Famous Sams

A gallery in homage to the Sams and Samuels who made history, music, films and the odd dictionary. Click any portrait to read more.

Portrait of Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. JacksonAmerican actor (born 1948)

The coolest Sam in cinema. Possibly in all of history.

Photo: Daltoncitys, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portrait of Samuel Pepys
Samuel PepysEnglish writer and politician (1633–1703)

Kept the greatest diary in English. Buried his parmesan during the Great Fire.

Photo: John Hayls, Public domain
Portrait of Samuel Beckett
Samuel BeckettIrish writer (1906–1989)

Nobel Prize winner. Waited for Godot so the rest of us didn't have to.

Photo: Roger Pic, Public domain
Portrait of Sam Cooke
Sam CookeAmerican singer and songwriter (1931–1964)

The King of Soul. A change was gonna come, and he brought it.

Photo: RCA Victor Records, Public domain
Portrait of Samuel Johnson
Samuel JohnsonEnglish writer and polymath (1709–1784)

Wrote the dictionary. Literally.

Photo: Joshua Reynolds, Public domain
Portrait of Sam Neill
Sam NeillNew Zealand actor (1947–2026)

Stared down a T. rex in Jurassic Park and kept his hat on.

Photo: sean.koo, CC BY-SA 2.0
Portrait of Sam Mendes
Sam MendesBritish filmmaker and stage director (born 1965)

Directed Skyfall and 1917. Bond's favourite Sam.

Photo: Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portrait of Sam Rockwell
Sam RockwellAmerican actor (born 1968)

Oscar winner and the best dancer in Hollywood.

Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portrait of Samuel Morse
Samuel MorseAmerican inventor and painter (1791–1872)

Gave the world Morse code. ... .- -- spells SAM.

Photo: Mathew Benjamin Brady, Public domain
Portrait of Sam Elliott
Sam ElliottAmerican actor (born 1944)

That moustache. That voice. Enough said.

Photo: David, CC BY 2.0
Portrait of Sam Raimi
Sam RaimiAmerican filmmaker (born 1959)

Evil Dead and Spider-Man. Horror and heroes, both done right.

Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0
Portrait of Sam Fender
Sam FenderEnglish singer-songwriter (born 1994)

North Shields' finest. Seventeen going under, career going up.

Photo: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0
Portrait of Sam Heughan
Sam HeughanScottish actor (born 1980)

Outlander's Highland heartthrob.

Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0
Portrait of Sam Walton
Sam WaltonAmerican business magnate (1918–1992)

Built Walmart from a single shop in Arkansas.

Photo: Photo credit: George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Public domain
Portrait of Sam Houston
Sam HoustonAmerican general and statesman (1793–1863)

So good, Texas named a whole city after him.

Photo: Oldag07 (talk), Public domain
Portrait of Mark Twain
Mark TwainAmerican author and humorist (1835–1910)

Born Samuel Clemens. Gave us Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Photo: A.F. Bradley, New York, Public domain
Portrait of Sam Ryder
Sam RyderEnglish singer, songwriter and social media personality (born 1989)

Took Space Man to second at Eurovision 2022.

Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Portrait of Sam Kerr
Sam KerrAustralian soccer player (born 1993)

Goal machine. Backflip specialist.

Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portrait of Sam Worthington
Sam WorthingtonAustralian actor (born 1976)

Went blue for Avatar.

Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0
Portrait of Sam Claflin
Sam ClaflinEnglish actor (born 1986)

Finnick Odair. Enough said.

Photo: Ibsan73, CC BY 2.0
Portrait of Sam Allardyce
Sam AllardyceEnglish footballer and manager (born 1954)

Big Sam. Managed England for one game, and won it.

Photo: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portrait of Sam Warburton
Sam WarburtonWelsh rugby union player

Captained Wales and the British & Irish Lions.

Photo: Andrew Hazard for National Assembly for Wales, CC BY 2.0
Our Sam, in round glasses and a black hat
And our SamBristol legend

Kind, sharp, endlessly patient and first on the dance floor. The best Sam we know.