Samantha was born in New York City. She moved to New Haven County, Connecticut at age three where she became an older sister, the most important role of her life so far. She began acting at age twelve, when she was bitten by the theater bug. She continued her acting only in a school setting until 2005 when she joined the equity theater company, New Haven's Elm Shakespeare Company. She has appeared in front of audiences of thousands in Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Robin Hood, Hamlet, and The Matchmaker.