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Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton

Actor, also writer and director · Born May 13, 1977 (49) · Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK

Golden Globe winner · 2 BAFTA Awards · Oscar nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Samantha Jane Morton (born May 13, 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her work in independent films with dark and tragic themes, in particular period dramas. She has received numerous accolades, including the BAFTA Fellowship, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Morton was a member of the Central Junior Television Workshop in her native Nottingham and began her career in British television in 1991. She appeared in the ITV series Band of Gold (1995–1996) and the BBC miniseries The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997). Morton's early film roles include Emma (1996), Jane Eyre (1997), and Under the Skin (1997). She received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown(1999) and the other for Best Actress for Jim Sheridan's In America (2003). Other notable film credits include  Morvern Callar (2002),  Minority Report (2002), The Libertine (2004), Control(2007), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), The Messenger (2009), John Carter (2012), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), and The Whale (2022). For her portrayal of Myra Hindley in the Channel 4 and HBO film Longford (2006), she received a Primetime Emmy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award nominations. Morton made her directorial debut with the television film The Unloved (2009), which won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Single Drama. She has starred in various programmes, such as The Last Panthers (2015), Rillington Place (2016), Harlots (2017–2019), The Walking Dead (2019–2020), and The Serpent Queen (2022–2024). Description above from the Wikipedia article Samantha Morton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 13, 1977 (49)
From
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor, also writer and director
Titles
49 on MovieCove · 67 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 35% in 30 days

What are Samantha Morton's films like?

Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama21 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
22%
Survival
20%
Self
19%
Power
10%
Society
10%
Morality
9%
Ideas
9%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 9 · Dark 21

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 11

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 15 · Intense 17

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 30 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 9

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 23

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 11

Roles they play

35 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 13 of 35 analyzed roles.

Hero
13 of 35
Shadow
8 of 35
Ally
7 of 35
Shapeshifter
2 of 35
Threshold guardian
2 of 35
Mentor
2 of 35
Herald
1 of 35
Show the 35 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Melancholic
29
Dread
10
Warm
10
Contemplative
12
Other
39

How their films linger

Haunting20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet21
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous13

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Samantha Morton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 38 of their 49 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Samantha Morton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

67 credits, 49 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Odyssey(2026)

    as Circe

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Anemone(2025)

    as Nessa

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • 2073(2024)

    as Ghost

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Burning Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as Reverend Jack Brooks

  • The Whale(2022)

    as Mary

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • She Said(2022)

    as Zelda Perkins

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Serpent Queen(2022)

    Show 16 episodes · as Catherine de Medici

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Tales of the Walking Dead(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Dee

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Save the Cinema(2022)

    as Liz Evans

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • I Am...(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Story · as Kirsty

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Two for Joy(2018)

    as Aisha

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Harlots(2017)

    Show 16 episodes · as Margaret Wells

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Rillington Place(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · as Ethel Christie

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them(2016)

    as Mary Lou Barebone

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Artists in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · as Host

  • The Last Panthers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · as Naomi

  • Cider with Rosie(2015)

    as Annie Lee

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Harvest(2013)

    as Katherine

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Miss Julie(2014)

    as Kathleen

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Decoding Annie Parker(2013)

    as Annie Parker

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Her(2013)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Angels & Ghosts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Amber Crick (voice)

  • The Frame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Maria Gonzales · as Vija Kinsky

  • Cosmopolis(2012)

    as Vija Kinsky

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • John Carter(2012)

    as Sola

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Walking Dead(2010)

    Show 38 episodes · as Alpha

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Messenger(2009)

    as Olivia Pitterson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Unloved(2009)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Daisy Chain(2008)

    as Martha Conroy

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Synecdoche, New York(2008)

    as Hazel

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Mister Lonely(2007)

    as Marilyn Monroe

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Control(2007)

    as Debbie Curtis

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Elizabeth: The Golden Age(2007)

    as Mary, Queen of Scots

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Expired (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Claire Barney

  • Max & Ruby - A Merry Bunny Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Ruby

  • Longford (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Myra Hindley

  • Lassie(2005)

    as Sarah Carraclough

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • River Queen(2005)

    as Sarah O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Max & Ruby's Halloween (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Ruby (voice)

  • Enduring Love(2004)

    as Claire

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Libertine(2004)

    as Elizabeth Barry

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Max & Ruby's Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Ruby (voice)

  • In America(2002)

    as Sarah

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Code 46(2003)

    as Maria Gonzales

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Morvern Callar(2002)

    as Morvern Callar

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Max & Ruby(2002)

    Show 78 episodes · as Ruby

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Minority Report(2002)

    as Agatha

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Eden(2001)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Pandaemonium(2000)

    as Sara Coleridge

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Jesus' Son(1999)

    as Michelle

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sweet and Lowdown(1999)

    as Hattie

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Dreaming of Joseph Lees(1999)

    as Eva

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Last Yellow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Jackie

  • Under the Skin(1997)

    as Iris Kelly

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling(1997)

    Show 5 episodes · as Sophie Western

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • This Is the Sea(1997)

    as Hazel Stokes

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Jane Eyre(1997)

    as Jane Eyre

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Emma(1996)

    as Harriet Smith

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Future Lasts A Long Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as May

  • The Vet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · as Amanda Mulholland

  • Band of Gold(1995)

    Show 12 episodes · as Tracy Richards

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Token King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Vicky Hooper

  • Cracker(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Joanne Barnes

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Peak Practice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Abbey / Pauline Jones

  • Soldier Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Clare Anderson

  • Love and War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Entertainment System Is Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 67 titles, 65 of them dated from 1991 to 2026; peak year 2003.

Biggest box office

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

$816M worldwide

Highest rated

Control (2007)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Max & Ruby (2002)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19912026

Peak 2003 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 21 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 2 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting65 of 67: 64 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting1 of 67: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 67: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 67: 1 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s15 · acting2000s24 · 23 acting · 1 crew2010s17 · 16 acting · 2 crew2020s9 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 35% of 31 roles
9601061116

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Golden Globe, 2 BAFTA Awards and 1 other major award from 16 major nominations, 2000–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • BAFTA Award, won · Film
  2. 2020
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Leading Actress
  3. 2010
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Single Drama
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Female
  4. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
  5. 2008
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
  6. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actress
  7. 2004
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Female Lead
  8. 2000
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Samantha Morton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 39; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 49 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 49 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

2073 (2024)

90th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Odyssey (2026)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Samantha Morton's work okay for kids?

Across up to 22 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles35–73 · median 54 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity22 titles24–68 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity15 titles30–85 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles30–72 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles38–70 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Samantha Morton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Samantha Morton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David M. Thompson shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles