Samuel Witwer
Encyclopedia
Samuel Stewart "Sam" Witwer (born October 20, 1977) is an American actor and musician. He has appeared in individual episodes of numerous television shows as well as minor recurring characters in shows such as Battlestar Galactica
, Davis Bloome aka Doomsday
in Smallville
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, and Dexter
. He also voiced
, and gave his likeness to the main protagonist, Galen Marek/Starkiller
, in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
video game and its sequel
. He is also star of the US/Canadian remake of BBC's supernatural drama
series Being Human on the SyFy
Channel in the US and Space in Canada.
, Illinois
, a small suburb outside of Chicago
. He attended Glenbrook South High School
, during which time he was involved in drama and theater classes, as well as being the lead singer of a high school band called "Love Plumber." He attended the Juilliard School
for a time before moving to Los Angeles
.
commercial. He soon found himself in speaking roles on hit television series, such as ER
.
Witwer's first major recurring role came in the form of portraying Lt. Crashdown
on Battlestar Galactica
, although he has credited much of his current success to his role as Neil Perry on the Showtime series Dexter
.
A lifetime Star Wars
fan, he appeared as Darth Vader
's secret apprentice, Galen Marek (codename Starkiller), and also as Darth Sidious, in the massively successful multimedia project Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, providing both his voice and likeness to the game's lead character across all of the media. He has since received much praise for his contribution to the role. He reprised his role as Galen Marek in the video game Soulcalibur IV
, as well as in The Force Unleashed's sequel, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
. He has also reprised his role of Darth Sidious in this second part. There is speculation that Witwer will reprise his role of Starkiller for the upcoming Star Wars live-action TV series
. He has also made an appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
as the Son in the Mortis trilogy of episodes, and recent announcements indicate he will be performing as Darth Maul
in at least one, if not several, upcoming episodes of The Clone Wars premiering sometime in Spring 2011.
Witwer also appeared as a soldier, Jessup, in the movie The Mist
. In 2008, Witwer was cast as Davis Bloome, a charming paramedic, on Smallville
, who struggles with a darkness within and becomes the human camouflage of Doomsday, a character from the Superman
comics, best known for being the only villain to have killed the Man of Steel. Davis Bloome was killed off in the season finale by Jimmy Olsen
, while Doomsday—the two having been separated by the use of black kryptonite—was buried alive by Clark Kent
. In addition to playing Davis Bloome/Doomsday, Witwer also played the role of General Zod
in the Smallville series. He voiced Zod in the Season 8 penultimate episode, Injustice, and played the character in full-physical form at the end of the Season 8 finale. The role would later be played in Season 9 of the series by British actor Callum Blue
, whose look and voice match that of the original Zod actor from the Superman movies, Terence Stamp
. While Witwer played the human form of Davis Bloome, the real form of Doomsday is played by stuntman and actor Dario Delacio.
Witwer is now starring in the North American remake of Being Human
. He plays the role of vampire Aidan.
s Glenn Howerton, with whom he plays gigs whenever time allows it. Witwer gives regular interviews and is a recurring guest on d20 Radio's Order 66 podcast
. He currently resides in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
.
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
, Davis Bloome aka Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
in Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, and Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
. He also voiced
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
, and gave his likeness to the main protagonist, Galen Marek/Starkiller
Starkiller
Starkiller, also known as Galen Marek and the Apprentice, is the main character of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed project , who first appeared in the game Soulcalibur IV. He is voiced by Sam Witwer, who also gave his likeness to the character...
, in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books...
video game and its sequel
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is LucasArts' sequel to 2008's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game. A trailer announcing the game was shown December 12, 2009, at the Spike Video Game Awards. The game was released across multiple platforms in October 2010, along with a collectors edition of...
. He is also star of the US/Canadian remake of BBC's supernatural drama
Supernatural drama
Supernatural drama is a subgenre of fantasy combining elements of supernatural fiction and the drama genre. This genre deals with ghosts and other paranormal topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre...
series Being Human on the SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
Channel in the US and Space in Canada.
Early life
Witwer grew up in GlenviewGlenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, a small suburb outside of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He attended Glenbrook South High School
Glenbrook South High School
Glenbrook South High School, or GBS, is a public four-year high school located in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Northfield Township High School District, which also includes Glenbrook North High School...
, during which time he was involved in drama and theater classes, as well as being the lead singer of a high school band called "Love Plumber." He attended the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
for a time before moving to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Acting
Witwer claims that his first on-screen credit was that of a Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
commercial. He soon found himself in speaking roles on hit television series, such as ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
Witwer's first major recurring role came in the form of portraying Lt. Crashdown
Lt. Crashdown
Alex Quartararo is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series, portrayed by Samuel Witwer...
on Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
, although he has credited much of his current success to his role as Neil Perry on the Showtime series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
.
A lifetime Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
fan, he appeared as Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
's secret apprentice, Galen Marek (codename Starkiller), and also as Darth Sidious, in the massively successful multimedia project Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, providing both his voice and likeness to the game's lead character across all of the media. He has since received much praise for his contribution to the role. He reprised his role as Galen Marek in the video game Soulcalibur IV
Soulcalibur IV
is the fourth installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 29, 2008, in North America, on July 31, 2008, in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and on August 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.The game is notable for...
, as well as in The Force Unleashed's sequel, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is LucasArts' sequel to 2008's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game. A trailer announcing the game was shown December 12, 2009, at the Spike Video Game Awards. The game was released across multiple platforms in October 2010, along with a collectors edition of...
. He has also reprised his role of Darth Sidious in this second part. There is speculation that Witwer will reprise his role of Starkiller for the upcoming Star Wars live-action TV series
Star Wars live-action TV series
The untitled Star Wars live-action TV series is a planned space opera television series, set between the events seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope....
. He has also made an appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
-Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve...
as the Son in the Mortis trilogy of episodes, and recent announcements indicate he will be performing as Darth Maul
Darth Maul
Darth Maul is a fictional character in the science fiction saga Star Wars. He is one of the main antagonists of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, portrayed by martial artist Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz....
in at least one, if not several, upcoming episodes of The Clone Wars premiering sometime in Spring 2011.
Witwer also appeared as a soldier, Jessup, in the movie The Mist
The Mist (film)
The Mist is a 2007 American science-fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film is written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted Stephen King's works The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...
. In 2008, Witwer was cast as Davis Bloome, a charming paramedic, on Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, who struggles with a darkness within and becomes the human camouflage of Doomsday, a character from the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comics, best known for being the only villain to have killed the Man of Steel. Davis Bloome was killed off in the season finale by Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
, while Doomsday—the two having been separated by the use of black kryptonite—was buried alive by Clark Kent
Clark Kent (Smallville)
Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
. In addition to playing Davis Bloome/Doomsday, Witwer also played the role of General Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
in the Smallville series. He voiced Zod in the Season 8 penultimate episode, Injustice, and played the character in full-physical form at the end of the Season 8 finale. The role would later be played in Season 9 of the series by British actor Callum Blue
Callum Blue
Daniel James Callum Blue , better known as Callum Blue, is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles on the Showtime series The Tudors and Dead Like Me as well as for his role as Zod in the American television series Smallville and British...
, whose look and voice match that of the original Zod actor from the Superman movies, Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
. While Witwer played the human form of Davis Bloome, the real form of Doomsday is played by stuntman and actor Dario Delacio.
Witwer is now starring in the North American remake of Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
. He plays the role of vampire Aidan.
Music
Witwer states that his first love is music and he is consequently the lead singer of his own band: "The Crashtones." They released their first CD, entitled "Colorful of the Stereo" in 2006. Witwer has since assembled a live line-up consisting of professional musicians and others, including It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
s Glenn Howerton, with whom he plays gigs whenever time allows it. Witwer gives regular interviews and is a recurring guest on d20 Radio's Order 66 podcast
Order 66 podcast
Order 66 is a weekly podcast focusing on the Star Wars Saga Edition roleplaying game, hosted by David Villegas and Chris Witt, although guests occasionally feature...
. He currently resides in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Tommy | Episode: "Fear of Commitment" |
| 2001–03 | JAG JAG (TV series) JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions... |
Beasley | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Arliss Arliss -Criticism:This show, which ran for seven seasons, is a prime example of how HBO differs from traditional networks due to its nature as a network its viewers specifically pay to be able to watch. Arliss was cited by so many viewers as the sole reason that they paid for the network that its... |
Mourner | Episode: "Of Cabbages and Kings" |
| 2001 | Murder in Small Town X Murder in Small Town X Murder in Small Town X is an American reality television series created by George Verschoor, Robert Fisher, Jr., and Gordon Cassidy and was hosted by Sgt... |
First Mate Moe Zaleski | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Dark Angel Dark Angel (TV series) Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons... |
Marrow | Episode: "Love in Vein" |
| 2002 | She Spies She Spies She Spies is an action-adventure television show that ran from September 9, 2002 until May 17, 2004, in two seasons. The show was sold into syndication but the first four episodes premiered on the NBC network, whose syndication arm was one of the producers. Disappointing ratings during the show's... |
Jason | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
| 2003 | Angel Angel (TV series) Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999... |
John Stoler | Episode: "Shiny Happy People" |
| 2003 | Bryce Cherot/Chucke Porter | Episode: "Duty to Serve" | |
| 2003 | Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001... |
Sloth#3 | Episode: "The Shipment" |
| 2004 | Cold Case | James Creighton | Episode: "The Plan" |
| 2004 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Staff Sgt. Rafael | Episode: "Split Decision" |
| 2004 | Star Trek: New Voyages Star Trek: New Voyages Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II is a fan-created science fiction series set in the Star Trek universe. The series was created by James Cawley and Jack Marshall in April 2003... |
Guardian's Voice | Episode: "In Harm's Way" |
| 2004–05 | Battlestar Galactica Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series) Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson... |
Lt. Crashdown Lt. Crashdown Alex Quartararo is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series, portrayed by Samuel Witwer... |
11 episodes |
| 2006 | Crank Crank (film) Crank is a 2006 American comedy movie, written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam... |
Shootout Henchmen | |
| 2006 | Dexter Dexter (TV series) Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer... |
Neil Perry | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Bones Bones (TV series) Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent... |
Mitchell Downs | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Private Jessup | ||
| 2007 | Shark Shark (TV series) Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:... |
Richard Lee Franco | Episode: "Every Breath You Take" |
| 2007–08 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Officer Casella | Episodes: "Go to Hell", "The Theory of Everything" and "Drops Out" |
| 2008 | Soulcalibur IV Soulcalibur IV is the fourth installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 29, 2008, in North America, on July 31, 2008, in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and on August 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.The game is notable for... |
Galen Marek | Video Game |
| 2008 | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books... |
Galen Marek / Emperor Palpatine | Video Game |
| 2008–09 | Smallville Smallville Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross... |
Davis Bloome / Doomsday Doomsday (comics) Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46... |
As Davis Bloome/Doomsday - 12 episodes As Major Zod - 1 appearance uncredited |
| 2009 | Gamer | Social Worker | |
| 2010 | No God, No Master | Eugenio Ravarini | |
| 2010 | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is LucasArts' sequel to 2008's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game. A trailer announcing the game was shown December 12, 2009, at the Spike Video Game Awards. The game was released across multiple platforms in October 2010, along with a collectors edition of... |
Galen Marek / Darth Sidious / Dark Apprentice / Aberrant Clones | Video Game |
| 2010 | Joe Neiderman | ||
| 2011 | Being Human Being Human (U.S. TV series) Being Human is a supernatural drama television series broadcast on Syfy in the United States and on Space in Canada. It is being produced by Muse in Montreal and is based on the British show of the same name made by the BBC.... |
Ian Daniel "Aidan" McCollin | Regular |
| 2011-12 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) -Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve... |
Son / Darth Maul Darth Maul Darth Maul is a fictional character in the science fiction saga Star Wars. He is one of the main antagonists of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, portrayed by martial artist Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz.... |