}
{{Empire Award for Best Newcomer}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Sam}}
Category:English expatriates in Germany
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:Male actors from Bradford
Category:National Youth Theatre members
Category:People educated at Uppingham School
Category:21st-century English male actors