Samuel George Claflin (; born 27 June 1986) is an English actor. After graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2009, he began his acting career on television and had his first film role as Philip Swift in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
Claflin gained wider recognition for playing Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games film series (2013–2015) and for his starring roles in the romantic films Love, Rosie (2014) and Me Before You (2016). He has since starred in the films Adrift (2018) and The Nightingale (2018), and portrayed Oswald Mosley in the television series Peaky Blinders (2019–2022), Mycroft Holmes in the mystery film Enola Holmes (2020), and singer Billy Dunne in the musical drama series Daisy Jones & the Six (2023). The last of these earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
Early life Samuel George Claflin was born on 27 June 1986 in Ipswich, Suffolk, to Mark, a finance officer, and Sue Claflin (née Clarke), a teaching assistant. He has two older brothers, Benjamin and Daniel, and a younger brother, Joseph (born 1989), who is also an actor. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk.
As a child, he had an interest in football. He played throughout his childhood until he broke his ankle, an injury that he felt would prevent him from playing professionally. After some persuasion from his parents and a teacher upon whom he had made an impression during his high school play at Costessey High School, he pursued acting.
A member of the Norwich City School of Excellence, in 2003, he took up Performing Arts at Norwich City College. Claflin subsequently graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2009.
Career Beginnings and breakthrough (20102015) Claflin made his acting debut in 2010, when he appeared in two television miniseries—in The Pillars of the Earth as Richard and in Any Human Heart as young Logan Mountstuart. In March 2011, he was cast as Thomas in Seventh Son, a film adaptation of The Spook's Apprentice, but was dropped for unknown reasons and was replaced by Ben Barnes. His next appearance came in April 2011, when he portrayed footballer Duncan Edwards in the BBC TV drama United, which was centred on the events of the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which Edwards died as a result of his injuries.
In April 2010, he was cast as Philip Swift, a missionary who falls in love with the mermaid Syrena (portrayed by Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey), in 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. For the film, he received a nomination in the 17th Empire Awards for "Best Male Newcomer." In 2012, he appeared as Jack in the six-episode miniseries White Heat. Later that year, he played a supporting role in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, as William, Snow White's childhood friend. He received a nomination in the 2012 Teen Choice Awards for the category "Best Movie Breakout". Also in 2012, he was cast in the lead role in Hammer Films' The Quiet Ones, which was filmed in mid-2013 and was released in April 2014.
On 22 August 2012, Lionsgate announced that Claflin had been cast as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games film series, starting with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The director of Catching Fire, Francis Lawrence, stated of Claflin's performance during filming: "Finnick's an interesting character. At first he feels like a bit of a flirt and there's a little bit of sexual tension, but really you kind of fall in love with the guy and you see that there's a real deep emotional side to him. It's one of the reasons I really hired him in the first place was that it's where his character goes in the next couple of stories and I just think he did a fantastic job." The film was released in November 2013 to general acclaim and Claflin's portrayal of Finnick received positive reviews. Claflin reprised the role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, released in November 2014, and Part 2, released in November 2015.
In February 2013, it was announced that Claflin was cast as Alex in the film adaptation of Cecelia Ahern's novel Where Rainbows End, distributed as Love, Rosie in some territories. The following month, he starred in the TV film Mary and Martha as Ben, which was broadcast by BBC One. He received critical acclaim for his role as Oxford University student Alistair Ryle in the British dramatic thriller The Riot Club with Charlotte O'Sullivan of the London Evening Standard saying "Claflin captures his character's vitriol very well" and Laura Dibdin of Digital Spy saying "Claflin brings intrigue and vulnerability to offset the sense of entitlement thus making Alistair the film's most fascinating character". In 2014, Claflin also starred alongside Lily Collins and Suki Waterhouse in the romantic comedy drama film Love, Rosie, which was released to mixed reviews from critics but became a success among audiences.
From Me Before You to independent films and television (2016present) In 2016, Claflin reprised his role as William, Snow White's childhood friend, in several scenes of the sequel The Huntsman: Winter's War. The same year, he starred in Me Before You, the film adaptation of the novel of the same name, in which he played William Traynor. Claflin gained further critical acclaim for his role of Captain Stanhope in the war drama Journey's End (2017) and Adrift (2018).
In 2018, Claflin joined the fifth season of the BBC television drama Peaky Blinders, as the British fascist politician Oswald Mosley. In 2019, he starred in The Corrupted and the reboot of Charlie's Angels. In September 2020, he co-starred in the Netflix original film Enola Holmes as Mycroft Holmes, elder brother of the title character.
In 2023, Claflin played Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones & the Six. The story is based on a book of the same title and follows a rock band in the 1970s, and premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 3 March 2023. Claflin performed vocals on Aurora, the fictional album recorded by the band, which was released on 1 March 2023. In 2024, he starred in the title role in a French-Italian television adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte-Cristo (set between 1844–1846).
Personal life In 2011, Claflin started dating actress Laura Haddock, whom he had met in an audition for My Week with Marilyn. The two married in July 2013 in a private ceremony. They have a son and a daughter. On 20 August 2019, Claflin and Haddock announced their legal separation. He has been in a relationship with Dar Zuzovsky since 2025.
Filmography +Key Denotes projects that have not yet been released Film Year Title Role Notes 2010 The Lost Future Kaleb 2011 United Duncan Edwards Television film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Philip Swift 2012 Snow White and the Huntsman William 2013 Mary and Martha Ben O'Connell Television film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Finnick Odair 2014 The Quiet Ones Brian McNeil The Riot Club Alistair Ryle Love, Rosie Alex Stewart The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1Finnick Odair 2015 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 2016 The Huntsman: Winter's War King William Me Before You William "Will" Traynor Their Finest Tom Buckley 2017 My Cousin Rachel Philip Journey's End Captain Stanhope 2018 Adrift Richard Sharp The Nightingale Hawkins 2019 The Corrupted Liam McDonagh Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs Merlin Voice role Charlie's Angels Alexander Brok 2020 Love Wedding Repeat Jack Enola Holmes Mycroft Holmes 2021 Every Breath You Take James Flagg / Eric Dalton Last Night in Soho Punter #5 Charlotte Alexander Nagler Voice role 2022 Book of Love Henry Copper 2024 Bagman Patrick McKee 2025 All the Devils Are Here Grady 2026 Fred Post-production 2027 TBA TBA Davey TBA
Television Year Title Role Notes 2010 The Pillars of the Earth Richard, Earl of Shiring Miniseries; 8 episodes Any Human Heart Younger Logan Mountstuart Miniseries; 4 episodes 2012 White Heat Jack Walsh Miniseries; 6 episodes 2019 Peaky Blinders Oswald Mosley 11 episodes (season 5-6) 2023 Daisy Jones & the Six Billy Dunne Miniseries; 10 episodes 2024 The Count of Monte Cristo Edmond Dantès Miniseries; 8 episodes; Also executive producer 2025 Lazarus Laz Miniseries; 6 episodes; Also executive producer 2026 Vanished Tom Miniseries; 4 episodes
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref2012 Empire Awards Best Male NewcomerPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Movieguide Awards Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Breakout Snow White and the Huntsman 2014 Empire Awards Best Supporting Actor The Hunger Games: Catching Fire MTV Movie Awards Best Shirtless Performance Note: Click on the "Winners" tab. Best Fight Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Scene Stealer Glamour Awards Man of the Year — Young Hollywood Awards Breakthrough Actor — 2016 Savannah Film Festival Awards Spotlight Award — Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Liplock Me Before You 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards Tearjerker 2018 Evening Standard British Film Awards Best ActorJourney's End Veterans Film Festival Awards Red Poppy Award for Best Male Actor Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer Movie Star: Male Adrift 2019 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards Best Supporting ActorThe Nightingale 2020 Australian Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Kiss Daisy Jones & the Six Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Song in a TV Show/Limited Series 2024Golden Globe AwardsBest Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television Astra TV Awards Best Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival Artist of Distinction —
References
External links
Sam Claflin at Biography.com