Sam Claflin
Biography
English actor Sam Claflin was born in Ipswich, England, to Susan A. (Clarke), a classroom assistant, and Mark J. Claflin, a finance officer. As a child, he was football-mad, often going to see his favorite team, Norwich City. He was a talented footballer, playing for Norwich schools at city level and Norfolk county level. However, he suffered two broken ankles and at 16 gave up thinking about a footballing career. He took up performing arts and a teacher from Costessey High School was impressed with his performance in a school play, and encouraged him to take up drama. He joined the local youth group at Norwich's Theatre Royal and went on to gain entry to LAMDA drama school in 2006 graduating with a 3 year acting degree in 2009. He is the 3rd eldest of 4 boys, his older brothers Dan and Ben are not involved in drama but his younger brother Joe Claflin commenced at the same drama school in 2009 also doing a 3 year acting degree.
In 2010, Clafin made his debut screen performances in two award-winning series, The Pillars of the Earth (2010) and Any Human Heart (2010). His film debut came playing footballer Duncan Edwards, one of the 'Busby Babes', in United (2011). Clafin then came to the attention of cinemagoers across the world when he was cast as Philip in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Various roles followed, including Jack in White Heat (2012) and Prince William in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). He played Finnick Odair in the sequels The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015).
Family
Trivia
His father is an accountant/financial manager and his mother is a school pupil welfare adviser.
While he is of mostly English descent, part of his father's family is American. His paternal grandfather was born in Connecticut, and his great-grandfather, Newton Cleveland Claflin, was from Revere, Massachusetts. Sam descends from Robert McClaughlin, a Scottish immigrant to Essex, MA in the 1600s (the surname was eventually shortened to simply "Claflin").
Graduated from the 3 Year BA (Hons) Acting course at LAMDA. [July 2009]
Good friends with actor and model Douglas Booth, with whom he co-starred in The Riot Club (2014).
He is a ninth cousin, once removed, of American actor Ashton Holmes (through shared "Claflin" ancestry).
Sam and his wife Laura Haddock welcomed their first child in December 2015.
Met wife Laura Haddock when both auditioned unsuccessfully for roles in My Week with Marilyn (2011). He was after the part of Colin Clarke that went to Eddie Redmayne and Laura had vied for the role of Marilyn that went to Michelle Williams.
Personal Quotes
I do just genuinely believe Chris Hemsworth is a 6'3, more muscular version of me. And more handsome, but I try.
When I was in high school, I was a bad singer. I mean, all my early acting was musical theater, and my first ever show was 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' Everyone's familiar with it. I played priest number 3 and sang so out of tune that it's not even funny.
I always try to be true to who I am and just be myself.
I don't go to royal parties or play polo on horseback. No, I don't hang out with the posh crowd, if that makes sense.
I used to spend a lot of time at football training, but that time was later spent in amateur acting classes and my local youth theatre, in plays at school and after-school clubs. That filled the void.
I have to prove myself in a lot of ways - as an actor, as a person, as someone who can handle pressure.
Get yourself into every audition that you can. Even in those for smaller roles, you'll never know when someone may recommend you for a bigger one.
I come from the bottom of the ladder. I'm from Norwich. Not many people seem to know about it.
One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given, on my first job was, 'You should always buy something to treat yourself to say, 'Well done for getting the job!''
