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Samantha Womack

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Samantha Womack
Womack in 2016
Born
Samantha Zoe Janus

(1972-11-02) 2 November 1972 (age 52)
Brighton, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materSylvia Young Theatre School
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, model, director
Years active1989–present
Spouses
  • Junfan Mantovani
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1997; div. 1998)​
  • ​
    (m. 2009)​
Children2
RelativesAngie Best (aunt)
Calum Best (cousin)
George Best (uncle by marriage)
Musical career
GenresPop
InstrumentVocals
Years active1991
LabelsSony Music Entertainment
WebsiteOfficial website

Samantha Zoe Womack[1] (née Janus; born 2 November 1972) is a British actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage.

Womack made her name in the mid-1990s with her role as Mandy Wilkins in Game On leading onto roles in the BBC One drama Pie in the Sky (1995–96) and the sitcom Babes in the Wood (1998).

She has since been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders (2007–2011, 2013–2017). Her portrayal as Ronnie has gained her more prominence and acting roles after being out of the limelight for numerous years. She also played Tanya Porter in Sky One comedy-drama Mount Pleasant from 2013 until the final episode in 2017. Womack has also toured across the United Kingdom playing Morticia in the stage musical The Addams Family.

Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song for the contest, "A Message to Your Heart", was released as her first (and only) single in April 1991 and reached No. 30 in the UK Singles Chart.

Early life

Womack was born in Brighton. Her singer-songwriter father, Noel Janus (born Janes),[2] left the family when she was six, and soon after, her model-actress mother, Diana O'Hanlon, married a doctor and the family moved to Edinburgh.

Womack lived on the QE2 (pictured here in 1976).

Janus lived on the QE2 with her choreographer grandmother, Sheila Holt (a former actress and choreographer to magician David Nixon for a short time). Womack has a younger half-sister, Zoe. During an appearance on Big Star's Little Star in 2014, it was revealed that she attended the same school as members of All Saints[citation needed] before going to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.[citation needed] At the age of 15, she left home as a self-confessed ‘wild child’ for a life in squats, drinking, smoking and taking drugs.[3]

Womack is the niece of Angie Best, her father's sister and former wife of footballer George Best.[3] Angie's son, Calum Best, is Womack's cousin.

As revealed on an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in 2012, Womack's great-great-grandmother Jessie Ryder was an actress in New York City in the early 20th century.[4]

Career

Eurovision and early career

The actress first came to prominence in March 1991 aged 18, when she won the annual A Song for Europe competition to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest.[5] She finished joint tenth and the song, "A Message to Your Heart", peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.[6] Despite her achievements, her entry into the Eurovision is frequently remarked upon. She has said regarding the experience that her failure in the contest devastated her at the time and thought it would spell the end of her career. She has also called her appearance 'ridiculous', in that she was dressed in a pink mini-dress while singing about starving children and says the lyrics of the song are burned into her memory forever.[7]

Womack developed her first love of acting, appearing in episodes of The Bill and Press Gang; in 1993 she appeared in Demob with Griff Rhys Jones and Martin Clunes; and took to the West End stage, replacing Debbie Gibson as Sandy in Grease.

From 1994 to 1998 Womack played Mandy in the BBC Two sitcom Game On opposite Ben Chaplin (later replaced by Neil Stuke). She remained on the show until its end in 1998. In between series of Game On, she had a part in the BBC One drama Pie in the Sky from 1995 to 1996 as Nicola Dooley, a waitress.

Womack then appeared in the pilot for The Grimleys with Jack Dee, and the film Up 'n' Under with Neil Morrissey. In 1998 she starred in the ITV1 series Liverpool 1 with her future husband Mark Womack. She then returned to comedy in the sitcom Babes in the Wood co-starring another Sylvia Young Theatre School student, Denise van Outen, it was critically panned despite respectable ratings, and Womack left after the first series.

In 1999 Womack starred as Cinderella in the ITV Christmas pantomime alongside Harry Hill, Alexander Armstrong, Frank Skinner, Paul Merton, Ronnie Corbett and many more.

A popular choice for photo shoots in men's magazines such as FHM, she came 21st in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll in 1998 and 41st in 1999.

Smaller roles

In 2002 she returned to TV in BBC One drama Strange and she appeared in films The Baby Juice Express, Lighthouse Hill and Dead Man's Cards.

In 2005 she directed an anti-bullying music video for Liverpool band Just 3, entitled Stand Tall. The video starred her and Liverpool F.C. footballer Jamie Carragher. The video was heavily backed by Childline ambassador Esther Rantzen.

In 2006 she starred in the BBC One comedy Home Again as Ingrid, and as Miss Adelaide in the West End production of the musical Guys and Dolls at London's Piccadilly Theatre, initially with Patrick Swayze and then Miami Vice star Don Johnson. She reprised the role at the Sunderland Empire opposite Alex Ferns in 2007.

EastEnders

On 11 May 2007 it was announced that she would be joining EastEnders as Ronnie Mitchell, a cousin of the well known Mitchell brothers.[8] She had previously appeared in the soap in a minor role as a girlfriend of Simon Wicks.[9]

During her first stint, Womack's character Ronnie was central to many storylines including the controversial baby-swap story which was aired during 2011. It was reported that this is the reason why Womack quit the soap, although this has never been confirmed. Womack made her final appearance as Ronnie on 7 July 2011 when the character was sent to prison.

Since appearing on EastEnders she has made regular television appearances on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, The Paul O'Grady Show, Richard & Judy and Loose Women. In November 2007, she sang with EastEnders co-stars in the 2007 Children in Need charity appeal.

In May 2013, it was confirmed that Womack would return to EastEnders as Ronnie Mitchell. Womack's character Ronnie Mitchell was later killed off on the episode broadcast 1 January 2017 when she was trying to save Roxy Mitchell from drowning and drowned herself. Her last appearance was on the episode broadcast 19 January 2017 when Ronnie was shown as a corpse lying in her coffin.[citation needed]

Theatre and continued success

In 2011 Womack played the lead role, Ensign Nellie Forbush, a US Navy nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas, in the Lincoln Center production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical South Pacific at the Barbican Theatre in London.[10] In March 2013, Womack starred opposite her husband on stage in the world premiere of Hope at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool.[11]

From September 2013, Womack played the regular role of Tanya in series three of Sky Living's Mount Pleasant. She continued in this role until the final episode in 2017. Altogether, Womack appeared in 25 episodes as Tanya Dawson (later Porter when the character married).

In 2014, she appeared in the film Kingsman: The Secret Service as lead actor Taron Egerton's character's mother. This was Womack's first main role in such a high-profile film. Womack appeared as Michelle once again for Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017 but in a more cameo role as opposed to the larger role she had in Kingsman: The Secret Service.

In 2017, Womack toured as Morticia Adams in the musical comedy Addams Family as Morticia around the UK and Ireland.[12] She reprised the role in 2020 for a tour around UK and Ireland.

In September 2018, it was announced that she would be playing Fairy Bow Bells in the pantomime Dick Whittington.[13]

Womack appeared in Silent Witness in early 2019.[14] On an episode of Loose Women in February 2019, Womack confirmed that offers had been made to her about a project with co-star and best friend Rita Simons. In response to this, they both said that they would wait for the right one to come along.

Other ventures

In January 2011 she appeared as one of the celebrity contestants on the BBC show The Magicians, working with magician Chris Korn. For her "celebrity's choice" trick, she chose being sawn in half by Korn in an illusion called Clearly Impossible. In March 2011 she appeared with Lenny Henry, Angela Rippon and Reggie Yates in the BBC fundraising documentary for Comic Relief called Famous, Rich and in the Slums, where the four celebrities were sent to Kibera in Kenya, Africa's largest slum.[15]

In November 2011, it was reported that Womack was in the running, alongside Dannii Minogue to become a judge on the 2012 series of Britain's Got Talent. However, it was later confirmed that the judging panel for series six would be Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams. Womack has since confirmed that she was offered a place on the judging panel and that she had a meeting with Cowell in Los Angeles. She has said that although she was grateful, she rejected the offer as "it’s just not me".

In 2012 Womack appeared in series nine of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? The episode revealed her descent on her father's side from two musicians, her great grandfather Alexander Cunningham Ryan, his partner's father Pierre François Odilon Garraud, & Pierre's partner, an actress, Jessie Ryder.[2][16]

In February 2013, she took part in All Star Family Fortunes, donating money to Comic Relief and Action Aid.[17]

Womack was interviewed on John Bishop: In Conversation With... in November 2017. This episode titled John Bishop: In Conversation With...Samantha Womack included an in depth conversation about her life and career. In February 2020, it was announced that Womack would be taking part in the challenge for Sports Relief.

Personal life

Janus married an Italian citizen Junfan Mantovani in 1997 after a long relationship. The relationship broke down and the couple divorced in 1998.

In 2007 Womack won "substantial" damages from the Sunday Sport newspaper over a story headlined "Sam's sex and drugs shame". She sued the Sport over an article published on 22 July, which claimed she had "coke fuelled threesomes" and took part in a "three-hour drug fuelled lesbian orgy"[18]

Womack began a relationship with Liverpool 1 co-star Mark Womack. They married in 2009 after ten years together. The couple have two children:[19][20] son Benjamin Thomas Womack (born 2001) and daughter Lili-Rose Womack (born 2005). Mark Womack also has a son, Michael Womack, from a previous marriage.[21][22]

In 2009, Womack took her husband's surname and began to use it professionally.[23]

Womack and her husband Mark are best friends with Scott Maslen and his wife Estelle Rubio. They have known each other since they were teenagers. Maslen is godfather to Womack's two children and she is godmother to Maslen's son, Zak. They often go on holiday together with their children, which Womack revealed during an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in January 2008. In late 2007 Maslen joined the cast of EastEnders as Jack Branning, who has a relationship with Womack's character, Ronnie. This was something that both Maslen and Womack were initially uncomfortable with when they read the scripts, with Maslen commenting in various interviews that having to kiss Womack was like having to kiss his sister.[22][24] Womack is also best friends with her former EastEnders co-star Rita Simons, who played her sister Roxy Mitchell.[25]

In April 2008, several future scenes featuring Ronnie had to be scrapped after Womack broke her shoulder when she tripped and fell down the stairs at her home while rushing to get ready for work.

In September 2015, it was reported that she was "living in fear" and had alerted the police that she was being stalked.[26] The stalker was given a suspended-sentence in December, the same year.

Politics

In May 2017, Womack endorsed Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 UK general election. She tweeted: "The legislation set out by @jeremycorbyn is everything we need to believe in. It's time to pull together and vote. Stop the madness ."[27]

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Film or series Character
2008 Won Soaper Star Awards Best Newcomer[28] EastEnders Ronnie Mitchell
Nominated All About Soap Bubble Awards Fatal Attraction (with Scott Maslen)[29]
Nominated British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (with Rita Simons)[30]
Nominated British Soap Awards Sexiest Female
Won Digital Spy Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (with Rita Simons)[31]
2009 Nominated British Soap Awards Best Actress[32]
Shortlisted* TV Quick and Choice Awards Best Soap Actress[33]
2010 Nominated All About Soap Bubble Awards I'm A Survivor[34]
Nominated British Soap Awards Sexiest Female[35]
Shortlisted* Inside Soap Awards Sexiest Female[36]
2011 Won All About Soap Bubble Awards Best Baby Drama (with Jessie Wallace)[37]
Nominated* British Soap Awards Sexiest Female[38]
2012 Nominated Shorty Awards Best Actress[39] N/A N/A
Nominated Shorty Awards Best Fansite[40][41] N/A N/A

(*) There were two main rounds of nominations for asterisked categories. The "Result" indicates Womack's progress: if shown as "Nominated", she only achieved the first round of the nominations; if "Shortlisted", she advanced to the second and final round of nominations, the outcome to be decided by either a public vote or by a judging panel.

Filmography

Year Title Role
2019 Silent Witness DI Kate Ashton
2017 Kingsman: The Golden Circle Michelle
2014 Kingsman: The Secret Service Michelle
2013–17 Mount Pleasant Tanya Porter/Dawson
2012 Who Do You Think You Are? Herself
2007–11, 2013–17 EastEnders Ronnie Mitchell
778 episodes
2007 Wild at Heart Tessa
2006 Dead Man's Cards Kris
Where the Heart Is Marla
Home Again Ingrid
2005 The Afternoon Play Emma Priestley
2004 The Baby Juice Express Trixie
Lighthouse Hill Jennifer
Short Tall Woman
2003 Strange Jude Atkins
Undercover Sex Jake
2002 Judge John Deed Mel Powell
Strange Jude Atkins
2000 Cinderella Cinderella Pantomime
1998 Babes in the Wood Ruth Froud
Liverpool 1 DC Isobel de Pauli
Imogen's Face Imogen
Breeders Louise
Up 'n' Under Hazel Scott
1997 Men Behaving Badly Tina
1997 The Grimleys Geraldine Titley
1995–98 Game On Mandy Wilkins
1996 Sharman
1995–96 Pie in the Sky Nicola Dooley
1994 Minder Marian
1993 Health and Efficiency Charmaine
Demob Hedda
1992 The Bill Annie Carlisle
1991 Press Gang Waitress
El C.I.D. Waitress
A Murder of Quality Alice Lawry
1990 Spatz Toni
Jekyll & Hyde Young Maid (Margaret)

Discography

Eurovision Score Sheet

Country Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Iceland Malta Greece Switzerland Austria Luxembourg Sweden France Turkey Republic of Ireland Portugal Denmark Norway Israel Finland Germany Belgium Spain United Kingdom Cyprus Italy Total
United Kingdom 10 3 5 6 3 1 1 3 5 3 1 6 47
  • Samantha Janus finished in tenth position out of twenty two artists
  • Samantha Janus performed twentieth in the contest running order.

References

  1. ^ "Soaps – Soap Scoop – Jack's proposal, Jason and Tina's romp, E'dale secret". Digital Spy. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Who Do You Think You Are? Samantha Womack". thegenealogist.co.uk. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  3. ^ a b "UKTV G2 Stars – Profile: Samantha Janus". Uktv.co.uk. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  4. ^ Samantha Womack – Who Do You Think You Are? dated 1 August 2012 at thegenealogist.co.uk, accessed 25 August 2017
  5. ^ "The unlikely stars of Eurovision". Metro.co.uk. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  6. ^ "SAMANTHA JANUS | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  7. ^ Radio Times interview, April 2006
  8. ^ "Samantha Janus lands EastEnders role". Digitalspy.co.uk. 11 May 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  9. ^ "BBC One – EastEnders – Characters". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  10. ^ Barbican programme for South Pacific, 2011
  11. ^ "NEWS: Samantha Womack joins cast of 'Hope' for Royal Court Premiere – Liverpool Live". Liverpool-live.info. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  12. ^ EastEnders star Samantha Womack to play Morticia in Addams Family musical – Coronation Street's Les Dennis will be Fester!, Radio Times, 18 November 2016
  13. ^ "TV stars John Partridge and Samantha Womack to headline in regional pantomime". The Cornish Times. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  14. ^ Yaqoob, Janine (9 June 2018). "Samantha Womack lands new starring role in her first TV job since leaving EastEnders". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  15. ^ Mangan, L. (4 March 2011). "The Guardian, TV Review". London. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  16. ^ "BBC One – Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 9, Samantha Womack". Bbc.co.uk. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  17. ^ "All Star Family Fortunes" (Press release). ITV. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Samantha Janus wins payout over lesbian orgy claim". Press Gazette. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  19. ^ "England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription for Benjamin Thomas G Womack, Westminster,". Retrieved 13 October 2015 – via Find My Past.
  20. ^ "England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription for Lili-Rose Womack, Westminster". Retrieved 13 October 2015 – via Find My Past.
  21. ^ "Samantha Womack profile: news, photos, style, videos and more – HELLO! Online". Hellomagazine.com. 2 November 1972. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  22. ^ a b "EastEnders' wife-swap? | Metro.co.uk". Metro.co.uk. 27 November 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  23. ^ "EastEnders – Characters & Cast – Samantha Womack". BBC. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  24. ^ "Soaps – News – Walford actress struggled with kissing scene – Digital Spy". Digital Spy<!. 19 January 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  25. ^ "Rita Simons and Samantha Janus – Digital Spy Soap Awards 2008 – Digital Spy". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  26. ^ Shenton, Zoe (15 September 2015). "EastEnders star Sam Womack calls police after terrifying stalker CAMPS outside family home". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  27. ^ Milne, Oliver (8 June 2017). "Who are celebrities voting for in 2017 General Election? The A-Z of famous names supporting Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Greens". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Soaper Star Awards". dailystar.co.uk. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  29. ^ "All About Soap Bubble Awards". 19 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  30. ^ "The British Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". digitalspy.co.uk. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  31. ^ "Digital Spy Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". digitalspy.co.uk. 21 March 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  32. ^ "British Soap Awards 2009: The Winners". digitalspy.co.uk. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  33. ^ "TV Quick and TV Choice Awards Shortlist". msntvuk.wordpress.com. 8 July 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  34. ^ "Vote in the All About Soap 'Bubble' Awards". digitalspy.co.uk. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  35. ^ "British Soap Awards 2010: The Winners". digitalspy.co.uk. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  36. ^ "Inside Soap Awards Shortlist". digitalspy.co.uk. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  37. ^ "In Full: All About Soap Bubble winners". digitalspy.co.uk. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  38. ^ "British Soap Award nominations revealed". 3 May 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  39. ^ "The Best Actress in Social Media". shortyawards.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  40. ^ "Samantha Womack was nominated for a Shorty Award!". shortyawards.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  41. ^ "The Best Fansite in Social Media". shortyawards.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  42. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 279. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.

Media related to Samantha Womack at Wikimedia Commons

Awards and achievements
Preceded by UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
1991 		Succeeded by
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