Samaire Armstrong

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Samaire Armstrong
Armstrong in 2010
Born
Samaire Rhys Armstrong

(1980-10-31) October 31, 1980 (age 43)
Tokyo, Japan
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present
Children1

Samaire Rhys Armstrong (/səˈmɪərə/ sə-MEER-ə) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in Stay Alive, The O.C., It's a Boy Girl Thing, and as Juliet Darling in the ABC television series Dirty Sexy Money. She has appeared on television as Elaine Richards in the ABC fantasy-drama Resurrection. She has also appeared in music videos for "Penny & Me" by Hanson and "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter

Early life[edit]

Armstrong was born in Tokyo to a Scottish father, Hunter Armstrong, and an Italian mother, Sylvia Sepielli. Her mother designs spas for resorts and her father teaches soldiers close combat training. Armstrong lived in Japan for five years, before moving to Hawaii and later Sedona, Arizona, where she grew up and attended Sedona Red Rock High School. She has also lived in Malaysia and China.[1]

Career[edit]

Television[edit]

In 2000, Armstrong made her television debut guest starring in an episode of the teen drama television series Party of Five portraying Meredith. Throughout 2000 to 2001, Armstrong made guest roles on high-profile television shows such as The X-Files, ER, Judging Amy and Freaks and Geeks.

In 2003, Armstrong was cast in the role of Anna Stern on the Fox teen drama television series, The O.C.. Armstrong was intended to only appear in one episode. However, after her character proved to be a fan favorite, she was brought back to appear in several more episodes. She portrays the role of a self-confessed comic book reader and a sarcastic socialite from Pittsburgh who is a recurring love interest for Seth Cohen. Despite the regular appearance of her character throughout the series first season, she was not promoted to series regular. In 2006, Armstrong was confirmed to return for the series' third season for two episodes. She did not return to the series which was cancelled after its fourth season.

In 2004, Armstrong appeared on the HBO television series Entourage, as an assistant to Ari Gold and love interest for Eric Murphy. Critics noted many similarities to her character Anna Stern and Emily.[citation needed] She was praised for her performance. She appeared in only eight episodes of the series' first two seasons. She went on to guest star in the television series CSI: Miami and Living with Fran.

In 2007, Armstrong was cast in her first series regular role on the ABC drama/comedy television series, Dirty Sexy Money. She portrayed the role of Juliet Darling, a spoiled heiress who aspired to be a serious actress. The series was an instant success and premiered on September 26, 2007, to 10.44 million viewers. The series received mixed reviews from critics. Her character has been noted to have many similarities to real-life heiress Paris Hilton. In March 2008 Armstrong announced she would not return for the series second season as a series regular. The series did not maintain its success and slipped in ratings throughout its run dramatically. The series was cancelled on August 8, 2009.[2]

In 2010, Armstrong guest appeared in the HBO television series How To Make It In America in the series first episode portraying the role of Jane.

In 2012, she appeared in 8 episodes of The Mentalist, as a prostitute turned confidential informant for the California Bureau of Investigation. Her character Summer shared a kiss with Tim Kang's character Kimball Cho in the episode "At First Blush" after Cho admitted having feelings for Summer.

In September 2013, she played the mother of the blond boy who perpetrated the school shooting in the Sons of Anarchy season six premiere "Straw".

Film[edit]

Armstrong made her film debut portraying the role of Kara Fratelli, one of the conjoined twins in the parody film Not Another Teen Movie in 2001. Samaire has since appeared in notable small roles in films such as Would I Lie To You?, Gramercy Park and Trash. In 2006, Armstrong co-starred alongside Lindsay Lohan in the film Just My Luck portraying the role of Maggie, Lohan's character's best friend. The film was a box office bomb and was negatively received by critics.

In 2005, The O.C. producer McG offered the leading female protagonist role in the horror film Stay Alive. She portrays the role of Abigail, an aspiring photographer and love interest to Jon Foster's character. The film was released on June 29, 2006, and debuted at #3 at the U.S. box office. Despite a worldwide gross of just $27,105,095 it was considered a box office success compared to the film's modest $9 million budget. The film was negatively received by critics with her performance receiving mixed reviews.

Armstrong starred as Nell Bedworth in the Canadian comedy It's a Boy Girl Thing, which was released on December 26, 2006, and received positive reviews from critics. The film was considered a box office success, earning worldwide $7,385,434. Samaire's performance was praised by critics.[citation needed]

In 2007, Armstrong starred in a relatively small supporting role as Jenny in the horror film Rise: Blood Hunter alongside Lucy Liu. The film was a box office and critical failure. She also had a leading role portraying Caitlin Atwater in the Lifetime film The Staircase Murders. The film follows the real-life crimes of Michael Peterson who was convicted in 2003 of pushing his wife down the stairs. The film received mixed reviews.

In 2008, Armstrong starred the independent romance film Around June. The film follows a young woman who finds love with an illegal immigrant whose love changes her life. Filming took place in San Francisco, California, in 2008. The film played at the Santa Cruz Festival in 2009. Armstrong has since been cast in another independent film, a crime thriller The Last Harbor, which released in 2010. She also starred in another thriller, 5 Souls, in 2013.

Personal life[edit]

Armstrong entered an "outpatient facility" in October 2007[3] "to deal with some personal issues."[4] She checked out after six weeks but returned and stayed for another three months.[5]

In December 2012, Armstrong and her then-boyfriend Jason Christopher welcomed their first child, a boy.[6] She lives in Sedona, Arizona, where she went to school as a teen. In 2022, she ran for and lost the Sedona mayoral election.[7][8]

Armstrong is a conservative and voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. In 2020, she was criticized after stating that "BLM is a billion dollar domestic terrorist organization" on her Instagram.[9][10]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Not Another Teen Movie Kara Fratelli
2002 Would I Lie to You? Sophie Video
2003 Dark Wolf Josie Video
2006 Stay Alive Abigail
Just My Luck Maggie
It's a Boy Girl Thing Nell Bedworth/Woody Deane
2007 Rise: Blood Hunter Jenny
2008 Around June June
2010 The Last Harbor Roxanne Hall
2013 Concrete Blondes Tara Petrie
5 Souls Miranda
My Santa Jen Robbins
2014 The Lachrymist Ms. Alice Alquist Short film
A Winter Rose Simone
2015 Windsor Drive Brooke
2017 Carter & June June O'Malley
2020 The 2nd Olivia
The Office Mix-up Joan
2022 Terror on the Prairie Soiled Dove

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Party of Five Meredith Episode: "Taboo or Not Taboo"
Freaks and Geeks Laurie Episodes: "Discos and Dragons", "Smooching and Mooching"
That's Life Brittany Episode: "When Good Ideas Go Bad"
2001 ER Tasha Episode: "Sailing Away"
Judging Amy Angie Becker Episode: "Look Closer"
The X-Files Natalie Gordon Episode: "Lord of the Flies"
2003 Trash Gypsy TV film
2003–2006 The O.C. Anna Stern Recurring role (15 episodes)
2004 Gramercy Park Jillene TV film
NYPD Blue Christine Episode: "You're Buggin' Me"
2004–2005 Entourage Emily Recurring role (8 episodes)
2005 NUMB3RS Skyler Wyatt Episode: "Obsession"
2006 CSI: Miami Brynn Roberts Episode: "High Octane"
2007 The Staircase Murders Caitlin Atwater TV film
Living with Fran Laurie Episode: "Plastered"
2007–2009 Dirty Sexy Money Juliet Darling Regular role (11 episodes)
2010 How to Make It in America Jane Episode: "Pilot"
2011 Better with You Jessica Episode: "Better Without a Couch"
2011–2012 The Mentalist Summer Edgecombe Recurring role (8 episodes)
2012 Adopting Terror Cheryl Broadbent TV film
2013 Sons of Anarchy Darvany Jennings Episodes: "Straw", "One One Six"
2014 Heavenly Match Casey Hart TV film
2014–2015 Resurrection Elaine Richards Main role (21 episodes)
2014 A Winter Rose Simone TV series, pre-production
2015 Stalker Lucy Episode: "Salvation"
2016 Agent Carter Wilma Cully Episode: "Smoke & Mirrors"
NCIS: New Orleans Marion Watkins Episode: "Second Chances"
2017 Arrow Laura Ramirez Episode: "Spectre of the Gun"
Grey's Anatomy Claire Nolan Episode: "Back Where You Belong"
NCIS Melissa Goodman Episode: "Fake It Till You Make It"
2018 Robot Chicken Trish Walker / Patti Mayonnaise Voice role; episode: "Strummy Strummy Sad Sad"
2019 House on the Hill (aka He's Out to Get You) Megan TV film
Deadly Excursion Samantha McCarthy TV film
2021 Deadly Excursion: Kidnapped From the Beach Samantha McCarthy TV film
2024 Acting Coach Nightmare Lisa TV film

Music videos[edit]

Year Title Artist
2004 "Penny & Me" Hanson
2005 "Bad Day" Daniel Powter

References[edit]

  1. ^ Croce, Maria (December 19, 2006). "It's a Boy Gael Thing". The Daily Record. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007.
  2. ^ Oscar Dahl (March 28, 2008). "Armstrong Dropped from Cast". Buddytv.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. It's difficult taking a Paris Hilton-type person and making them sympathetic, which is exactly what Samaire did.
  3. ^ "Samaire Armstrong in Treatment". Eonline.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  4. ^ Jordan, Julie (October 12, 2007). "Samaire Armstrong Enters Outpatient Facility for 'Personal Issues'". People. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  5. ^ White, Nicholas (August 4, 2008). "Samaire Armstrong: I'm 'Better and Better' After Rehab". People. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  6. ^ "Samaire Armstrong welcomes son Calin". People Magazine. December 16, 2012. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  7. ^ Latch, Lacey (November 18, 2022). "Sedona Vice Mayor Jablow wins mayor's race". Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  8. ^ Mahjouri, Shakiel (November 9, 2022). "'The O.C.' Actress Samaire Armstrong Loses Mayoral Election". ET Canada. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  9. ^ Armstrong, Samaire [@samaire_samaire] (October 19, 2020). "Don't know Stevi... seems like the definition of racist doesn't mean what it once did? • For some reason, now, calling out domestic terrorists who hang with "anti fascists" as they beat the front teeth out of a black American and scream "black lives matter" makes me a racist? https://t.co/BOuPZ5hDal" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2021 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "The OC actor Samaire Armstrong claims Black Lives Matter is a 'terrorist organisation'". The Independent. September 18, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2022.

External links[edit]

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