Anna Samson

Anna May Samson (born 23 November 1989) is a British-born Australian actress of stage and screen. Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts, Samson has performed extensively for major theatre companies and been nominated for numerous theatre awards, including a Helpmann Award nomination for her role in Birdland and a Sydney Theatre Award for Consent. She made her television debut in the 2012 miniseries Conspiracy 365, and went on to appear in various TV drama series, including Jack Irish and Winners & Losers. In 2016, Samson made her feature film debut in Crime & Punishment. The following year, she starred in feature film What If It Works?, SBS drama Dead Lucky, and the miniseries Wake in Fright. From 2021 to 2022, she played Mia Anderson in Home and Away. She portrays DI Mackenzie Clarke in the 2024 Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise, making her the first woman to portray the lead detective in the global hit franchise.

Early life and education Anna May Samson Her family later relocated to Sydney, Australia.

Samson attended the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2010. During her time at the VCA, Samson received the John Tallis Award for Excellence.

Career After graduating from drama school, Samson joined Red Stitch Actors Theatre and appeared in productions of Wet House, Ruben Guthrie and Day One, A Hotel, Evening. and in 2024/2025 the award winning production of August; Osage County for both Belvoir and Black Swan. Her casting makes her the first female lead detective in the "Paraverse". The Australian-set series is filmed in Sydney and Illawarra. It centres on Mackenzie's return to her home town of Dolphin Cove, after she is forced to leave London and her job with the Met.

She stars alongside Luke Ford in the 2017 film What If It Works? from writer-director Romi Trower. Samson plays Grace, an artist who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. The film premiered at the Cinequest Film and VR Festival. That same year, Samson appeared in an episode of The Leftovers, and the four-part SBS drama series Dead Lucky. She also starred in the two-part miniseries Wake in Fright as Michaela "Mick" Jaffries. The series is a television adaptation of the 1971 film of the same name and Samson's character was billed as "a contemporary reinvention" of the role originally played by Jack Thompson. She appeared in the 2020 remake of Children of the Corn.

She made her television debut in the 2012 series Conspiracy 365. In 2016, Samson appeared in Trudy Hellier and Maria Theodorakis's Australian webseries Little Acorns, a comedy set in a childcare centre. Samson joined the main cast of Home and Away as Mia Anderson in February 2021. Just over a year later, Samson departed the serial in April 2022.

Samson also appears in Andrew O'Keefe's Crime & Punishment, an adaptation of Dostoevsky's novel of the same name and starred in the horror short Tanglewood, which was shown at Monster Fest.

Personal life Following her appearance in an episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Samson, along with actress Tamzen Hayes, accused lead actor Craig McLachlan of sexual harassment on the set. Samson alleged that McLachlan touched her buttock during their scenes together, making her forget her lines.

Awards and nominations For her role in Simon Stephens' play Birdland, Samson was nominated for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play at the 16th Helpmann Awards in 2016. On 16 June 2025, Samson received a nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the 65th Logie Awards for her role in Return to Paradise.