Inside Return to Paradise actress Anna Samson's life from filming challenges to 'cruel' online trolls

As the BBC returns to the Death successful Paradise beingness with its upcoming spin-off Return to Paradise, we instrumentality a look astatine the beingness of the show's starring lady, Anna Samson.

The Death successful Paradise beingness is acceptable to grow with the accomplishment of its spin-off, Return to Paradise, and each eyes are connected Anna Samson, who's taking the pb arsenic DI Mackenzie Clarke.

This caller summation to the franchise volition premiere connected Friday, November 22, astatine 9pm connected BBC One, whisking viewers distant to Dolphin Cove successful Australia, wherever DI Mackenzie Clarke's communicative began earlier her Scotland Yard adventures successful the UK.

Now, she's forced to instrumentality to her roots amidst a unreality of contention and the question connected everyone's lips is however DI Clarke volition grip being backmost successful her aged stomping ground, moving with radical she near behind.

As anticipation builds for the show's UK debut, let's dive into the beingness of histrion Anna Samson, the look down DI Mackenzie Clarke.

Family

Born successful the UK successful November 1989, she spent overmuch of her aboriginal years successful Nigeria, yet moving to Australia during her teenage years.

Her travel into acting took a important crook erstwhile she moved to Melbourne successful her precocious teens to be the Victorian College of the Arts.

In a heartfelt interrogation with Toasting Aussie Theatre, the 34-year-old credited her grandma arsenic her root of inspiration for pursuing a vocation successful performance.

"Looking backmost I tin spot determination was a frustrated histrion burning successful my Nan," she reminisced.

"She was a large comedienne and she could bid your attraction and alteration the vigor of a country remarkably. Perhaps I picked up connected this power."

Samson besides shared a heartfelt tribute to her parents connected Instagram a mates of years ago, describing them arsenic "extraordinarily benignant and wildly brave".

She added: "Their emotion for each different is thing that ne'er ceases to bolster me. They person fixed maine the astir superb life."

Tackling online trolls

Throughout her career, Samson has appeared successful notable projects specified arsenic The Leftovers, Dead Lucky, Conspiracy 365, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and Stephen King's Children Of The Corn.

Her breakthrough relation came successful 2021 erstwhile she landed the portion of Mia Anderson successful the Australian soap opera Home And Away.

However, soon aft the casting announcement, online trolls began criticizing her, prompting Samson to talk retired against the negativity.

On Instagram, she wrote: "What an breathtaking clip for Sam Barrett and myself, arsenic we articulation the formed of Home and Away, this iconic spot of Australian television.

"The bittersweet happening is, this is not surprising. In 2021 radical inactive consciousness they person the close to shame, remark on, and harass women astir their appearance.

"This is not new. It's portion of a civilization of cowardice. Cruelly commenting connected our value nonaccomplishment oregon gain, our faces, our choices, our voices. In 2021. As if we don't person bigger things to beryllium acrophobic with."

She past straight confronted online bullies, saying: "You are blameworthy of publication to a precise problematic and unsafe culture."

Co-star romance

Samson had antecedently begun a romance with histrion Lee Jones, who took connected the relation of Ambulance Officer Luke successful Home And Away.

Before their collaboration connected the Australian soap opera, the duo had worked unneurotic successful the 2017 mini-series Wake In Fright, wherever Samson portrayed Mick Jaffries and Jones played Joe Jaffries.

They've posted respective adorable photos connected societal media, but haven't done truthful recently, leaving fans wondering if they are inactive together.

Filming issues

On the taxable of filming challenges, Samson spoke candidly connected Morning Live astir the demanding quality of shooting successful Australia for her relation arsenic DI Mackenzie Clarke successful Return to Paradise.

She explained: "No, it's not that glamorous, you cognize shooting is simply a batch of hard work, and I'm acceptable rather a batch successful this show, truthful it's a decent magnitude of hard slog.

"Also, it looks warmer and sunnier than it is. You know, it's the magic of television. We were connected the seashore of New South Wales, it's precise windy.

"Another departure from the archetypal amusement is that this detective has rather agelong hair, truthful the upwind was not our friend, and you cognize erstwhile you're shooting a show, continuity is important.

"You can't person this spot of hairsbreadth up present for 1 changeable and down present for another, truthful yeah, we were benignant of battling the tempestuous upwind rather a lot."

Return to Paradise premieres connected Friday, November 22, astatine 9pm connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.