Samuel West

A rising British actor who was the son of two prominent thespians, Samuel West first won attention as a pampered German aristocrat who finds his relationship with a Jewish friend from childhood threatened by the Nazi movement in "Reunion" (1989). While that film failed to garner much attention outside his native England, West stepped onto the international stage with a memorable supporting turn in the acclaimed costume drama, "Howards End" (1992). From there, he transitioned easily between film and television, appearing in substantial roles on a number of British TV series while also maintaining a steady presence in films like "Persuasion" (1995), "Jane Eyre" (1996), "Notting Hill" (1999) and "Iris" (2001). In the new millennium, West upped his profile with prominent roles in "Van Helsing" (2004) and "Hyde Park on the Hudson" (2012), making clear that the actor remained ever determined to make a name for himself on the other side of the pond.