Sam Arnold is a former ATP Touring Tennis Professional, SAG-AFTRA Actor & Sports Broadcaster. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1969 to Helen Arnold, a registered nurse & John Arnold ...Show More
Sam Arnold is a former ATP Touring Tennis Professional, SAG-AFTRA Actor & Sports Broadcaster. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1969 to Helen Arnold, a registered nurse & John Arnold, a former iron-man & pro surfer on the World Surf League. His sisters are Rebecca Arnold (in Bahrain) & Olivia Arnold (in Cairns).Sam is a 7th generation Australian, with his ancestry dating back to the first settlers to land on the HMS Buffalo in Adelaide, South Australia in 1836. He grew up in Seacliff & graduated at St Peter's College, before relocating to the United States in 1988 to attend UCLA & pursue his career in Broadcast Journalism & as a touring tennis professional on the ITF & ATP circuit.In 1993, Sam retired prematurely from the ATP Tour, following the sudden death of his mother to cancer. Having become the 'Tennis Coach to the Stars' in Beverly Hills, Sam was invited to play tennis with US President Bill Clinton in 1996, which saw him land opportunities in the acting industry & become registered actor with SAG-AFTRA.Sam's first Hollywood appearance was in 1998 as an American Solider in the Thin Red Line, filmed in Bramston Beach, Far North Queensland. This led to many small roles in American drama series such as Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Profiler, JAG, Third Rock from the Sun, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Charmed.He later accepted acting roles in Lethal Weapon 4, starring fellow Aussie, Mel Gibson, plus Blast from the Past, Pearl Harbor, Action, Star Trek: Insurrection, Con-Air & the Presidio. A chance meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger at St Monica's Church in Santa Monica, also led to a role as a parishioner in the movie, End of Days.In 1999, Sam travelled to Tokyo for a role with SAG-AFTRA in a Japanese film called Messengers, starring Naoko Iijima. He then met his first Japanese wife, Sayaka & decided to remain in Japan to film Senrigan, Pearl Harbour, Space Travelers, Lost in Translation, Godzilla: Final Wars, Memoirs of a Geisha & Letters from Iwo Jima, starring Ken Watanabe.In 2007, at the age of 37 yrs, Sam collapsed in Macau Airport & was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He managed to return to Adelaide & was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma cancer, spending the three months in palliative care & two years receiving chemotherapy treatment & a bone marrow transplant. Against all odds, he survived.Whilst in hospital in Adelaide, Sam's 2nd Filipino wife, Clara, gave birth to his son, Sydney, in 2007 & then abducted him in 2014. Sam later moved to Gold Coast in Queensland, & continues to work as a Sportscaster & an actor for SAG-AFTRA. For acting inquiries & auditions, Sam can be contacted at... [email protected] Hide
