Sam Riley

Sam Riley (date of birth 8 January 1980) is an English actor and singer. Riley was born in Menston in the Metropolitan District of Bradford in West Yorkshire. He if the son of a textile agent and nursery-school teacher. He studied at Uppingham School. He was turned down by both the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art ("LAMDA") and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts ("RADA").

His breakthrough performance was the role of Ian Curtis in the movie Control, a biopic about the lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division. The film received high critical acclaim due in no small part to Riley's performance, which won him a selection of awards.

In September 2007, Riley was cast in Gerald McMorrow's British science fiction film Franklyn. He starred as the lead role in 13, an English-language remake of the French thriller 13 Tzameti that has yet to have an American and European release. He played the role of Pinkie Brown in Brighton Rock alongside Helen Mirren, released February 4th 2011. He also starred in Walter Salles' film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's autobiographical On the Road playing the narrator and protagonist Sal Paradise, currently in post-production.
Sam also worked as a model. He featured in the Autumn/Winter 2008 publicity campaign for the British fashion-house Burberry.

For a few years he was the lead singer of the Leeds band 10,000 Things, with whom he achieved moderate success. They disbanded in 2004.

Sam currently lives in Berlin with his wife and Control co-star Alexandra Maria Lara. They married in August 2009.

Filmography

2007 Control
2008 Franklyn
2010 13, Brighton Rock
2011 On the Road