{{Short description|British actress}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Emma Samms | honorific_suffix = MBE | image = Emma Samms 2009 (cropped).jpg | caption = Samms in 2009 | birth_name = Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|08|28|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | known_for = ''General Hospital''<br>''Dynasty''<br>''The Colbys''<br>''Doctors'' | other_names = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1979–present | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Bansi Nagji|1991|1992|end=divorce}} * {{marriage|Tim Dillon|1994|1995|end=divorce}} * {{marriage|John Holloway|1996|2003|end=divorce}} * {{marriage|Simon McCoy|2021}} }} | children = 2 }}
'''Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-55546-322 |title=Michael SAMUELSON |publisher=Thegazette.co.uk |access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref> MBE (born 28 August 1960),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/08/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-august-28-2022-includes-celebrities-leann-rimes-shania-twain.html|title=Today's famous birthdays list for August 28, 2022|date=28 August 2022 |access-date=3 September 2022|archive-date=3 September 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220903194243/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/08/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-august-28-2022-includes-celebrities-leann-rimes-shania-twain.html|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> known professionally as '''Emma Samms''', is an English actress, best known for playing Holly Sutton on ''General Hospital'' and Fallon Carrington on ''Dynasty''. She also portrayed the recurring role of Amanda Vardalis on ''Doctors''.
==Early life== Samms was raised in the Jewish religion.<ref name="tvguide">{{cite book|title=''TV Guide'', Volume 36|publisher=Triangle Publications|year=1976}}</ref>
==Career== [[File:Emma Samms at the 62nd Academy Awards.jpg|thumb|Samms at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990]] Samms first played Holly Sutton Scorpio on the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1982 to 1985.<ref name="1985 Encyc GH">{{cite book|last=Schemering |first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Schemering|title=The Soap Opera Encyclopedia|chapter=''General Hospital'' |date=September 1985|pages=108–119|isbn=978-0-345-32459-7|title-link=The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Schemering book)|publisher=Ballantine Books }}</ref><ref name="1997 Encyc">{{cite book|last=Waggett|first=Gerard J.|title=The Soap Opera Encyclopedia|publisher=Harper Paperbacks|date=November 1997|pages=[https://archive.org/details/soapoperaencyclo00wagg/page/112 112–134]|chapter=''General Hospital''|isbn=978-0-06-101157-3|title-link=The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Waggett book)}}</ref> With Samms choosing to leave the series amicably to go to ABC's ''Dynasty'', her character Holly seemingly perished in a plane crash.<ref name="EW 1992-01">{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/article/1992/01/24/daytime-tv-dirt/|title= Daytime TV dirt|last1=Harris |first1=Mike |first2=Alan |last2=Carter |date=24 January 1992|issue=102 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=28 May 2009}}</ref> On 10 April 1985 Samms appeared in the fifth-season episode "Kidnapped" as Fallon Carrington Colby, a role originated by Pamela Sue Martin in 1981.<ref>Schemering (1985). ''Soap Encyclopedia''. "''Dynasty''", pp. 80-84.</ref> The character was immediately transplanted into the new ''Dynasty'' spin-off ''The Colbys'' for two seasons (1985–1987). After the spinoff was cancelled, Samms and the character of Fallon returned to ''Dynasty'' in the 23 September 1987 eighth-season premiere "The Siege - Part 1".<ref name="Pressreader Colbys">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/soap-opera-digest/20181019/282548724228324|title=''The Colbys''|via=PressReader.com|work=Soap Opera Digest|date=19 October 2019|access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref> Samms remained with ''Dynasty'' for two seasons until its last episode on 11 May 1989. She later returned for the 1991 miniseries ''Dynasty: The Reunion''.
After the show's run, Samms appeared in several film and television roles. In 1989, Samms made a guest appearance on the sitcom ''My Two Dads'' playing Marcy Bradford, the deceased mother of Nicole Bradford (Staci Keanan) and the woman whom the two fathers (Paul Reiser; Greg Evigan) fought over. {{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}
In 1991, she starred with John Candy in the comedy film Delirious as the evil heiress Rachel Hedison.
"Fan favorite" Samms had been so popular on ''General Hospital'' that Holly was brought back from the dead in January 1992 after a seven-year absence.<ref name="EW 1992-01"/><ref name="EW 1992-06">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,310948,00.html|title=Emma Samms: Cool Soap Actress|last=Carter|first=Alan|date=26 June 1992|issue=124–125|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=28 May 2009|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407065856/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,310948,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> She stayed in the role until 1993,<ref name="1997 Encyc"/> during this time also playing Holly's lookalike half-sister Paloma Perez, a heroic revolutionary.
In 1995, Samms appeared as the villainous Grayson Louder in the prime time soap opera ''Models Inc.'', a spin-off of ''Melrose Place'', both produced by former ''Dynasty'' producer Aaron Spelling.<ref name="EW 1994">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/18/remodeling-inc/|title=Remodeling ''Inc.''|last=Shaw|first=Jessica|date=18 November 1994|issue=249|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=28 May 2009|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128031928/https://ew.com/article/1994/11/18/remodeling-inc/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also appeared in the TV movie ''Treacherous Beauties''.
Samms appeared in four episodes of the BBC series ''Holby City'' in 2003 and had a recurring run on the BBC daytime series ''Doctors'' as Amanda Vardalis in 2005. She made a seven-episode return to ''General Hospital'' as Holly in February 2006. After serving as a presenter (alongside ''General Hospital'' co-star Tristan Rogers) for the Daytime Emmy Awards on 28 April 2006, she reappeared on ''General Hospital'' for a three-week run starting 1 May 2006, and then again on 30 June 2006. She subsequently stepped into the BBC's ''Children in Need'' reality series ''Celebrity Scissorhands'' as a hairdresser from 3–17 November 2006. On 20 September 2007 Samms guested on the long-running ITV series ''The Bill'' as drug addict Ella Winstanley.
In August 2009, Samms performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in ''Shall We Dance'', a dance revue of musicals by Richard Rodgers, choreographed by Adam Cooper who stars, alongside his wife Sarah Wildor.<ref>{{cite news |author=ROSLYN SULCAS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/arts/dance/25dance.html?_r=0 |title=Invoking Richard Rodgers, That Muse of Movement, at Sadler's Wells |work=The New York Times |date=24 August 2009 |access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref>
In June 2014, Samms was announced as a contestant in BBC gymnastics show ''Tumble'', and was the second celebrity to be eliminated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/musicnews/amelle-berrabah-emma-samms-sign-gymnastics-show-486159.html |title=Amelle Berrabah And Emma Samms Sign Up for Gymnastics Show |publisher=Femalefirst.co.uk |date=14 June 2014 |access-date=14 May 2017 |archive-date=8 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108151806/http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/musicnews/amelle-berrabah-emma-samms-sign-gymnastics-show-486159.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2018, Samms performed alongside 26 other celebrities on a new Christmas song, called "Rock With Rudolph", which was written and produced by Grahame and Jack Corbyn. The song was released digitally through independent record label Saga Entertainment, on 30 November 2018 in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital under the artist name The Celebs. The music video debuted exclusively with ''The Sun'' on 29 November 2018 and had its first TV showing on ''Good Morning Britain'' on 30 November 2018. The song peaked at number two on the iTunes pop chart.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barker |first1=Faye |title=TV stars sing for Great Ormond Street Christmas charity single |url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2018-11-30/tv-stars-sing-for-great-ormond-street-christmas-charity-single/ |work=ITV News |access-date=15 June 2020 |date=30 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=The Celebs - Rock With Rudolph |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKdnHT1zqg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SzKdnHT1zqg |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=29 November 2018 |publisher=TheCelebsVEVO |access-date=30 November 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Later in 2018, Samms reprised her role as Amanda Vardalis on ''Doctors''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Jones |first1=Allison |date=21–27 April 2018 |title=The bad wife |magazine=Inside Soap |pages=40–41}}</ref>
Samms continues to make appearances on ''General Hospital''. She returned in May 2009,<ref name="EW 2009-03">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2009/03/10/emma-samms-retu/|title=Emma Samms to return to ''General Hospital''|last=West|first=Abby|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=10 March 2009|access-date=15 June 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314014508/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/emma-samms-retu.html|archive-date=14 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/update/6614/Michael_Wakes_Up|title=''General Hospital'' recap (15 May 2009) - Soaps.com|access-date=28 May 2009|archive-date=18 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518093239/http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/update/6614/Michael_Wakes_Up|url-status=dead}}</ref> March 2012, August 2013, July 2015, and September 2020.
On 22 August 2022, it was announced that Emma Samms would be returning to ''General Hospital'', reprising the role of Holly Sutton, which she has been playing since 1982. Her episodes were scheduled to start airing in October 2022. According to ''Deadline'', "She's now set to return to the ABC sudser in October. Fans last saw Holly on September 18, 2020; though presumed dead, Holly was found alive and locked in a cell in Monte Carlo."<ref name="Deadline Hollywood">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/emma-samms-returning-gh-october-long-covid-1235097386/ |title='General Hospital': Emma Samms Finally Returning After Suffering From Long Covid |publisher=Deadline Hollywood |date=22 August 2022}}</ref> "I can't believe that it's been 40 years since I first appeared on General Hospital and that, once again, I get to play the wonderful character of Holly Sutton," Samms told ''Deadline''. "No one is more interested in what's happened to her since we saw her two years ago, being held captive by a mysterious villain, than me!" <ref name="Deadline Hollywood"/> Samms resumed the role once again when Holly returned in September 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Rossi |first1=Rosemary |title=Emma Samms Returns to ''General Hospital'' as Holly (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/emma-samms-general-hospital-return-holly-sutton-1236087743/ |magazine=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |access-date=29 July 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240729164257/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/emma-samms-general-hospital-return-holly-sutton-1236087743/ |archive-date=29 July 2024 |location=United States |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=60626328 |date=29 July 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Personal life== Samms twice declined offers to appear in ''Playboy'', once during her run on ''General Hospital'' and the second during ''Dynasty''. Instead, she appeared on the cover of the February 1988 issue of ''Inside Sports'' in a bikini, as well as additional swimsuit shots inside the magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://assets.espn.go.com/page2/s/merron/030221.html |title=SI undressed |publisher=ESPN Page 2 |date=20 May 2003 |access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref>
In 1983, Samms and her cousin, film producer Peter Samuelson, co-founded the Starlight Children's Foundation, an organization that helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. The organization was their response to losing Samms's brother and Samuelson's cousin, Jamie, who died at age nine from aplastic anemia.
In 1984, Samms and Tristan Rogers went public with their romance,<ref name="1997 Encyc"/> but the relationship ended around the time she left ''General Hospital'' the next year. Engaged to Marvin Hamlisch in the early 1980s, Samms has been married four times: to Bansi Nagji (1991–92), and to Tim Dillon (1994–95). She married John Holloway (1996–2003), and the couple had two children. In 2021, Samms married journalist and TV presenter Simon McCoy.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://twitter.com/EmmaSamms1/status/1447211266804695042| title = Twitter}}</ref>
Samms was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to seriously and terminally ill children.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61608 |supp=y |page=B23|date=11 June 2016}}</ref>
In April 2018, Samms said that she had been dealing with Bell's palsy, an illness that causes temporary facial paralysis. A month later, she sent an update on Twitter, writing "paralysis on my face is 90% better".
She tested positive for COVID-19 during the global pandemic in March 2020 and has developed long-term complications from her initial infection.<ref>https://expressdigest.com/british-dynasty-star-emma-samms-59-tells-of-six-month-long-covid-hell-2/ {{dead link|date=October 2021}}</ref>
==Filmography==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1979 | ''Arabian Adventure'' | Princess Zuleira | |- | 1990 | ''The Shrimp on the Barbie'' | Alexandra "Alex" Hobart | |- | 1991 | ''Delirious'' | Rachel Hedison / Laura Claybourne | 1992 Shadow of a Strange with Parker Stevenson and Michael Easton |- | 1994 | ''Terminal Voyage'' | Becker | |- | 2002 | ''The Little Unicorn'' | Lucy Regan | |- | 2005 | ''The Marksman'' | Amanda Jacks | Direct-to-video |- | 2013 | ''Vendetta'' | Sandra Vickers | |- | 2018 | ''Rock With Rudolph'' | Herself | Music video<ref name="auto"/> |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1981 | ''Goliath Awaits'' | Lea McKenzie | TV movie |- | 1982–85, 1992–93, 2006, 2009, 2012–13, 2015, 2020, 2022–24 | ''General Hospital'' | Holly Sutton Scorpio | 329 episodes |- | 1984 | ''Ellis Island'' | Violet Weiler | Mini series |- | 1985–1989 | ''Dynasty'' | Fallon Carrington Colby | 57 episodes |- | 1985–1987 | ''The Colbys'' | Fallon Carrington Colby | 49 episodes |- | 1986 | ''Murder in Three Acts'' | Egg | TV movie |- | 1987 | ''The New Mike Hammer'' | Jamie Jinx | Episode: "Green Lipstick" |- | 1988 | ''Murder She Wrote'' | Pamela Leeds | Episode: "Snow White, Blood Red" |- | 1988 | ''Newhart'' | Emma Samms | Episode: "A Midseason's Night Dream" |- | 1989 | ''The Lady and the Highwayman'' | Barbara Castlemaine | TV movie |- | 1989 | ''My Two Dads'' | Marcy | Episode: "In Her Dreams" |- | 1989 | ''The Magic of David Copperfield'' | As Emma Samms (Special Guest/Host) | XI: Explosive Encounter |- | 1991 | ''Dynasty: The Reunion'' | Fallon Carrington Colby | 2 episodes |- | 1991 | ''Bejewelled'' | Stacey | TV movie |- | 1992 | ''Illusions'' | Laura Sanderson | TV Movie |- | 1992 | ''Get a Life'' | Tricia Paddington | Episode: "Girlfriend 2000" |- | 1994–1995 | ''Models Inc.'' | Grayson Louder | 12 episodes |- | 1994 | ''Diagnosis Murder'' | Cleopatra Quinlin | Episode: "Murder with Mirrors" |- | 1994 | ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' | Arianna Carlin Luthor | Episode: "Madame Ex" |- | 1994 | ''Treacherous beauties'' | Anne Marie Kerr | TV film |- | 2002 | ''Pretend You Don't See Her'' | Lacey Farrell / Alice Carroll | TV film |- | 2003 | ''Holby City'' | Elizabeth Woods | 4 episodes |- | 2005, 2018 | ''Doctors'' | Amanda Vardalis | 40 episodes |- | 2011 | ''Casualty'' | Rachel Greer | Episode: "Memory Games" |- | 2017 | ''Love Blossoms'' | Carrie Steilman | TV movie/Hallmark Channel |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{cc}} *{{IMDb name|759924}} *David Copperfield (illusionist) {{YouTube|C2ulb7-g608}} * {{rotten-tomatoes-person|emma_samms}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Samms, Emma}} Category:1960 births Category:20th-century English actresses Category:21st-century English actresses Category:People educated at Bedales School Category:Actors from the London Borough of Brent Category:English expatriate actresses in the United States Category:English film actresses Category:English soap opera actresses Category:English television actresses Category:Jewish English actresses Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Emma