Anna May Samson (born 23 November 1989) is a British-born Australian actress of stage and screen. Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts, Samson has appeared in numerous theatre productions, receiving a Helpmann Award nomination for her role in Birdland in 2016. She made her television debut in the 2012 miniseries Conspiracy 365, and went on to appear in various TV drama series, including Jack Irish and Winners & Losers. In 2016, Samson made her feature film debut in Crime & Punishment. The following year, she starred in feature film What If It Works?, SBS drama Dead Lucky, and the miniseries Wake in Fright. From 2021 to 2022, she played Mia Anderson in the soap opera Home and Away. She portrays DI Mackenzie Clarke in the 2024 Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise.
Early life and education
Anna May Samson[1] was born on 23 November 1989[2]in England, but spent her early years living in Nigeria.[3] Her family later relocated to Sydney, Australia.[2]
Samson joined the Red Stitch Actors Theatre and appeared in productions of Ruben Guthrie and Day One, A Hotel, Evening.[5] Roles in The Heretic for the Melbourne Theatre Company and After All This for the Elbow Room followed.[5] Other appearances in theatre productions include Alice Dreaming, Innocence – The Life and Death of Caravaggio, Gulf War, Ghetto and O'Horo – The Dance of Death.[6] Samson co-devised and performed the 2009 play Womb Division.[6]
Samson stars alongside Luke Ford in the 2017 film What If It Works? from writer-director Romi Trower. Samson plays Grace, an artist who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. The film premiered at the Cinequest Film and VR Festival.[11] That same year, Samson appeared in an episode of The Leftovers,[12] and the four-part SBS drama series Dead Lucky.[13] She also starred in the two-part miniseries Wake in Fright as Michaela "Mick" Jaffries.[4] The series is a television adaptation of the 1971 film of the same name and Samson's character was billed as "a contemporary reinvention" of the role originally played by Jack Thompson.[4] To prepare for the part, Samson watched MMA fights, lifted weights and took up boxing.[4] In 2018, Samson starred in the indie romance film 36 Questions alongside James Mason.[14] She appeared in the 2020 remake of Children of the Corn.[15]
Samson joined the main cast of Australian soap opera Home and Away as Mia Anderson in February 2021.[12] She was introduced alongside Sam Barrett, who plays Mia's daughter Chloe Anderson. The pair were given an instant connection to the other characters through Mia's relationship with Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams).[16] Following her casting announcement, Samson received criticism about her appearance on social media, leading her to release a statement calling out those that had sent her the comments.[3] Just over a year later, Samson departed the serial in April 2022.[17]
She then starred as Margarita in Eamon Flack's 2023 production of The Master and Margarita at the Belvoir St Theatre.[18] In April 2024, the BBC confirmed Samson would be playing DI Mackenzie Clarke in the Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise.[19] Her casting makes her the first female lead detective in the "Paraverse". The Australian-set series is filmed in Sydney and Illawarra. It centres on Mackenzie's return to her home town of Dolphin Cove, after she is forced to leave London and her job with the Met.[19]
Personal life
Following her appearance in an episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Samson, along with actress Tamzen Hayes, accused lead actor Craig McLachlan of sexual harassment on the set.[20] Samson alleged that McLachlan touched her buttock during their scenes together, making her forget her lines.[20]
