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Samuel Peter W. Riley was born on January 8, 1980, in Leeds, England. He gained his first stage experience as a teenager with the National Youth Theatre but initially aspired to be a rock star. He pursued this ambition as the lead singer of the band "10,000 Things," which enjoyed limited success before disbanding in 2005. During this time, Riley took on occasional acting roles while supporting himself with various jobs.
In 2006, he auditioned for Anton Corbijn’s film "Control," a biopic about Ian Curtis, lead singer of the post-punk band "Joy Division." His performance in the lead role earned widespread acclaim and several awards, including the British Independent Film Award for "Most Promising Newcomer" and Best Actor at the Chicago International Film Festival. On set, he met actress Alexandra Maria Lara, and the two later married in 2009.
Following "Control," Riley’s acting career flourished. Notable roles include the thriller "Brighton Rock" (2010), the Jack Kerouac adaptation "On the Road" (2012), the fantasy film "Maleficent" (2014), the horror-comedy "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016), and the psychological horror "Firebrand" (2023).
Riley also appeared in several German and Austrian films, often alongside his wife. These include a cameo in Detlev Buck’s comedy "Rubbeldiekatz" ("Woman in Love", 2011), starring Lara, the lead in the Alpine western "Das finstere Tal" ("The Dark Valley", 2014), and a villainous role in the children's film "Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt" ("Robby & Toby's Fantastic Voyager", 2016). In "Alfons Zitterbacke – Endlich Klassenfahrt!" ("Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos!", 2022), he played the new boyfriend of Alfons' mother, again alongside Lara.
In 2024, Riley took on the title role in Joachim Lang's "Cranko," a biopic about ballet choreographer John Cranko. He also starred in Jan-Ole Gerster's "Islands," set for release in 2025.