Samantha Marie

Born on September 3, 1991, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Samantha Marie Ware began her acting journey at the age of 19 while attending Doane University. She quickly gained recognition for her work in theater, securing the role of Nala in a Las Vegas production of ‘The Lion King’. Her career progressed with a role in the 2012 national tour of ‘The Book of Mormon’, where her performance earned her the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Performer. These early achievements established her as a versatile talent in the performing arts.

Ware transitioned to television with a notable role as Jane Hayward in the sixth season of ‘Glee’ in 2015, appearing in 11 episodes. She further expanded her television presence, portraying Angela Archer in the 2019 Netflix series ‘What/If’ across 10 episodes and Lily in the Nike web series ‘Margot vs. Lily’ in 2016 for 8 episodes. Her acting credits also include roles in ‘Chicago Med’ (2017), ‘Bull’ (2017), ‘NCIS: New Orleans’ (2018), ‘God Friended Me’ (2019), and ‘Doom Patrol’ (2020–2021). Her career also includes her stage work playing Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the Chicago production of ‘Hamilton’.

In recent years, Ware continued to take on recurring roles, including Vanessa ‘Ness’ Johnson in ‘All Rise’ from 2020 to 2023, appearing in 23 episodes. She also served as an executive producer for the short film ‘Run’, which is now completed. In 2024, she took on the main character role of Trish Moore in the TV movie ’24-Karat Christmas’. Her work demonstrates a sustained commitment to both acting and music, performing under her singer stage name Sameya.