Samantha Morton Biography

A popular television and film actor in the United Kingdom, Samantha Morton is recognized internationally for her role as the precog, Agatha, in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report (2002, starring Tom Cruise). Morton has been acting since she was a teenager, gaining acclaim for appearances in British series such as Band of Gold and Cracker, and in television movies such as 1997's Jane Eyre. In addition to co-starring in Minority Report, Morton has been nominated for an Oscar twice, for her role as a mute in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown (1999, starring Sean Penn), and for her performance in In America (2002). After the initial flush of Hollywood success, Morton settled into steady work on screen characterized by leading roles in small, U.K. films and character roles in bigger U.S. productions. Her other films include Morvern Caller (2002), The Libertine (2004, starring Johnny Depp), Lassie (2005, with Peter O'Toole), Control (2007, about the band Joy Division), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007, starring Cate Blanchett) and Synecdoche, New York (2008, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman).