Samantha Beckinsale was born 23rd July, 1966 in London, the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale, who made his first television appearance in April 1969 in Coronation Street as Constable Wilcox.
Samantha followed in her, by-then, late father's footsteps in appearing in the Street in November 1996 when she played Lorraine Mason, a friend of Raquel Watts in three episodes. She was already well known to television audiences at the time after her three years playing Kate Stevens in London's Burning (a series created by 1960s Street scriptwriter Jack Rosenthal) and has continued to appear regularly on television to the present day in a variety of roles, including an irregular part on Holby City as Maggie Thornton.
She is the half-sister of Kate Beckinsale and stepdaughter of actress Judy Lowe.