British Jewish entertainers are having a moment en masse. Kingsley-Ben Adir was Kenough in “Barbie” during summer 2023 and recently played reggae icon Bob Marley in the biopic “One Love.” Amelia Dimoldenberg is all over the internet with her successful web series “Chicken Shop Date” and for her hilarious red carpet celebrity interviews. And Leo Reich just released his debut comedy special “Literally Who Cares?!”
One of the more recent up-and-comers, however, is Sam Woolf, who is slated to star in Hulu’s upcoming Holocaust drama “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
Here are 18 things to know about him.
1. Sam was born on June 20, 1992 to a British family with Russian Jewish ancestry.
2. He’s a Gemini.
3. He has two brothers, Nicky and Simon.
4. He grew up in the Golders Green neighborhood of North London and his family was a part of Alyth Synagogue.
5. Sam’s grandfather fought against antisemitic fascists at The Battle of Cable Street and then the Nazis in the British Royal Artillery.
6. There’s a fascinating story behind how Sam got his last name! Check out this thread (click to get the full thing) from his brother Nicky.
The family didn't move all at once. Some cousins of my great-grandpa had left a bit earlier to get the lay of the land. But there had recently been a grisly and high-profile crime committed by a Lipski, and they were finding life increasingly difficult.
— Nicky Woolf (@NickyWoolf) May 19, 2020
7. He trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
8. Sam’s father Geoff was hospitalized for COVID-19 for 306 days, which is perhaps the longest COVID hospitalization in the UK.
9. When Geoff was initially put on a ventilator and alone in the hospital, Sam and his brother Nicky had an idea that they thought might help him.
“He always said if he was in hospital for a long time, he would be able to deal if he had a book,” Sam told the Associated Press. So they loaded an e-reader with “Pride and Prejudice,” their father’s comfort read, and played it for him while he was in a coma.
“Doctors said, ‘We can’t tell you he’ll definitely hear it. But we also can’t tell you he won’t,’ Sam later explained. “There is power in hearing a voice.”
10. Because of this, Sam and his brothers started a charity called Books for Dad, which provides e-readers to recovering COVID patients. According to their website, they’ve donated over 750 devices.
11. Coincidentally, Sam has narrated quite a few audiobooks himself!
12. Nicky interviewed Sam about their father’s experience with COVID in a podcast episode called “Changed: My dad and the virus.”
13. Sam played a villain named Rience in “The Witcher.”
14. According to his Instagram and Twitter bio, someone on the internet called him a “budget Tom Hiddleston.”
Rude!
15. Sam played Prince Edward in season five of “The Crown” and wore his dad’s jacket to the premiere!
16. He has an adorable cat named Mouse!
This is mouse. She has a good time. More mouse to come. pic.twitter.com/u3gGdXXooG
— Sam Woolf (@SamAwoolf) January 27, 2021
17. In “We Were the Lucky Ones,” Sam plays Adam Eichenwald. Adam is a Polish Jewish member of the resistance during the Holocaust and is the love interest of Halina (Joey King). This is what he had to say when his casting was announced:
Couldn't be more thrilled to be part of this. A story deeply close to my heart and family history, with an incredibly special group of people. https://t.co/s0bBWicIEI
— Sam Woolf (@SamAwoolf) December 17, 2022
For context, one of Sam’s grandfathers survived the Holocaust by hiding from the Nazis in Romania.
18. “If I never did another piece of pretending, it would have been enough,” Sam wrote in an Instagram post when filming for the show wrapped.
Dayenu!
