Sam Strike (born 18 January 1994) is an English actor. He made his acting debut in the 2013 revival of the CBBC series M.I. High, before gaining popular success playing Johnny Carter in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders (2013–2014). During his stint on the latter, his character was involved in a coming out storyline, which earned him critical praise for his performance. Following his departure from EastEnders, he appeared in guest-starring roles on several television shows.
Strike was born on 18 January 1994 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, where he grew up with his sister.[1][2] He attended the local Thorpe Hall School,[3] and later studied acting at the South East Essex College for two years.[4] An avid singer and guitar player, he initially wanted to be a musician growing up and performed in bands.[2][5] Strike became interested in acting in secondary school, where he had his first drama lesson.[2] He explained that he "had a natural aptitude for it" and was encouraged by his teacher to pursue this path.[2] He then began attending adult drama classes and signed with an agent.[2] He auditioned unsuccessfully for three years before securing his part in M.I. High.[2] As a student, he appeared in the school productions of Oliver! as a flower seller, and Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas.[6] He also portrayed the protagonist of the 2010 student film Stitches.[4] At 16, he won a modelling competition organised by local newspaper The Echo.[6]
Career
Early roles and EastEnders (2013–2014)
Danny Dyer (pictured) portrayed Strike's on-screen father in EastEnders. Both received praise for their performances in Strike character's coming out storyline.
Strike made his professional acting debut in 2013, playing Dan Morgan in the revival of the CBBC series M.I. High, which spanned two seasons.[5][7] The same year, he was cast in the role of Johnny Carter in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders.[8] His character was introduced as part of the Carter family, and he made his first appearance on 26 December 2013.[9] Strike's portrayal of Johnny was met with a positive reception. He received particular praise for his performance in the scene that saw his character come out to his father Mick (Danny Dyer).[10]Attitude magazine recognised the scene with the Media Recognition Award,[11] and Paul Flynn of The Guardian wrote that both actors "delivered an exceptional, impulsive, physical reading of the ties that bond father and son, no matter what."[12] Reflecting on the scene, Strike said that he was "really nervous the night it aired, because you want it to look convincing but then you want to do justice by the people that have been there and done it."[10] He added that "it was a real proving ground for me, because it was the first time I actually had to do any proper drama acting."[10] Discussing its impact, Strike stated that both he and Dyer received letters from viewers who shared that watching them in the scene helped them come out.[10] In 2014, he made a guest appearance in episode two of the comedy series Give Out Girls as a 15-year-old model named Luke.[13]
On 14 November 2014, Strike announced his departure from EastEnders.[14] Regarding his decision to leave the show, he said: "I knew from the start that I was never going to be there for 10 years. It was just a case of seeing how things went, where the character was going and how relevant he was going to be in time to come."[2] Strike believed that "Johnny peaked quite early" due to the high-profile coming out storyline, and he was no longer needed on the show at the time of his leaving.[2] The character officially left the series on 23 December 2014,[15] although Strike returned in the role for one more special appearance via Skype in an episode broadcast on Christmas Day 2014.[16] Upon his departure, the show's executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, said that the "door is wide open" for Strike to return and that he did not plan to recast the character, hoping Strike would come back.[17] However, when it was decided to reintroduce the character in 2016, Strike admitted that he "wasn't ready to return any time in the near future", and the role was recast.[18]
Career expansion (2015–present)
Shortly after leaving EastEnders, Strike was cast in a starring role in the crime drama film Bonded by Blood 2, which was released in 2017.[2][19] He guest-starred as David Hamilton in a two-part episode of the television series Silent Witness and as Clyde Barrow in an episode of the television series Timeless, both in 2016.[20][21] In the 2017 prequel to the film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre titled Leatherface, directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, he played the lead role of Jackson / Leatherface.[22] Reviewing the film for Variety, Dennis Harvey described the cast's performances as "solid", adding that "the younger actors throw themselves into the task with aplomb."[23] On television, Strike portrayed real-life serial killer Montie Rissell in an episode of Mindhunter, also in 2017.[24]
Strike's role in EastEnders led to questions about his sexuality early in his career, which he addressed in 2014, saying: "I'm not gay, just to set the record straight."[42] He supported the charity event Sport Relief 2014 by competing in a swimming battle with his castmate Jamie Borthwick, which was broadcast live as part of the BBC programme The Sport Relief Games Show.[43] Strike and other EastEnders actors also posed for a 2015 calendar in aid of the BBC charity Children in Need.[44] Following his departure from the series, he has maintained a close friendship with his co-stars Danny Dyer, Kellie Bright and Maddy Hill who portrayed his father, mother and sister, respectively.[45]
Filmography
Key
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Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
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