| Birth name | Sam John Troughton |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 21 March 1977 (age 49)[citation needed] |
| Birth place | Hampstead, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Father | David Troughton |
| Relatives | Jim Troughton (brother) William Troughton (brother) Patrick Troughton (grandfather) Henry Crichton (great-grandfather) Michael Troughton (uncle) Harry Melling (cousin) |
Sam John Troughton (born 21 March 1977) is an English actor who has made appearances in Robin Hood (2006–2009), Alien vs. Predator (2004), Hex (2005), The Town (2012), The Hollow Crown (2016), The Ritual (2017), Peterloo (2018), Chernobyl (2019), The Outlaws (2021), Litvinenko (2022), and Napoleon (2023).
Early life
He is the son of actor David Troughton and the grandson of the second Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton.[1][2][3] His younger brothers are the former Warwickshire cricketer Jim Troughton,[1] and actor William Troughton.[3] Troughton attended Bridgetown Primary School in Stratford-upon-Avon and then Trinity Catholic School in Leamington Spa.[4] He went on to study drama at the University of Hull, graduating in 1998.[1][2]
Career
Troughton is a Shakespearean actor who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company,[4] and has thrice been nominated (2000, 2001, 2002) for the Ian Charleson Awards, awarded to young actors for performances in classic plays.[5]
In 2005 Troughton starred in the horror films Spirit Trap alongside Billie Piper,[2] and Alien vs. Predator,[1] and several television productions including Sky One's Hex.[2] He has appeared in the SAS-themed drama Ultimate Force. From October 2006 he appeared in the BBC Robin Hood series (2006–2009),[4] in which he features as Robin's ex-manservant, Much.[4]
Troughton's stage roles include Orlando in Samuel West's production of Shakespeare's As You Like It at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.[6] He returned to the RSC as part of the 2009–2011 ensemble, appearing at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2009 he played Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar[4] and Third Gentleman in The Winter's Tale.[4] In 2010 he played Romeo in Romeo & Juliet[4] and King Arthur in Morte D'Arthur at the Courtyard Theatre.[6] Other roles include a stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire in Liverpool.[6]
He played Thomas in Bull at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2013[6] and Edmund in King Lear at the Royal National Theatre in January 2014.[7]
Troughton starred in David Eldridge's new play Beginning at the Royal National Theatre and at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2018.[6] More recently he starred in Chernobyl (2019) as Aleksandr Akimov.[8] Between May and July 2019, he appeared in Rutherford and Son at the Royal National Theatre alongside Roger Allam.[6]
In 2020 Troughton starred in the biographical comedy drama film Mank, alongside a cast which included Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins and Charles Dance.[9] In 2021 he appeared as Mr. Wilder, the community service boss, in The Outlaws, a BBC series created by and starring Stephen Merchant also featuring Christopher Walken.[10]
In 2022 he played Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey in the ITV drama, Litvinenko, detailing the final days and subsequent murder investigation into the death of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko.[11]
In 2023 he appeared as the revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre in Napoleon, Ridley Scott's movie rendition of French leader Napoleon Bonaparte's life.
In 2025 Troughton played fictional reporter Murray Guthrie in the Sky Atlantic TV series Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sylvia | Tom Hadley-Clarke | [1] |
| 2004 | Alien vs. Predator | Thomas Parks | [2] |
| Vera Drake | David | [1] | |
| 2005 | Spirit Trap | Nick | [2] |
| 2017 | The Ritual | Dom | [6] |
| Slumber | Charlie Morgan | [6] | |
| 2018 | Peterloo | Mr. Hobhouse | Directed by Mike Leigh[6] |
| 2020 | Mank | John Houseman | [9] |
| 2023 | Napoleon | Maximilien Robespierre |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Summer in the Suburbs | Police Constable | TV film |
| 2002 | Ultimate Force | Stuart | Episode: "The Killing House" |
| Foyle's War | Policeman 2 | Episode: "The German Woman"[4] | |
| 2003 | Seven Wonders of the Industrial World | H. Percy Boulnois | Episode: "The Sewer King" |
| Judge John Deed | PC Doug Welkin | Episode: "Conspiracy"[4] | |
| 2004 | Gunpowder, Treason and Plot | Thomas Winter | TV film[6] |
| Messiah: The Promise | Thomas Stone | TV film | |
| 2005 | Hex | Jez Heriot / Remiel | 6 episodes[1][2] |
| 2006–2009 | Robin Hood | Much | 38 episodes[4] |
| 2012 | Silent Witness | DI Johnny Vickers | 2 episodes |
| Holby City | Nick Mooney | Episode: "Blood Money" | |
| The Town | Jeff | 3 episodes | |
| 2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Prince of Wales | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Hollow Crown | George, Duke of Clarence | 2 episodes: "Henry VI part II", and "Richard III" |
| Casualty | Sean Barnes | Episode: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | |
| 2017 | Midsomer Murders | Henry Marsh | Episode: "Crime and Punishment" |
| 2018 | Vera | Noel | ITV[6] |
| The Little Drummer Girl | Captain Meadows | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | Chernobyl | Aleksandr Akimov | Miniseries; 4 episodes[8] |
| 2019–2020 | The Trial of Christine Keeler | D.S. John Burrows | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Death in Paradise | Malcolm Simmons | Episode: "Murder on Mosquito Island" |
| 2021 | The Outlaws | Mr. Wilder | 4 episodes[10] |
| Stephen | Ed Jarman | Miniseries, 3 episodes | |
| Ragdoll | Thomas Massey | 4 episodes | |
| 2022 | Litvinenko | DI Brian Tarpey | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | The Lazarus Project | Dr. Samson | Recurring role |
| 2024 | A Very Royal Scandal | Donal McCabe | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| Black Doves | Stephen Yarrick | 6 episodes | |
| 2025 | Lockerbie: A Search for Truth | Murray Guthrie | 5 episodes |
| 2026 | Prisoner | Will O’Neil[13] | 6 episodes |
| TBA | The Siege | TBA | Upcoming drama series[14] |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ian Charleson Awards | Outstanding performances by actors under 30 in classical roles | Henry VI, Part 1 - (Royal Shakespeare Company) | [5] | |
| 2001 | Richard III - (Royal Shakespeare Company) | [5] | |||
| 2002 | Tartuffe - (Royal National Theatre) | [5] |
References
- ^ "Sam was just bowled over by the family firm". Birmingham Post. 8 October 2005. Archived from the original on 11 November 2009.
- ^ Jones, Alison (8 October 2005). "The Saturday Interview: with Sam Troughton - Sam was just bowled over by the family firm". Birmingham Post. The Free Library.
- ^ Davies, Keri (27 November 2014). "William Troughton takes over as Tom Archer". BBC
- ^ Laws, Roz (29 April 2009). "A familiar tale; Television and RSC star Sam Troughton tells Roz Laws that acting is deep in his blood. But what of his son?". Birmingham Post. The Free Library.
- ^ Syme, Holger (1 November 2013). "Canadian Theatre has a Youth Problem". Dispositio
- ^ "Sam Troughton". National Theatre. 2019.
- ^ "Simon Russell Beale and Sam Mendes Reunite for King Lear at National's Olivier Theatre; Further Casting and Dates Also Announced". Playbill. 11 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ "Chernobyl series: The real people the characters are based on, and what happened next". Cosmopolitan. 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Movie Review: Mank". Assignment X. 23 April 2021.
- ^ "The Outlaws, Television Review". Liverpool Sound and Vision. 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Sam Troughton Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth cast - Meet the characters | Radio Times". Radio Times
- ^ Debnath, Neela (30 April 2026). "Inside the cast of Prisoner from The Other Bennet Sister star to Chernobyl actor". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
- ^ "Danny Dyer, David Morrissey and Motaz Malhees to lead cast of major Channel 4 drama ‘The Siege’ based on the bestselling book by Ben Macintyre". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
External links
- Sam Troughton at IMDb