Samantha Womack | |
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Samantha Womack in 2016
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Born |
Samantha Zoe Janus 2 November 1972 Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
Residence | Cardington, Bedfordshire, England |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | Sylvia Young Theatre School |
Occupation | Actress, singer, director |
Years active | 1989–Present |
Known for |
Game On EastEnders Mount Pleasant Kingsman film series |
Spouse(s) |
Junfan Mantovani (m. 1997–98) Mark Womack (m. 2009) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | Noel Janus (deceased) Diana O'Hanlon |
Relatives |
Angie Best (aunt) Calum Best (cousin) George Best (uncle by marriage) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Pop |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1991 |
Labels | Sony Music Entertainment |
Website | Official website |
Samantha Zoe Womack (née Janus; born 2 November 1972) is a British actress, singer and director, in film, television and stage.
In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders until the character was killed off in early 2017, but made her name in the mid-1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On. She also represented the United Kingdom in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest.
She currently plays Tanya Porter in Sky One comedy-drama, Mount Pleasant, a role which she has portrayed since 2013.
Womack was born in Brighton. Her singer-songwriter father, Noel Janus (born Janes), 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. 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.
Aged fifteen she left home for a life in squats, drinking, smoking and taking drugs. She eventually turned her life around, and attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.
Womack is the niece of Angie Best, former wife of footballer George Best. Her cousin on her father's side is Calum Best.