Kendrick Sampson (born March 8,[1] 1988)[2] is an American actor and activist, best known for his appearances on The Vampire Diaries, Gracepoint, How to Get Away with Murder, The Flash, and HBO's Insecure.
Kendrick Sampson | |
|---|---|
 Sampson in 2022 | |
| Born | March 8, 1988 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Activist |
| Years active | 2005–present |
Early life
editSampson was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the son of Daphne Smith Sampson and Hoyle Sampson Sr.[1][3][4] He is biracial. As a child, Sampson was enrolled in music lessons.[3][5][6] Sampson expressed an interest in acting at 10 after he saw a Gap commercial. After finding an agent, Sampson was referred to the Kim Terry Studio in Texas. He began performing in theater productions while attending Elkins High School.[4][3] Sampson is a devout Christian.[6]
Career
editIn 2008, Sampson appeared in two episodes of the ABC Family series Greek and followed that up with an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2010.[5] In July 2013, Sampson booked the recurring role of Jesse in the fifth season of The CW series The Vampire Diaries.[7] In January 2014, Sampson was cast in the role of Dean Iverson in the Fox miniseries Gracepoint.[8] In November 2014, Sampson starred in the music video for Hayley Kiyoko's song "This Side of Paradise."[9] In early 2015, Sampson shot the pilot for a potential ABC series called The Kingmakers but the series wasn't picked up.[10] In July 2015, Sampson booked the recurring role of Caleb Hapstall in the second season of ABC's prime time legal drama How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes.[11] From 2018 - 2021, Sampson had a recurring role as Nathan Campbell on Issa Rae's Insecure. Sampson has also started his own production company called Sampson Studios.[3]
Activism
editIn May 2019, he founded the organization BLD PWR for new development, empowerment and change within marginalized groups and American society.[12] Following the Murder of George Floyd, Sampson actively participated in and organized Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles.[13] During the protests, Sampson reported that police officers shot rubber bullets at him and assaulted him.[13][14][15] Sampson called for a one-day strike in Hollywood over the Shooting of Jacob Blake.[16]
In 2020, Sampson collaborated with JusticeLA to create a public service announcement #SuingToSaveLives about the health of people in Los Angeles County Jails amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[17][18]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story | Lamar | |
| 2011 | This Boy's Dream | Announcer | Short film |
| 2011 | Immune | Darren | Short film; Producer and writer |
| 2012 | The Sidelines | Fred Billings | Short film |
| 2014 | Survival | Short film; Assistant producer | |
| 2016 | Rougarou | Henri | Short film |
| 2020 | Miss Juneteenth | Ronnie | |
| 2022 | Something from Tiffany's | Ethan Greene | |
| 2025 | Michael | Quincy Jones | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Greek | Woodchuck | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Derrick Gold | Episode: "Field Mice" |
| 2011 | Days of Our Lives | Jay Jordan | Episode: December 8, 2011 |
| 2013 | The Vampire Diaries | Jesse | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Gracepoint | Dean Iverson | Miniseries |
| 2014 | 2014 Young Hollywood Awards | Himself | TV special |
| 2015 | Kingmakers | Pete Greer | TV movie |
| 2015 | VH1 Big in 2015 with Entertainment Weekly | Himself | TV special |
| 2015–2016 | How to Get Away with Murder | Caleb Hapstall | Recurring role; 13 episodes |
| 2016 | Hollywood Today Live | Himself | Episode: 16 March 2016 |
| 2016–2017 | Supernatural | Max Banes | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Up To Us | Himself | Documentary |
| 2017 | Rosewood | Nathan Turner | Episode: "Asphyxiation & Aces" |
| 2017 | White Famous | Robbie MacDonald | Recurring; 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Relationship Status | Nate | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | The Flash | Dominic Lanse / Brainstorm, Clifford DeVoe / Thinker | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2018–2021 | Insecure | Nathan Campbell | Recurring maincast (seasons 3–5) |
| 2019 | Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas | Ben | TV movie |
| 2020 | Fashionably Yours | Rob | TV movie |
| 2023 | I'm a Virgo | Edwin Garrison | Episode: "It Requires Trust on My Part" |
References
edit- ^ a b "Kendrick Sampson". ISSUE Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
Birth Date: 3/8 Birth Place: H-town
- ^ Kwateng–Clark, Danielle (June 11, 2019). "Actor Kendrick Sampson Talks About His New Activism-Focused Organization". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
Born and raised in Houston by a black father and white mother ... the 31-year-old...
- ^ a b c d Chang, Kee (January 20, 2014). "Q&A with Kendrick Sampson". Anthem.
- ^ a b "Testimonials from Parents". The Kim Terry Studio. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Menza, Kaitlin (December 5, 2013). "OK! Next Big Deal: Kendrick Sampson of Vampire Diaries Chats About Bonding With the Cast". OK! Magazine. American Media, Inc. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Yoo, Sarah (September 2015). "Kendrick Sampson". Celebrity. Composure Magazine (6): 75–82. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (July 12, 2013). "Exclusive: The Vampire Diaries Taps Greek Alum, HIMYM Actress for Season 5". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (15 January 2014). "Fox Adds Kendrick Sampson To 'Gracepoint'". deadline.com. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ Kiyoko, Hayley (November 12, 2014). "Hayley Kiyoko - This Side of Paradise". YouTube.
- ^ Abrams, Sean (November 5, 2015). "Outfitted: Kendrick Sampson". Maxim. Biglari Holdings. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2015). "Kendrick Sampson Joins 'How To Get Away With Murder'". Deadline. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- ^ HuffPost (July 16, 2019), "Kendrick Sampson Is Empowering Celebs To Become Activists With New Initiative"
- ^ a b Galuppo, Mia (2020-07-10). "Actor-Organizer Kendrick Sampson Is Putting "Pressure in the Streets" for Change". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Kennedy, Gerrick (2020-12-22). "Protesting for Social Justice Helped Kendrick Sampson Manage Anxiety". Men's Health. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Bruney, As told to Gabrielle (2020-06-04). "The First Time They Hit Me Was From Behind. We Were Peaceful, But They Wanted To Send a Message". Esquire. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Chuba, Kirsten (2020-08-28). "Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Calls for One-Day Hollywood Strike Over Jacob Blake". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Moniuszko, Sara M. "Natalie Portman, Gabrielle Union and Joaquin Phoenix join all-star PSA for jail reform amid COVID-19". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ Perez, Lexy (2020-09-24). "Natalie Portman, Gabrielle Union, Joaquin Phoenix Lead #SuingToSaveLives PSA for COVID-19 Response Coalition (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-16.