Theatre Credits include: Workshop of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Ben Kenwright tour), Aladdin in Aladdin (Theatre Royal, Windsor), Éponine in Les Misérables (Queen’s, Royal Varity Performance, Classic Brit Awards), Nancy in Oliver! (UK tour).
Concerts include: Peel Bay Festival, Direct From the West End, Theatergoers Choice Awards, An Audience with Sam Barks.
Film and Television include: I’d Do Anything televised search for Nancy in the 2009 London revival of Oliver! (third finalist), Éponine in Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, Zoe in Disney Channel’s TV series Groove High, Éponine in Les Misérables directed by Tom Hooper opposite Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried.
Recordings include: debut album Looking With Your Eyes, single Let Go, upcoming Les Misérables film soundtrack.
Awards include: Theatergoer's Choice Award (What's On Stage.com) for Les Misérables
Awards include: Theatergoer's Choice Award (What's On Stage.com) for Les Misérables
A twenty-two-year-old actress from the Isle of Man shot to fame when she received the role of Éponine in the film adaption of Les Misérables, scheduled to be released in December 2012. The decision to cast Samantha Barks in the film was greeted with nearly unanimous approval from fans of the musical and big-name theatre actors alike. Frances Ruffelle, the original Éponine in the 1985 West End and 1987 Broadway original productions of Les Mis, encouraged the young actress when the casting announcement was made. Lea Salonga (a very famous former Éponine) who performed as Fantine alongside Barks in 2010 for the twenty-fifth anniversary of Les Mis at the O2 Arena, tweeted “Thank you, casting gods!” to Barks.
The decision to cast Barks in the Les Mis film was undoubtedly one of the best casting choices made in years. The role of Éponine was rumored to have been given to country singer Taylor Swift, but after a performance of the Oliver! UK tour in which Barks starred as Nancy, Cameron Mackintosh appeared at the curtain call to announce that Barks had landed the role of Éponine in the Les Mis film. After wrapping up performances in Oliver!, the actress left the tour to film the Les Mis movie in Greenwich. It was rumored Barks was to return to Oliver!, but the actress who replaced her, Cat Simmons, is scheduled to stay in the role until 2013. It is unknown if Barks will return to the Oliver! tour.
A trailer was released of the Les Mis film, one shot of the footage revealing Barks standing on an empty street in the pouring rain. A promotional image of the actress was also released of Barks on set of the film in full costume.
Barks recently announced that filming had finished of the movie, which was confirmed by her fellow costars. Her future plans have not been announced, but in 2008 Barks expressed interest in the role of Elphaba in the hit musical Wicked. As of 2012, nothing has been set, and Rachel Tucker still currently plays the role in the West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
Samantha Barks is the People’s Éponine. She was cast for, by, and is one of the people. She was cast for the people. With Taylor Swift out of the picture, more musical theatre fans will watch the film because Barks, a bona fide musical theatre actress, will play the iconic role of Éponine. She was cast by the people. Along the same lines, I believe that because of the controversy concerning Taylor Swift’s casting, the Les Mis movie directors may have decided to bring in Barks because she was already a favorite in the role. And she is one of the people. Many audience members can relate to Barks because her career has just begun, and she had to work to get the part. She did not get into this movie simply because she is famous, like Anne Hathaway or Hugh Jackman. Barks is not, at least by the world’s standards, very famous at all, especially when compared to some of her costars. Her career started the old-fashioned way – onstage in the West End. She’s worked hard to get where she is today, and she deserves it.
I personally believe that Samantha Barks has a very good chance of getting the role of Elphaba in the Wicked movie, scheduled to be released in 2013. The competition for this role will be fierce, as it was for Éponine, but Samantha Barks pulled through and landed the part in the Les Mis movie. I’m sure Glee’s Lea Michelle (who reportedly auditioned for Éponine) will fight for the part of Elphaba, but Samantha Barks has a good chance. I personally would love to see her in the stage version of Wicked, but having a recording of her performance as Elphaba (even if it wasn’t the stage version) would make up for it.
I’m definitely keeping my eye on Samantha Barks. She’s only twenty-two, but her star can only rise in years to come.
Samantha Barks on I’d Do Anything, singing Defying Gravity from Wicked, 2008
(feat. Idina Menzel)
Samantha Barks’ departure from I’d Do Anything (third finalist), 2008
(feat. Jodie Prenger and Jessie Buckley)
Trailer for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2, 2010
(feat. Alfie Boe, Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga, Matt Lucas, Jenny Galloway, Nick Jonas, Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, Ramin Karimloo, Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones, Simon Bowman, the Original London Cast of Les Misérables, and a company of over 500)
Samantha Barks performing On My Own from Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
Samantha Barks performing A Little Fall of Rain from Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
(feat. Nick Jonas)
Samantha Barks performing a condensed version of On My Own at the Royal Variety Performance with the Les Misérables cast at the London Palladium, 2010
(feat. Alfie Boe, John-Owen Jones, Colm Wilkinson, and Simon Bowman)
Samantha Barks performing a condensed version of On My Own with the cast of Les Misérables at the Classic Brit Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, 2011
(feat. Alfie Boe, Hadley Fraser, Craig Mather, Lisa-Anne Wood, Liam Tamne, and the company of the Queen's Theatre)
Samantha Barks performing as Nancy in the Oliver! UK Tour, 2011
(feat. Brian Conley and Ian Fletcher)
Samantha Barks performing as Nancy in the Oliver! UK Tour singing As Long As He Needs Me and As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise), 2011
Samantha Barks receiving the news from Cameron Mackintosh at a curtain call of Oliver! that she received the role of Éponine in the Les Misérables film, 2012
(feat. Idina Menzel)
Samantha Barks’ departure from I’d Do Anything (third finalist), 2008
(feat. Jodie Prenger and Jessie Buckley)
Part 1 - Rehearsals for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
(feat. Alfie Boe, Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga, Matt Lucas, Jenny Galloway, Nick Jonas, Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, Ramin Karimloo, etc.)
Part 2 - Rehearsals for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
(feat. Alfie Boe, Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga, Matt Lucas, Jenny Galloway, Nick Jonas, Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, Ramin Karimloo, etc.)
(feat. Alfie Boe, Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga, Matt Lucas, Jenny Galloway, Nick Jonas, Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, Ramin Karimloo, Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones, Simon Bowman, the Original London Cast of Les Misérables, and a company of over 500)
Samantha Barks performing On My Own from Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
Samantha Barks performing A Little Fall of Rain from Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
(feat. Nick Jonas)
Samantha Barks performing a condensed version of On My Own at the Royal Variety Performance with the Les Misérables cast at the London Palladium, 2010
(feat. Alfie Boe, John-Owen Jones, Colm Wilkinson, and Simon Bowman)
Samantha Barks performing a condensed version of On My Own with the cast of Les Misérables at the Classic Brit Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, 2011
(feat. Alfie Boe, Hadley Fraser, Craig Mather, Lisa-Anne Wood, Liam Tamne, and the company of the Queen's Theatre)
Samantha Barks peforming A Little Fall of Rain at the Queen's Theatre, 2011
(feat. Gareth Gates)
Interview with Samantha Barks at the What's On Stage.com Awards after winning a Theatergoer's Choice Award, 2011
(feat. Alfie Boe, Cameron Mackintosh, and Norm Lewis)
Samantha Barks performing as Nancy in the Oliver! UK Tour, 2011
(feat. Brian Conley and Ian Fletcher)
Samantha Barks performing as Nancy in the Oliver! UK Tour singing As Long As He Needs Me and As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise), 2011
Samantha Barks receiving the news from Cameron Mackintosh at a curtain call of Oliver! that she received the role of Éponine in the Les Misérables film, 2012
Images of Samantha Barks:
I'd Do Anything, 2008
I'd Do Anything, 2008
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Les Misérables, Queen's Theatre, 2010
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Les Misérables, Queen's Theatre, 2010
(with co-star Alistair Brammer)
Les Misérables, Queen's Theatre, 2010
Outside the O2 Arena, during rehearsals for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary, 2010
During rehearsals for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary, 2010
(with co-star Ramin Karimloo)
Backstage at the O2 Arena for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary, 2010
(with co-star Katie Hall)
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Les Misérables, Queen's Theatre, 2010
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(with co-star Alistair Brammer)
Backstage at Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre, 2010
During rehearsals for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary, 2010
(with co-star Ramin Karimloo)
(with co-star Katie Hall)
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Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
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Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
Curtain call for Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary at the O2 Arena, 2010
Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary after-party
(with co-star Nick Jonas)
Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary after-party
(with co-star Nick Jonas)
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Les Misérables Royal Variety Show, 2010
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The Classic Brit Awards, 2011
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Samantha Barks at the Classic Brit Awards, 2011
(with co-star Alfie Boe)
Samantha Barks at the Classic Brit Awards, 2011
(with co-star Alfie Boe)
Classic Brit Awards, 2011
(with co-star Alfie Boe)
(with co-star Alfie Boe)
Classic Brit Awards, 2011
Oliver! UK Tour, 2011
Oliver! UK Tour, 2011
(with co-star Ian Fletcher)
(with co-star Ian Fletcher)
Oliver! UK Tour, 2011
Backstage at the Oliver! 2011 UK Tour after the announcement that Samantha Barks would be in the 2012 Les Misérables film
(with producer Cameron Mackintosh)
Les Misérables film, 2012 
Les Misérables film, 2012
I get it you're a fan of Sam Barks. But to say that Anne Hathaway got cast as Fantine only because she's famous is complete and utter bollocks. You have no idea how much she has struggled to get that part. Yes, she auditioned for Fantine's role. And she has physically transformed herself into Fantine as well by getting her hair chopped off, and looking completely emaciated. And yes, she can sing too. So stop with the bitchiness.
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