Samantha Morton has spoken candidly about the recent deaths of her sister and father as she reflected on a childhood shaped by upheaval, abuse and time spent in care.
Now 49, the actor — who appears as Circe in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey — has long been frank about the hardship she experienced growing up, far from the glamour often associated with a film career.
Morton was born to Pamela, a factory worker, and Peter, a coal miner. One of nine children, she spent much of her early life moving through foster placements, children’s homes and homeless accommodation.
She has previously discussed the challenges within her family, including her mother’s mental health struggles and her father’s alcoholism, and has described survival as a central force behind many of her decisions.
Those experiences, she explained, have remained close to the surface, particularly after two painful bereavements in her family.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Morton said her sister died on April 22 this year aged 53, roughly a year and a half after her biological father passed away.
She said: “The past never leaves you…”
“It’s in your DNA, and trauma is a constant battle. My relationship with my past changes as I age and my children age, but things keep happening.”
Morton continued: “I sadly lost my sister on April 22 this year. She was 53. And I am still dealing with the coroners. And the trauma.”
“I lost my real father 18 months ago. Trauma. So the past is always with me, and I’m not saying I’m not going to be all right next week, but every day I wake, say a prayer and say, ‘Please help me.'”
She also described how endurance became necessary from an early age, long before she found acclaim as a performer.
She said: “Someone told me I was resilient when I was younger. But sometimes you’ve got no choice other than to be resilient because if you are not you’re dead…”
“I went pillar to post with foster families, homeless hostels, sleeping by the bins at the back of the Co-op, because it was too dangerous to go back to the children’s home because of the abuse.”
Morton added: “I have made choices that have always been about survival, because I watched my mum trying to survive and I watched my dad trying to survive.”
Morton said those life experiences also informed the way she played Circe in The Odyssey, especially in a speech focused on men misusing power.
Morton explained: “These weren’t just words. I believe them as Sam, not just Circe. And when I opened my mouth, I was every woman.”
“I was speaking for my mother, who suffered all sorts at the hands of men. And my sister, friends, grandmother. It was all the wrongs and ways that women have been depicted or treated forever.”
Her portrayal of Circe has already generated significant critical acclaim and awards buzz, with reviewers praising her performance as one of the standout elements of the film. Christopher Nolan himself described her as “someone who comes in and changes the dynamic” in the massive production.
The Independent noted that Morton has been nominated for Oscars for Sweet and Lowdown and In America, and that she received the Bafta Fellowship in 2024.
When accepting that honour, she dedicated it to ‘every child in care, or who has been in care and who didn’t survive’.