Samuel Anderson (actor)#Career

{{Infobox person

| name = Samuel Anderson

| image = Samuel Anderson.jpg

| caption = Anderson at Bournemouth Comic-Con in 2015

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1982}}

| birth_place = Handsworth, Birmingham, England

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 2003–present

}}

Samuel Anderson (born 1982){{cite web |title=Samuel Anderson - National Portrait Gallery |url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp71481/samuel-anderson |website=www.npg.org.uk |access-date=5 April 2025 |language=en}} is an English actor. He portrayed Crowther in the play The History Boys and its 2006 film adaptation. His other roles include Fingers in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey (2007, 2009, 2024), Ross Kirk in the television soap opera Emmerdale (2007–2009), Danny Pink in the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who (2014), and Daniel in the Sky1 sitcom Trollied (2014–2017).

Early life

Anderson was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, to an Irish mother and Jamaican father. From early life, Anderson made it clear that he wished to pursue acting as a career. He attended Stuart Bathurst, a Catholic secondary school.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Culture%3A+History+repeating+itself%3B+Birmingham-born+actor+Samuel...-a0152849099|title=Culture: History repeating itself; Birmingham-born actor Samuel Anderson talks to Terry Grimley about the life-changing experience of appearing in the stage and screen versions of Alan Bennett's The History Boys.|work=thefreelibrary.com}}

Career

Anderson attended the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London before going on to originate the role of Crowther in the 2004 National Theatre production of Alan Bennett's play The History Boys. He subsequently performed the same role in the Broadway, Sydney, Wellington, and Hong Kong productions, and radio and film versions.{{cite web |url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=412499| title = Internet Broadway Database: Samuel Anderson Credits on Broadway |access-date=7 January 2007}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=7785

|title=National Theatre : Productions : The History Boys 2004 |access-date=17 October 2006}}

On television, Anderson has appeared in Hex for Sky One in 2004, and Totally Frank for Channel 4 from 2006 to 2007. In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Three comedy series Gavin & Stacey as recurring character Fingers. He made another appearance in the show in 2009 and in its 2024 Christmas special. He has also appeared in the BBC Four comedy film Stuck, and made various guest appearances in Doctors and Casualty on BBC One.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1556238/|title=Samuel Anderson|work=IMDb}}

From October 2007, Anderson appeared in the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale as Ross Kirk. His casting in the role was announced in September 2007, with Anderson stating that it was "great" to be joining "such a successful show".{{cite news |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=67695&in_page_id=7&in_a_source= |title=Emmerdale welcomes new policeman |work=Metro |date=26 September 2007}} Emmerdale series producer Kathleen Beedles stated that Anderson was "a fantastic addition to the cast". Anderson remained a series regular in Emmerdale until January 2009, with major storylines including his character having an affair with Donna Windsor-Dingle and his wrongful imprisonment for the murder of Shane Doyle.{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/602494/Doctor-Who-Emmerdale-Samuel-Anderson-Ross-Kirk-Danny-Pink|title=Doctor Who and Emmerdale star Samuel Anderson says he WOULD return to soap as Ross Kirk|last=Debnath|first=Neela|date=2015-09-02|website=Express.co.uk|access-date=2019-08-31}}

Anderson played Mr. Romantic in a Carte Noire coffee advertising campaign in 2011. He also featured in an advertising campaign for Ginsters in 2012. In February 2014, he had a small role in an episode of BBC drama series Death in Paradise. Also in February 2014, it was announced that Anderson had been cast as recurring character Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School, in the eighth series of Doctor Who,{{cite web |url=http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/samuel-anderson-joins-doctor-who-for-peter-capaldi-s-first-series |title=New recurring character for Doctor Who Series 8 |work=Doctor Who TV |publisher=BBC |date=24 February 2014 |accessdate=24 February 2014 |archive-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210014148/http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/samuel-anderson-joins-doctor-who-for-peter-capaldi-s-first-series/ |url-status=dead }} appearing in 11 episodes. Between 2014 and 2017, Anderson appeared in Sky1 sitcom Trollied, playing the role of Daniel. In February 2016, he appeared in the BBC One drama series Moving On. In 2017, he starred in the comedy Loaded on Channel 4.{{cite web|last1=McEwan|first1=Cameron K|title=Danny Pink actor Samuel Anderson stars in new C4/AMC comedy, 'Loaded'|url=https://www.doctorwho.tv/news?article=danny-pink-actor-samuel-anderson-stars-in-new-c4amc-comedy-loaded|website=Doctor Who.tv|date=3 May 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Ellen E.|title=Samuel Anderson 'terrified' about new show Loaded: 'I hope people like it' |url=https://ssr.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/samuel-anderson-terrified-about-new-show-loaded-i-hope-people-like-it-a3530756.html|website=Evening Standard|date=4 May 2017}}

He appeared as William in the Netflix science fiction series Another Life, which produced two seasons between 2019 and 2021,{{cite web |last=Naronha |first=Remus |title='Another Life' star Samuel Anderson says William's loyalty lies with Niko first and foremost: 'She treats him normal' |url=https://meaww.com/another-life-samuel-anderson-interview-william-niko-katee-sackhoff-artificial-intelligence-netflix |website=meaww.com |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=7 August 2019}} before being cancelled in February 2022.{{cite web |last=Swift |first=Andy |title=Another Life Cancelled at Netflix — Read Katee Sackhoff's Statement |url=https://tvline.com/2022/02/21/another-life-cancelled-season-3-netflix-kate-sackhoff-statement/ |website=TVLine |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=21 February 2022}}

He also appeared in Amandaland as Mal in 2025,{{cite web |title=Amandaland: Who Is Samuel Anderson? |url=https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/tv-and-film/samuel-anderson/ |website=Grazia |access-date=5 April 2025 |language=en |date=6 February 2025}} which has been renewed for a second series.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006 \| The History Boys \| Crowther \|
2009 \| Highlight \| James \|
2012 \| Betsy & Leonard \| Dwayne \|
rowspan="2"\|2015 \| Pleasure Island \| Nate \|
The Lady in the Van \| Jehovah's Witness \|
2018 \| Genesis \| Robert Shorey \|
rowspan="2"\|2021 \| Gunpowder Milkshake \| David \|
Sweetheart \| Steve \|
rowspan="2"\|2023 \| Falling into Place \| Lewis \|
Embers \| Joe \|
2024 \| Back to Black \| A&R Man \|

class="wikitable"

Year

Title

Role

Notes

2006

| The History Boys

| Crowther

2009

| Highlight

| James

2012

| Betsy & Leonard

| Dwayne

rowspan="2"|2015

| Pleasure Island

| Nate

The Lady in the Van

| Jehovah's Witness

2018

| Genesis

| Robert Shorey

rowspan="2"|2021

| Gunpowder Milkshake

| David

Sweetheart

| Steve

rowspan="2"|2023

| Falling into Place

| Lewis

Embers

| Joe

2024

| Back to Black

| A&R Man

=Television=

Year	Title	Role	class="unsortable"\|Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
2003	Doctors	Tim Cartwright	2 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2004	The Afternoon Play	Cashier / Receptionist	Episode: "Sons, Daughters and Lovers"
Hex	Julius	Episode: "Pilot: The Story Begins"
2005–2006	Totally Frank	Jason	6 episodes
2007	Stuck	Simon	Television film
2007–2009	Emmerdale	Ross Kirk	Series regular
2007, 2009, 2024	Gavin & Stacey	Fingers	Recurring character
rowspan="2"\|2009	Doctors	Gregg Wilcox	Episode: "A Little of What you Fancy"
Casualty	Liam	Episode: "Palimpsest"
2011	Doctors	Roger Gently	Episode: "Lasso the Moon"
2011–2016	DCI Banks	DC Vince Grady	7 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2012	Bedlam	Taylor	Episode: "Dare"
Casualty	Kris Kingsley	3 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2013	Midsomer Murders	Perry Stevens	Episode: "Death and the Divas"
The Job Lot	Craig Allen	Episode #1.1
rowspan="2"\|2014	Death in Paradise	Swimming Model	Episode: "The Early Bird"
Doctor Who	Danny Pink	11 episodes
2014–2017	Trollied	Daniel Wilson	Series regular; 24 episodes
2016	Moving On	Danny	Episode: "Love"
2016–2018	Witless	Patrick	Main role
2017	Loaded	Leon	8 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2019	Father Brown	Alan Tylett	Episode: "The Sacrifice of Tantalus"
Plebs	Hermes	Episode "The Wedding"
2019–2021	Another Life	William	Main role; 20 episodes
2021	Landscapers	DC Paul Wilkie	Main role; 4 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2022	Red Rose	Vinny Mason	Main role; 4 episodes
Mammals	Dan	2 episodes
rowspan="2"\|2023	The Chemistry of Death	DCI Mackenzie	3 episodes
Murder, They Hope	Samuel	Episode: "Blood Actually: A 'Murder, They Hope' Mystery"
2024	Renegade Nell	Sir George Horner	Episode: "Stop Printing This Muck"
2025	Amandaland	Mal	6 episodes
2025	Wolf King''	Broghan	Voice only