Anna Samson is about to achieve household name status in the UK after making her debut as DI Mackenzie Clarke in the new Death in Paradise spin-off, Return to Paradise.
The Australian-set series sees the detective move back home Down Under after being accused of tampering with evidence while working for London's Met Police. Upon her return to Dolphin Cove, where she joins the local police, she's met with a frosty reception having left her fiancée Glenn at the altar six years before.
As we prepare to get stuck into the new drama, find out all you need to know about leading lady Anna, 34, including her romance with her Home and Away co-star and her upbringing in Africa…
Anna's upbringing and close-knit family
While Anna was born in the UK, she spent her early years in Nigeria, where she attended pre-school, before later relocating to Sydney.
Speaking about her childhood in West Africa, Anna told You magazine: "To have a concept of the scale of our world and how differently humans live in it while essentially being the same – at such a young age, it's a real gift."
The actress shares a close relationship with her parents, who she praised as "extraordinarily kind" in a touching tribute to celebrate their birthdays back in 2022. Alongside a throwback photo of her mum and dad from 1987, Anna penned: "Over the next two days these two people have their birthdays. They are extraordinarily kind and wildly brave. Their love for each other is something that never ceases to bolster me. They have given me the most brilliant life.
"Lucky lucky me," she added.
© @annamaysamson/InstagramAnna's breakout role and acting career
Anna's passion for drama began at a young age, having expressed her hopes of becoming an acting at just four years old.
"I was about four years old when I confronted my parents with my plans to be on the stage," she previously told Toasting Aussie Theatre: "Like many children, play and performance had a wonderfully natural relationship for me. Looking back I can see there was a frustrated actress burning in my Nan. She was a great comedienne and she could command your attention and change the energy of a room remarkably."
Anna began her acting career on the stage and after graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2010, appeared in productions at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre and with the Melbourne Theatre Company, including Ruben Guthrie and The Heretic.
© DanielA Smith/Sundance Now/Kobal/ShutterstockShe made her TV debut in the 2012 Australian miniseries Conspiracy 365, which was followed by a string of supporting roles in drama shows, including Winners & Losers, and Hunters.
Anna's big break came in 2017 when she landed the role of Mich Jaffries in the miniseries, Wake in Fright, before going on to play Anna Jamison in Dead Lucky.
Her most notable part, however, is playing Mia Anderson in the long-running soap, Home and Away – a role she held for two years.
© @annamaysamson/InstagramEarlier this year, Anna was announced as the leading lady of Death in Paradise's spin-off, Return to Paradise. Sharing the exciting news on social media at the time, Anna penned: "I couldn’t be more thrilled to be following in the footsteps of the maverick detectives of Saint Marie @deathinparadiseofficial.
"We loved making this Aussie whodunnit, we hope you love mystery in the bloody sunshine as much as us," she added.
© BBCAnna's love life
Anna likes to keep her life love out of the spotlight and so her current relationship status is unknown. However, she was previously linked to her Home and Away co-star Lee Jones, who has appeared in several photos on her Instagram page over the years.
© @annamaysamson/InstagramBack in 2017, Anna shared a snap of the pair during a red carpet outing and penned in the caption: "Getting around town with my on-screen brother and off-screen partner in crime @actsofjones."
Anna and Lee played on-screen siblings Mick and Joe Jaffries in Wake in Fright, before both appearing in Home and Away. While Anna portrayed Mia Anderson from 2021 to 2022, Lee landed the role of Ambulance Officer Luke in an episode that aired in 2021.
