Samantha Barks Biography
Samantha Barks (Samantha Jane Barks) is a British actress and singer from the Isle of Man. She is a Manx who rose to stardom after participating in the BBC talent show “I’d Do Anything” in 2008 and placing third. She has performed on stage and screen as well as television. In 2012, she starred alongside Jonathan Bailey in the Disney Channel series Groove High and made her film debut as Éponine in the film version of the musical Les Misérables.
Samantha Barks Age
The Les Misérables actress is 28 years old as of 2018. She was born on 2nd October 1990 in Laxey, Isle of Man
Is Samantha Barks British?
Yes, she is of British nationality. She was born on the Isle of Man which is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea.
Samantha Barks Education
Barks went to school at Laxey Primary in her native home, Laxey before joining St Ninian’s High School, Douglas She then moved to London to study A levels at The Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in Chiswick. She began Ballet, Tap and Modern dancing at the age of 3 with to study A levels at The Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in Chiswick.
Samantha Barks’ Photo
Samantha Barks Career in Singing and Acting
Barks released her first album in April 2007. It is titled “Looking in Your Eyes”. It featured several songs which she co-wrote and was released on the independent label Brunswick Studios.
She performed at the Peel Bay Festival in June 2007 supporting Matt Willis and the Sugababes. The festival also saw appearances by Madness and The Who. In December 2007, Barks represented the Isle of Man in the Maltese International Song Competition where she won the main prize of €2000 and the title of Best Foreign Singer. She sang the song “Nothing Else” from her album and “Play On”, a hit song in Malta.
She got into the “I’d Do Anything” competition in 2008. She became one of the finalists in a search for a new, unknown lead to play Nancy in a West End revival of the British musical Oliver!. She finished in the third position. The Tourism Minister Adrian Earnshaw renamed the Isle of Man to be the “Isle of Sam” on 29th April 2008, at the midpoint of the competition, as a sign of support.
After “I’d Do Anything,” Barks was announced to play the lead role of Sally Bowles in the UK tour of Cabaret from 29 August 2008 to 11 July 2009. In February 2009, she performed alongside her I’d Do Anything cast-mates Sarah Lark and Jodie Prenger at the Theatregoers Choice Awards. Toward the end of her run with Cabaret, Barks put on her own concert, An Audience with Sam Barks, at the Villa Marina on the Isle of Man on 3 January 2009 to thank those who had supported her during her time on I’d Do Anything and to thank those that have continued to support her.
On 30 September 2009, Barks launched the new Manx Ship, the Caly Manx, in Shanghai, China. She officially launched BreastHealth UK’s new clinic at the Spire Thames Valley Hospital in Wexham on 27 November 2009. She also played the title role in Aladdin during the Christmas Pantomime Season 2009/10 at the Theatre Royal, Windsor.
Samantha Barks Les Miserables
On the London production “Les Misérables” at the Queen’s Theatre from 21 June 2010 to 18 June 2011, Barks starred as Éponine. She also was chosen to play Éponine in the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Misérables at the O2 Arena on 3 October 2010 by Cameron Mackintosh, after he saw her play the role in her opening night at the Queens Theatre, in London’s West End.
Barks reprised her role as Éponine and made her film debut in the 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables. During filming, Barks recorded the song “Defective” for the album Scott Alan Live which was released in December 2012.
All this time, Barks had taken some time off her music career. In 2010, she resumed to music and released a song called “Let Go”, which she co-wrote with Garry Lake. The single debuted in 2010 but received an official release in 2011 through the independent label Flour Records.
She had a starring role in 2011 in the concert Direct From the West End. Run by a company called “Musical Ovation Ltd” set up by Scott Garnham and Martin Neely, the concert was performed for three nights—23 January in York, 6 February in Oxford and 13 February 2011 in Windsor. The concert featured two hours of songs from popular West End musicals. She performed in the concert The Songs of Bobby Cronin at the New Players Theatre on 27 February 2011.
She performed in Stars of the West End Sing the Songs of Steven Luke Walker at Charing Cross Theatre on 20th March. On 12 May 2011, Barks performed “On My Own” at the Classical Brits 2011 at The Royal Albert Hall. On 21 August 2011, she performed in a concert at the Battersea Barge in London. She starred as Nancy in the UK tour of Oliver! from 10 December 2011 to 1 April 2012. She temporarily left the tour on 1 April to film Les Miserables and was replaced on the tour by Cat Simmons.
She has performed in quite a number of concerts like a Little Women charity concert at the Playhouse Theatre in London on 24 June 2012, the Indoor Garden Party concert in New York City’s Gramercy Theatre on 13 October 2012 among others.
Samantha Barks Broadway
Samantha Barks Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a stage musical that premiered at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre in March 2018. It transferred to Broadway in July 2018, marking her Broadway debut, Her participation in the musical was announced in September 2017 as Vivian (originated by Julia Roberts).
Samantha Barks Movies and TV Shows
- 2019 – For Love Or Money as Connie
- 2017 – Bitter Harvest as Natalka
- 2017 – Interlude in Prague as Josefa Duchek
- 2016 – Bear Grylls: Mission Survive as Herself
- 2015 – A Hundred Streets as Lotte
- 2014 – Robot Chicken as Elizabeth James, Selina Kyle, Kris Munroe
- 2013 – The Christmas Candle as Emily Barstow
- 2013 – Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart as Miss Acacia
- 2012 – Groove High as Zoe Myer
- 2012 – Les Misérables as Éponine
- 2008 – I’d Do Anything as Herself
Theatre
- 2018 – Pretty Woman: The Musical as Vivian at Oriental Theatre, Chicago
- 2018 – Pretty Woman: The Musical as Vivian at Nederlander Theatre, Broadway
- 2017 – Honeymoon in Vegas as Betsy Nolan at London Palladium
- 2016 – The Last Five Years as Cathy Hiatt at St. James Theatre, London
- 2015 – Amelie at Amelie as Berkeley Repertory Theatre
- 2014 – City of Angels as Mallory / Avril at Donmar Warehouse
- 2013 – Chicago as Velma Kelly at Hollywood Bowl
- 2011–2013 – Oliver! as Nancy during the UK Tour
- 2010–2011 – Les Misérables as Éponine at Queen’s Theatre
- 2010 – Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert as Éponine at The O2
- 2008–2009 – Cabaret as Sally Bowles during the UK Tour
How much is Samantha Barks worth? | Samantha Barks Net Worth
The Pretty Woman star has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
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