Samantha Sloyan
Samantha Sloyan | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1979 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Father | James Sloyan |
Samantha Sloyan (January 4, 1979) is an American actress. Sloyan is best known for her multiple collaborations with filmmaker Mike Flanagan in Hush, The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher. She has also appeared in recurring roles on Scandal and the twelfth season of Grey's Anatomy. She is the daughter of actors James Sloyan and Deirdre Lenihan.
Early life and career
Born in Los Angeles County on January 4, 1979,[1] Sloyan is one of two children, one girl and one boy, born to actors James Sloyan and Deirdre Lenihan.[2][3]
Sloyan first appeared in the 2003 independent feature film My Life with Morrissey as a florist. She continued to appear in a few short films such as No Shoulder, Shamelove, and Autodoc. In 2009, she produced and starred in the short film Plus One. Sloyan has also guest-starred in several television series such as The Beast, The Forgotten, Law & Order: LA, and NCIS. She played a recurring role as a White House employee named Jeannine Locke in the first three seasons of Scandal. She also guest-starred in another ShondaLand production titled Private Practice in 2010. Sloyan continued to appear in smaller films, including In the Key of Eli, Tape 407, and the television movie Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story.
In 2014, Sloyan guest-starred in four television series Castle, Parks and Recreation, Hawaii Five-0, and Rizzoli & Isles. She began a recurring role in the ShondaLand production Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Penelope Blake. She first appeared in the eleventh season episode "How to Save a Life", which included the death of lead character, Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey. She appeared again in the 12th season, including the show's 250th episode "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", which was mostly focused on Sloyan's character.[4]
In 2021, Sloyan portrayed Catholic Beverly Keane in the miniseries Midnight Mass, directed by Mike Flanagan.
On stage, Sloyan acted at the Geffen Playhouse and the Segerstrom Center for the arts. She received the LADCC and LA Weekly awards for her performance in Munched.[5]
Personal life
Sloyan is the niece of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Patrick Sloyan.[2]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | My Life with Morrissey | Florist | Independent feature film |
| 2005 | No Shoulder | Bobbie | Short film |
| 3 Wise Women | Waitress #2 | ||
| 2006 | Shamelove | Julie | |
| 2009 | Plus One | Lindsay | Short film; also producer |
| Autodoc | Emmy Hennings | ||
| 2011 | In the Key of Eli | Megs | |
| 2012 | Area 407 | Lois | Originally titled Tape 407: The Mesa Reserve |
| 2013 | Do You Have a Cat? | Marissa | Short film |
| 2016 | Losing In Love | Dr. Barton | |
| Fantastic | Michelle | ||
| Hush | Sarah Greene | ||
| Cat Killer | The Mother | Short film | |
| 2017 | I'm Not Here | Jaime | Short film |
| 2019 | Pappy Hour | Jean Mulligan | Short film |
| Miss Virginia | Mrs. Watson | ||
| 2023 | Good Daughter | Rebecca | Short film |
| Love You, Mama | Lee | Short film | |
| Invaders From Proxima B | Jane Jankins | Online released in May 2024 | |
| 2024 | The Place Between | Beatrice | |
| The Life of Chuck | Miss Rohrbacher | ||
| 2025 | It's Expensive To Be Poor | Narrator | Short film |
| 2027 | The Exorcist | Filming | |
| TBA | Grace | Bonnie | Short film |
| TBA | Silver Anniversary | Short film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Beast | Grace Morton | Episode: "No Turning Back" |
| The Forgotten | Nurse | Episode: "Railroad Jane" | |
| 2010 | Law & Order: LA | Rachel Forester | Episode: "Echo Park" |
| 2011 | The Cape | Television reporter | Episode: "Endgame" |
| NCIS | Emily Goodwin | Episode: "Engaged (Part I)" | |
| 2012–2014 | Scandal | Jeannine Locke | Recurring role; 8 episodes (seasons 1–3) |
| 2013 | The Fosters | ER Doctor | Episode: "Vigil" |
| 2014 | Castle | Pam Clark | Episode: "Room 147" |
| Parks and Recreation | Erica | Episode: "New Slogan" | |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Sarah Richmond | Episode: "Ho'i Hou" | |
| Futurestates | Lisa | Episode: "Ant" | |
| Rizzoli & Isles | Alex Ruebens | Episode: "If You Can't Stand the Heat" | |
| 2015–2016 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Penelope Blake | Recurring role; 20 episodes (seasons 11–12) |
| 2015 | Murder in Mexico | Gretchen Thorne | Television film |
| Criminal Minds | Tracy Senarak | Episode: "The Witness" | |
| 2017 | Maggie | Dr. White | Episodes: "Past Life Depression" & "Denying Everything About Death" |
| The Good Doctor | Mrs. Gallico | Episode: "Point Three Percent" | |
| 2018 | Here and Now | Officer | Episode: "It's Coming" |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Leigh Crain | Recurring role; 8 episodes | |
| 2018-2019 | SEAL Team | Victoria Seaver | Recurring role; 4 episodes (season 2) |
| 2019 | Proven Innocent | Gabrielle Parcell | Episode: "Shaken" |
| Animal Kingdom | Jennifer | Episode: "Know Thy Enemy" | |
| The Rookie | Alice Sheldon | Episode: "Warriors and Guardians" | |
| Truth Be Told | Sharon Dostikas | Episode: "Not Buried, Planted" | |
| Everyone Together | Caroline | Unsold television pilot | |
| 2020 | Helstrom | Jolene Spivey | Episodes: "Leviathan" & "Scars" |
| 2021 | Midnight Mass | Bev Keane | Main role; 7 episodes |
| 2022 | The Midnight Club | Shasta | Main role; 7 episodes |
| 2023 | Minx | Joan Didion | Episode: "I Thought the Bed Was Gonna Fly" |
| The Morning Show | Cheryl | Episode: "The Stanford Student" | |
| The Fall of the House of Usher | Tamerlane Usher | Main role; 8 episodes[6] | |
| Creepshow | Lorna Snell | Episode: "Twenty Minutes with Cassandra" | |
| 2025 | The Pitt | Lily Bradley | Recurring role; 7 episodes (season 1) |
| 2026 | Carrie | Margaret White | Upcoming miniseries |
References
- ^ "Your Horoscope: Birthday Star". The Montreal Gazette. January 4, 2022. p. N11. Retrieved March 11, 2026. "Actress Samantha Sloyan was born in Los Angeles County, California, today in 1979. This birthday star portrayed Bev Keane in the 2021 mini-series 'Midnight Mass.' She also played Dr. Penelope Blake on 'Grey’s Anatomy' and has appeared on episodes of 'Everyone Together,' 'Helstrom' and 'Truth Be Told.' On the big screen, Sloyan’s film work includes roles in 'Miss Virginia,' 'Hush' and 'Losing in Love.'"
- ^ a b Clark, Mark (2013). Star Trek: FAQ 2.0: EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION, THE MOVIES AND BEYOND (UNOFFICIAL AND UNAUTHORIZED). Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. ISBN 978-1-55783-793-6. "Like Plakson, actor James Sloyan played several Star Trek characters, but none with as much depth and emotional resonance as Jarok, the Romulan admiral who defects to avert a war in 'The Defector.' [...] In recent years, he has concentrated on voice work and commercials. From 1989 to 2009, he served as the 'voice' of carmaker Lexus. He is married and has two adult children, Dan and Samantha Sloyan, both actors."
- ^ Terry, Carol Burton (May 15, 1977). "TV Line". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. TV-2. Retrieved March 11, 2026. "Q. Can you tell me about James Sloyan who plays the doctor named Sam on "Westside Medical"? Is it true that he is married to Deirdre Lenihan who starred in "Needles and Pins"? Where can I write to him? -M.M., Rosedale. A. James is indeed married to Dierdre by whom. he has a son, Daniel. The Indianapolis-born actor had difficulty conforming during his teen years in Upstate New York and was tossed out of one high school after the other. But he graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where he later taught acting and mime, after two years with the American Mime Theater and a stint in the Army. [...] James, incidentally, is the brother of Newsday reporter Patrick Sloyan."
- ^ Denninger, Lindsay (October 22, 2015). "Who Plays Penny On 'Grey's Anatomy'? Samantha Sloyan Is The Hospital's Newest Resident". Bustle. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
- ^ "Samantha Sloyan". Geffen Playhouse. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ Doupe', Tyler (2022-08-29). "'The Fall of the House of Usher': Everything We Know So Far About Mike Flanagan's New Series". Dread Central. Retrieved 2023-08-26.